🔗 Share this article

Much has been documented about the act of running, a restorative movement with potential for emotional liberation. In the realm of competitive games, yet, the pressure of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this ultimate goal. Reimagined from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends awards and honors to explore the existential drive that spurs an sports star’s dream.

Plot Overview

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose career trajectories diverge when they turn professional. Previously the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi assists the more uncertain Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Encompassing more than 15 years, the story documents their psychological barriers, exposing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, locked in a loop of societal observation, performance expectations and commercial obligations.

Creative Merits

Possibly it’s down to the original work, but the film’s response to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; repeatedly, a lead’s mental struggles simply disappear after a extended discussion with a peer or a senior. But what the film lacks in plot refinement and rhythm, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which drawn art is superimposed on live-action footage, the feature generates exquisitely intricate dash moments. The physical exertion of a sprint is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of contests are imprinted on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One especially significant race finishes in the storm, with sheets of charcoal lines that engulf the frame. Beyond spoken words, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance capture the quasi-enlightened elation the film aims to provoke.

The Sprint Film is in UK cinemas from 16 November.