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Plenty has been written about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with ability for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of elite athletics, yet, the stress of contests can make people lose sight of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime looks beyond awards and honors to examine the core impetus that fuels an athlete’s ambition.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories separate when they turn professional. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair move through their youth and early maturity, Komiya progressively advances up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with fears and doubts. Encompassing more than 15 years, the tale documents their mental obstacles, revealing the struggles of an athlete’s life, trapped in a pattern of public scrutiny, result pressures and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s because of the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the anime is deficient in plot refinement and tempo, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Employing rotoscoping, in which cartooning is drawn atop live-action footage, the film creates stunningly detailed sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a dash is on full display, and the suffering and elation of contests are etched on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race concludes in the storm, with sheets of charcoal lines that engulf the scene. Apart from conversation, these displays of artistic excellence encapsulate the almost spiritual high the movie aims to provoke.

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