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Plenty has been recorded about the art of running, a restorative movement with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of competitive games, though, the stress of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this primary objective. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends prizes and accolades to investigate the inner motivation that spurs an sports star’s dream.

Narrative Summary

The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths separate when they go pro. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the tale tracks their internal hurdles, exposing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, caught in a loop of public scrutiny, result pressures and endorsement requirements.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s due to the source material, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; repeatedly, a protagonist’s uncertainties simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters falls short in narrative subtlety and pacing, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Utilizing rotoscoping, in which drawn art is drawn atop filmed sequences, the movie produces exquisitely intricate sprinting scenes. The athletic effort of a dash is on full display, and the pain and the joy of contests are imprinted on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One particularly momentous race ends in the storm, with cascades of grey strokes that engulf the frame. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance capture the almost spiritual high the animation aims to evoke.

100 Meters is in UK cinemas from the 16th of November.