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Plenty has been written about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with potential for emotional liberation. Within the context of competitive games, though, the pressure of contests can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime looks beyond trophies and medals to investigate the existential drive that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Narrative Summary

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose career trajectories diverge when they turn professional. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the twosome enter their youth and early maturity, Komiya consistently improves up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their internal hurdles, exposing the challenges of an athlete’s life, caught in a pattern of media attention, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.

Visual Highlights

Possibly it’s due to the source material, 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 colleague or elder. But what the film is deficient in plot refinement and rhythm, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Employing rotoscoping, in which cartooning is drawn atop filmed sequences, the feature generates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a sprint is clearly shown, and the struggle and triumph of competition are imprinted on the athletes’ physiques.

Impactful Sequences

One notably pivotal race concludes in the downpour, with sheets of charcoal lines that overwhelm the frame. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery capture the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to inspire.

100 Meters is in UK cinemas from November 16.