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A great deal has been documented about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with potential for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of competitive games, yet, the pressure of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime looks beyond prizes and accolades to examine the existential drive that spurs an athlete’s ambition.

Narrative Summary

The 100-Meter Film traces Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories diverge when they go pro. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the pair move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle fears and doubts. Spanning more than 15 years, the tale tracks their psychological barriers, exposing the challenges of an athlete’s life, locked in a loop of public scrutiny, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.

Artistic Strengths

Possibly it’s down to the source material, but the animation’s answer to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; time and time again, a lead’s mental struggles just vanish after a extended discussion with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the anime is deficient in story nuance and rhythm, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Using trace-over animation, in which cartooning is drawn atop live-action footage, the feature produces exquisitely intricate sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a race is clearly shown, and the struggle and triumph of contests are imprinted on the protagonists’ forms.

Unforgettable Scenes

One especially significant race concludes in the downpour, with cascades of grey strokes that engulf the scene. Apart from conversation, these bursts of creative mastery capture the almost spiritual high the movie aims to inspire.

100 Meters is released in Britain from 16 November.