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A great deal has been documented about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for emotional liberation. In the sphere of elite athletics, however, the stress of contests can make people lose sight of this fundamental aim. Adapted from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime goes past awards and honors to examine the inner motivation that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Narrative Summary

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose life paths diverge when they go pro. Formerly the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi helps the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the pair enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya progressively advances up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both confront anxieties and insecurities. Spanning more than 15 years, the tale documents their psychological barriers, laying bare the struggles of an athlete’s life, caught in a cycle of media attention, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s down to the base story, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; frequently, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a lengthy conversation with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the film lacks in story nuance and tempo, it redeems itself with in breathtaking graphics. Using rotoscoping, in which animation is drawn atop filmed sequences, the movie generates stunningly detailed sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a sprint is on full display, and the pain and the joy of rivalry are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race ends in the rain, with cascades of charcoal lines that engulf the frame. Beyond spoken words, these displays of stylistic brilliance encapsulate the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to provoke.

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