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Plenty has been recorded about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for emotional liberation. In the sphere of professional sports, however, the strain of competition can lead athletes to forget of this primary objective. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past prizes and accolades to explore the existential drive that fuels an athlete’s ambition.

Narrative Summary

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose personal journeys diverge when they go pro. Once the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the pair move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with fears and doubts. Encompassing more than 15 years, the story follows their psychological barriers, revealing the challenges of an athlete’s life, caught in a loop of public scrutiny, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.

Artistic Strengths

Possibly it’s because of the original work, but the animation’s answer to these intricate issues is somewhat facile; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the film is deficient in narrative subtlety and rhythm, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Employing live-action tracing, in which animation is superimposed on filmed sequences, the feature produces remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a dash is on full display, and the suffering and elation of competition are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race finishes in the storm, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that immerse the screen. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of creative mastery embody the almost spiritual high the film aims to inspire.

100 Meters is showing in the United Kingdom from November 16.