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Plenty has been recorded about the art of running, a healing activity with potential for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of elite athletics, though, the pressure of competition can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime goes past trophies and medals to examine the existential drive that spurs an competitor’s aspiration.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys split when they turn professional. Previously the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi assists the less confident Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya progressively advances up the leaderboard of elite competitors, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative follows their mental obstacles, exposing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, caught in a cycle of public scrutiny, achievement demands and commercial obligations.

Creative Merits

Maybe it’s because of the base story, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; frequently, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what the film is deficient in narrative subtlety and pacing, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Using trace-over animation, in which animation is superimposed on filmed sequences, the film generates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a sprint is clearly shown, and the struggle and triumph of contests are etched on the athletes’ physiques.

Unforgettable Scenes

One notably pivotal race ends in the storm, with torrents of grey strokes that engulf the frame. Apart from conversation, these bursts of stylistic brilliance encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to inspire.

100 Meters is released in Britain from 16 November.