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Much has been documented about the art of running, a healing activity with capacity for cathartic release. In the realm of elite athletics, though, the stress of contests can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime goes past awards and honors to explore the core impetus that spurs an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories split when they turn professional. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the duo progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both confront worries and uncertainties. Encompassing more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their psychological barriers, exposing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, caught in a loop of media attention, performance expectations and sponsorship demands.

Creative Merits

Perhaps it’s due to the source material, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; frequently, a protagonist’s uncertainties quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the film falls short in story nuance and rhythm, it redeems itself with in stunning imagery. Using trace-over animation, in which cartooning is traced over filmed sequences, the feature creates remarkably precise running sequences. The physical exertion of a sprint is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of competition are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race ends in the storm, with cascades of grey strokes that immerse the frame. More than any dialogue, these displays of artistic excellence encapsulate the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to inspire.

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