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A great deal has been recorded about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of competitive games, yet, the stress of rivalry can make people lose sight of this primary objective. Transposed from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime looks beyond trophies and medals to explore the existential drive that spurs an athlete’s ambition.

Plot Overview

100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys diverge when they enter elite competition. Formerly the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi guides the less confident Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya steadily accelerates up the leaderboard of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the story follows their psychological barriers, exposing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, trapped in a cycle of media attention, achievement demands and sponsorship demands.

Creative Merits

Perhaps it’s down to the original work, but the animation’s answer to these intricate issues is a bit simplistic; repeatedly, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the film falls short in story nuance and pacing, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Using live-action tracing, in which cartooning is drawn atop filmed sequences, the movie produces remarkably precise dash moments. The bodily strain of a sprint is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of competition are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race concludes in the rain, with cascades of grey strokes that engulf the scene. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery capture the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to provoke.

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