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Plenty has been written about the practice of running, a healing activity with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of professional sports, yet, the pressure of rivalry can make people lose sight of this fundamental aim. Transposed from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past trophies and medals to examine the inner motivation that fuels an athlete’s ambition.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys diverge when they turn professional. Once the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi helps the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the pair move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya progressively advances up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative documents their mental obstacles, revealing the struggles of an athlete’s life, trapped in a loop of media attention, achievement demands and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s down to the source material, but the animation’s answer to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; time and time again, a protagonist’s uncertainties quickly dissolve after a lengthy conversation with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the anime falls short in plot refinement and pacing, it compensates for in dazzling visuals. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which animation is drawn atop filmed sequences, the feature creates remarkably precise dash moments. The physical exertion of a race is on full display, and the pain and the joy of contests are engraved on the characters’ bodies.

Impactful Sequences

One especially significant race finishes in the rain, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that engulf the screen. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery embody the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to provoke.

The 100-Meter Anime is in UK cinemas from 16 November.