🔗 Share this article

Much has been written about the practice of running, a restorative movement with capacity for cathartic release. Within the context of competitive games, however, the strain of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this ultimate goal. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime goes past awards and honors to examine the inner motivation that spurs an sports star’s dream.

Plot Overview

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories split when they go pro. Formerly the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi helps the less confident Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya progressively advances up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the story tracks their psychological barriers, laying bare the difficulties of an athlete’s life, trapped in a cycle of public scrutiny, result pressures and endorsement requirements.

Creative Merits

Maybe it’s down to the base story, but the film’s response to these intricate issues is somewhat facile; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a lengthy conversation with a colleague or elder. But what the film lacks in plot refinement and rhythm, it compensates for in dazzling visuals. Employing live-action tracing, in which drawn art is drawn atop live-action footage, the feature creates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The athletic effort of a sprint is on full display, and the suffering and elation of contests are etched on the athletes’ physiques.

Unforgettable Scenes

One notably pivotal race ends in the rain, with sheets of charcoal lines that overwhelm the scene. Beyond spoken words, these bursts of artistic excellence encapsulate the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to inspire.

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