🔗 Share this article

A great deal has been recorded about the practice of running, a restorative movement with capacity for emotional liberation. Within the context of elite athletics, yet, the pressure of competition can lead athletes to forget of this ultimate goal. Transposed from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends awards and honors to examine the existential drive that drives an athlete’s ambition.

Narrative Summary

The 100-Meter Film chronicles Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths separate when they turn professional. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi assists the more uncertain Komiya with the basics. As the duo move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle fears and doubts. Encompassing more than 15 years, the tale tracks their psychological barriers, exposing the struggles of an sports professional’s journey, locked in a cycle of public scrutiny, achievement demands and sponsorship demands.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s due to the source material, but the film’s response to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; frequently, a protagonist’s uncertainties simply disappear after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what the anime lacks in plot refinement and tempo, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Using trace-over animation, in which cartooning is superimposed on real-life video, the feature produces remarkably precise running sequences. The physical exertion of a race is on full display, and the suffering and elation of contests are imprinted on the characters’ bodies.

Unforgettable Scenes

One especially significant race ends in the downpour, with sheets of grey strokes that immerse the scene. Beyond spoken words, these displays of stylistic brilliance encapsulate the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to inspire.

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