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A great deal has been recorded about the practice of running, a restorative movement with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of professional sports, though, the stress of contests can lead athletes to forget of this ultimate goal. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past awards and honors to explore the existential drive that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

The 100-Meter Film traces Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose life paths split when they go pro. Once the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the leaderboard of top athletes, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Encompassing more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their mental obstacles, revealing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, caught in a pattern of societal observation, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s due to the source material, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is rather superficial; frequently, a character’s inner doubts quickly dissolve after a lengthy conversation with a peer or a senior. But what the film lacks in story nuance and pacing, it redeems itself with in breathtaking graphics. Utilizing live-action tracing, in which cartooning is drawn atop real-life video, the feature generates stunningly detailed dash moments. The physical exertion of a race is on full display, and the pain and the joy of rivalry are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Unforgettable Scenes

One especially significant race ends in the downpour, with torrents of monochrome brushwork that overwhelm the frame. Beyond spoken words, these flourishes of artistic excellence embody the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to provoke.

100 Meters is in UK cinemas from November 16.