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Much has been recorded about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for cathartic release. Within the context of professional sports, yet, the stress of competition can make people lose sight of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends prizes and accolades to explore the inner motivation that fuels an athlete’s ambition.

Story Synopsis

The 100-Meter Film traces Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys separate when they turn professional. Once the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi guides the less confident Komiya with the basics. As the pair enter their youth and early maturity, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Encompassing more than 15 years, the story tracks their internal hurdles, laying bare the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, caught in a cycle of public scrutiny, achievement demands and commercial obligations.

Artistic Strengths

Possibly it’s because of the original work, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; time and time again, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what 100 Meters falls short in plot refinement and rhythm, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Employing live-action tracing, in which cartooning is traced over real-life video, the movie creates remarkably precise dash moments. The physical exertion of a race is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of competition are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Unforgettable Scenes

One notably pivotal race ends in the storm, with torrents of grey strokes that immerse the frame. More than any dialogue, these bursts of creative mastery embody the almost spiritual high the animation aims to evoke.

100 Meters is in UK cinemas from November 16.