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Plenty has been documented about the practice of running, a healing activity with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of competitive games, yet, the stress of contests can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime goes past awards and honors to examine the inner motivation that fuels an competitor’s aspiration.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose career trajectories separate when they turn professional. Formerly the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi assists the more uncertain Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya progressively advances up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the story follows their mental obstacles, exposing the difficulties of an sports professional’s journey, locked in a loop of public scrutiny, performance expectations and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s due to the original work, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the film lacks in story nuance and tempo, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which drawn art is superimposed on filmed sequences, the movie produces exquisitely intricate sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a sprint is clearly shown, and the struggle and triumph of rivalry are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One particularly momentous race concludes in the storm, with cascades of charcoal lines that overwhelm the scene. Beyond spoken words, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance capture the almost spiritual high the movie aims to provoke.

The Sprint Film is released in Britain from the 16th of November.