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Plenty has been recorded about the practice of running, a healing activity with potential for cathartic release. Within the context of professional sports, yet, the strain of contests can lead athletes to forget of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends trophies and medals to examine the existential drive that fuels an competitor’s aspiration.

Narrative Summary

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories split when they go pro. Formerly the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the twosome move through their youth and early maturity, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Encompassing more than 15 years, the tale tracks their psychological barriers, exposing the struggles of an athlete’s life, trapped in a cycle of public scrutiny, achievement demands and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Perhaps it’s down to the original work, but the animation’s answer to these intricate issues is a bit simplistic; frequently, a lead’s mental struggles quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters is deficient in story nuance and tempo, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Employing live-action tracing, in which cartooning is superimposed on live-action footage, the film creates remarkably precise running sequences. The physical exertion of a race is on full display, and the struggle and triumph of contests are etched on the characters’ bodies.

Impactful Sequences

One notably pivotal race concludes in the storm, with sheets of grey strokes that immerse the frame. Apart from conversation, these displays of stylistic brilliance encapsulate the almost spiritual high the animation aims to provoke.

100 Meters is released in Britain from 16 November.