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Plenty has been recorded about the practice of running, a restorative movement with capacity for cathartic release. In the sphere of competitive games, though, the strain of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends awards and honors to examine the core impetus that drives an competitor’s aspiration.

Plot Overview

The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys split when they go pro. Once the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the twosome enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of elite competitors, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both confront worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative follows their psychological barriers, laying bare the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, caught in a cycle of societal observation, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Visual Highlights

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 quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the anime is deficient in plot refinement and rhythm, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Employing trace-over animation, in which drawn art is drawn atop real-life video, the film generates remarkably precise running sequences. The physical exertion of a race is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of competition are imprinted on the characters’ bodies.

Impactful Sequences

One notably pivotal race concludes in the storm, with sheets of charcoal lines that engulf the screen. More than any dialogue, these bursts of artistic excellence embody the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to provoke.

100 Meters is showing in the United Kingdom from November 16.