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A great deal has been documented about the practice of running, a restorative movement with ability for emotional liberation. In the sphere of elite athletics, yet, the stress of contests can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past awards and honors to investigate the existential drive that spurs an athlete’s ambition.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose life paths diverge when they turn professional. Formerly the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the less confident Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya progressively advances up the ranking of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both confront fears and doubts. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative documents their internal hurdles, revealing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, locked in a cycle of public scrutiny, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s due to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the anime falls short in story nuance and pacing, it redeems itself with in breathtaking graphics. Employing live-action tracing, in which drawn art is drawn atop real-life video, the film creates stunningly detailed dash moments. The physical exertion of a dash is on full display, and the pain and the joy of competition are imprinted on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race concludes in the rain, with torrents of charcoal lines that engulf the frame. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to provoke.

The 100-Meter Anime is released in Britain from the 16th of November.