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Much has been written about the practice of running, a healing activity with ability for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of professional sports, yet, the strain of contests can make people lose sight of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends trophies and medals to examine the existential drive that spurs an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose life paths split when they turn professional. Formerly the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi helps the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the pair move through their youth and early maturity, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their internal hurdles, laying bare the struggles of an competitor’s existence, caught in a loop of media attention, achievement demands and commercial obligations.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s down to the original work, but the film’s response to these complex dilemmas is a bit simplistic; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a lengthy conversation with a colleague or elder. But what the anime is deficient in story nuance and pacing, it compensates for in dazzling visuals. Using trace-over animation, in which cartooning is superimposed on real-life video, the film generates stunningly detailed running sequences. The athletic effort of a sprint is on full display, and the suffering and elation of contests are imprinted on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One especially significant race concludes in the rain, with sheets of monochrome brushwork that immerse the scene. Apart from conversation, these displays of artistic excellence capture the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to provoke.

The 100-Meter Anime is released in Britain from the 16th of November.