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A great deal has been written about the act of running, a healing activity with ability for cathartic release. Within the context of competitive games, though, the pressure of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Adapted from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime looks beyond trophies and medals to investigate the existential drive that drives an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys diverge when they go pro. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi assists the less confident Komiya with the basics. As the pair move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya progressively advances up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the story documents their mental obstacles, laying bare the struggles of an sports professional’s journey, locked in a pattern of media attention, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Visual Highlights

Possibly it’s because of the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; repeatedly, a lead’s mental struggles quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the film falls short in plot refinement and rhythm, it redeems itself with in breathtaking graphics. Employing trace-over animation, in which drawn art is superimposed on filmed sequences, the movie produces remarkably precise running sequences. The physical exertion of a race is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of competition are etched on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race concludes in the rain, with sheets of charcoal lines that engulf the frame. Beyond spoken words, these bursts of creative mastery encapsulate the almost spiritual high the movie aims to evoke.

100 Meters is in UK cinemas from 16 November.