🔗 Share this article

Plenty has been recorded about the practice of running, a healing activity with ability for therapeutic unburdening. In the sphere of competitive games, however, the strain of competition can cause individuals to overlook of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends trophies and medals to investigate the existential drive that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths separate when they go pro. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the more uncertain Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo move through their youth and early maturity, Komiya progressively advances up the ranking of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both struggle with worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative documents their mental obstacles, exposing the challenges of an athlete’s life, caught in a pattern of media attention, performance expectations and endorsement requirements.

Visual Highlights

Possibly it’s because of the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is a bit simplistic; frequently, a lead’s mental struggles just vanish after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the anime falls short in plot refinement and pacing, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Employing rotoscoping, in which drawn art is drawn atop real-life video, the feature produces stunningly detailed sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a dash is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of rivalry are imprinted on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race finishes in the downpour, with cascades of charcoal lines that engulf the frame. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of artistic excellence encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to provoke.

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