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Plenty has been documented about the act of running, a restorative movement with ability for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of competitive games, yet, the stress of competition can cause individuals to overlook of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past awards and honors to explore the existential drive that drives an competitor’s aspiration.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose life paths separate when they go pro. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi assists the less self-assured Komiya with the basics. As the pair enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both confront worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the story follows their psychological barriers, exposing the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, locked in a pattern of media attention, achievement demands and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s due to the base story, but the film’s response to these complicated problems is somewhat facile; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what the anime is deficient in story nuance and tempo, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Employing live-action tracing, in which drawn art is superimposed on filmed sequences, the movie produces stunningly detailed dash moments. The bodily strain of a sprint is on full display, and the struggle and triumph of rivalry are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One particularly momentous race concludes in the rain, with sheets of charcoal lines that overwhelm the screen. More than any dialogue, these bursts of creative mastery embody the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to provoke.

The Sprint Film is showing in the United Kingdom from the 16th of November.