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A great deal has been written about the act of running, a restorative movement with ability for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of competitive games, however, the pressure of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime looks beyond awards and honors to examine the inner motivation that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Narrative Summary

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths split when they turn professional. Previously the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi assists the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the duo progress into their teens and their 20s, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle fears and doubts. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their internal hurdles, exposing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, caught in a cycle of public scrutiny, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.

Visual Highlights

Perhaps it’s down to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is somewhat facile; frequently, a lead’s mental struggles quickly dissolve after a extended discussion with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters is deficient in story nuance and rhythm, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Utilizing live-action tracing, in which drawn art is drawn atop real-life video, the movie generates remarkably precise running sequences. The athletic effort of a race is visibly evident, and the struggle and triumph of contests are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race ends in the storm, with torrents of grey strokes that engulf the screen. Beyond spoken words, these bursts of creative mastery encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to provoke.

The Sprint Film is in UK cinemas from November 16.