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A great deal has been written about the practice of running, a restorative movement with potential for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of elite athletics, yet, the stress of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this ultimate goal. Reimagined from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends prizes and accolades to investigate the core impetus that fuels an competitor’s aspiration.

Plot Overview

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys diverge when they go pro. Previously the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the less confident Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair enter their youth and early maturity, Komiya consistently improves up the leaderboard of top athletes, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both confront worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the tale follows their internal hurdles, laying bare the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, caught in a loop of public scrutiny, achievement demands and sponsorship demands.

Creative Merits

Maybe it’s down to the source material, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; frequently, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a lengthy conversation with a colleague or elder. But what 100 Meters is deficient in plot refinement and pacing, it redeems itself with in stunning imagery. Employing live-action tracing, in which animation is superimposed on filmed sequences, the feature creates stunningly detailed running sequences. The bodily strain of a race is on full display, and the suffering and elation of competition are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race ends in the rain, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that overwhelm the frame. Apart from conversation, these displays of stylistic brilliance encapsulate the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to inspire.

100 Meters is released in Britain from November 16.