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A great deal has been written about the practice of running, a healing activity with potential for cathartic release. In the sphere of competitive games, yet, the strain of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this ultimate goal. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends prizes and accolades to explore the inner motivation that drives an athlete’s ambition.

Plot Overview

The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys separate when they turn professional. Once the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi assists the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the pair progress into their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both struggle with fears and doubts. Encompassing more than 15 years, the story follows their internal hurdles, exposing the difficulties of an sports professional’s journey, locked in a loop of public scrutiny, performance expectations and commercial obligations.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s because of the original work, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is somewhat facile; time and time again, a lead’s mental struggles just vanish after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what the film is deficient in plot refinement and pacing, it compensates for in dazzling visuals. Utilizing rotoscoping, in which animation is traced over real-life video, the movie generates remarkably precise running sequences. The bodily strain of a race is clearly shown, and the suffering and elation of contests are etched on the characters’ bodies.

Unforgettable Scenes

One notably pivotal race concludes in the downpour, with torrents of grey strokes that engulf the frame. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance capture the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to provoke.

100 Meters is released in Britain from November 16.