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Plenty has been written about the act of running, a healing activity with potential for emotional liberation. Within the context of elite athletics, yet, the strain of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this primary objective. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime goes past prizes and accolades to explore the core impetus that spurs an competitor’s aspiration.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories split when they enter elite competition. Formerly the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the tale tracks their internal hurdles, revealing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, locked in a pattern of public scrutiny, result pressures and endorsement requirements.

Creative Merits

Perhaps it’s due to the original work, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is rather superficial; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a lengthy conversation with a colleague or elder. But what 100 Meters is deficient in narrative subtlety and tempo, it makes up for in dazzling visuals. Utilizing live-action tracing, in which animation is superimposed on real-life video, the film generates exquisitely intricate dash moments. The athletic effort of a race is visibly evident, and the struggle and triumph of rivalry are imprinted on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race ends in the downpour, with torrents of monochrome brushwork that engulf the scene. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of creative mastery capture the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to evoke.

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