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Much has been recorded about the art of running, a healing activity with ability for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of competitive games, however, the pressure of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this primary objective. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past trophies and medals to investigate the inner motivation that fuels an competitor’s aspiration.

Plot Overview

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories diverge when they go pro. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the basics. As the pair move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya progressively advances up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both confront anxieties and insecurities. Encompassing more than 15 years, the tale follows their internal hurdles, exposing the challenges of an sports professional’s journey, caught in a pattern of societal observation, performance expectations and endorsement requirements.

Creative Merits

Maybe it’s due to the original work, but the film’s response to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; frequently, a lead’s mental struggles quickly dissolve after a lengthy conversation with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the film is deficient in story nuance and tempo, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Employing rotoscoping, in which animation is drawn atop filmed sequences, the movie produces exquisitely intricate running sequences. The athletic effort of a sprint is on full display, and the struggle and triumph of rivalry are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Unforgettable Scenes

One particularly momentous race finishes in the storm, with torrents of charcoal lines that overwhelm the frame. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery embody the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to evoke.

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