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Plenty has been written about the art of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of elite athletics, yet, the strain of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this fundamental aim. Transposed from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime looks beyond awards and honors to investigate the inner motivation that spurs an competitor’s aspiration.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories diverge when they go pro. Formerly the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi guides the more uncertain Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya progressively advances up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both confront worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the tale follows their internal hurdles, laying bare the struggles of an athlete’s life, trapped in a loop of media attention, performance expectations and commercial obligations.

Visual Highlights

Perhaps it’s due to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is a bit simplistic; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a lengthy conversation with a peer or a senior. But what the film is deficient in plot refinement and rhythm, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which animation is traced over live-action footage, the film creates exquisitely intricate sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a sprint is visibly evident, and the struggle and triumph of contests are etched on the athletes’ physiques.

Unforgettable Scenes

One particularly momentous race concludes in the downpour, with torrents of grey strokes that engulf the scene. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of creative mastery encapsulate the almost spiritual high the movie aims to evoke.

100 Meters is released in Britain from the 16th of November.