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A great deal has been recorded about the art of running, a therapeutic exercise with potential for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of competitive games, however, the pressure of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime looks beyond trophies and medals to examine the existential drive that spurs an athlete’s ambition.

Story Synopsis

The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys split when they go pro. Previously the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi guides the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the duo enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the leaderboard of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle worries and uncertainties. Encompassing more than 15 years, the story follows their mental obstacles, revealing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, trapped in a pattern of public scrutiny, result pressures and endorsement requirements.

Creative Merits

Perhaps it’s because of the source material, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is somewhat facile; frequently, a lead’s mental struggles simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the anime is deficient in story nuance and rhythm, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Employing live-action tracing, in which drawn art is traced over live-action footage, the film creates stunningly detailed sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a sprint is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of contests are etched on the characters’ bodies.

Impactful Sequences

One notably pivotal race ends in the downpour, with sheets of grey strokes that overwhelm the scene. Beyond spoken words, these bursts of creative mastery encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to provoke.

100 Meters is released in Britain from the 16th of November.