🔗 Share this article

A great deal has been written about the art of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for emotional liberation. Within the context of professional sports, yet, the stress of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this primary objective. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends trophies and medals to explore the existential drive that drives an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose life paths diverge when they go pro. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo move through their youth and early maturity, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both confront fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative documents their mental obstacles, exposing the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, caught in a cycle of societal observation, performance expectations and endorsement requirements.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s due to the base story, but the film’s response to these complicated problems is rather superficial; frequently, a lead’s mental struggles quickly dissolve after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what the anime lacks in plot refinement and tempo, it redeems itself with in stunning imagery. Using live-action tracing, in which drawn art is traced over filmed sequences, the feature creates stunningly detailed dash moments. The athletic effort of a race is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of rivalry are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One especially significant race ends in the storm, with torrents of monochrome brushwork that engulf the scene. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of creative mastery embody the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to evoke.

The 100-Meter Anime is showing in the United Kingdom from the 16th of November.