🔗 Share this article

A great deal has been recorded about the practice of running, a healing activity with ability for cathartic release. Within the context of elite athletics, yet, the strain of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this primary objective. Reimagined from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends prizes and accolades to investigate the inner motivation that spurs an athlete’s ambition.

Story Synopsis

The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths diverge when they turn professional. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi assists the less self-assured Komiya with the basics. As the twosome enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya progressively advances up the leaderboard of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both confront fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the tale tracks their mental obstacles, laying bare the struggles of an sports professional’s journey, trapped in a loop of public scrutiny, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.

Artistic Strengths

Possibly it’s down to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a lengthy conversation with a peer or a senior. But what the film falls short in plot refinement and pacing, it redeems itself with in stunning imagery. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which cartooning is drawn atop real-life video, the feature creates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a dash is clearly shown, and the suffering and elation of competition are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race finishes in the rain, with cascades of charcoal lines that immerse the screen. Beyond spoken words, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance embody the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to provoke.

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