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Much has been recorded about the act of running, a healing activity with capacity for emotional liberation. Within the context of elite athletics, however, the stress of rivalry can make people lose sight of this primary objective. Transposed from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past awards and honors to investigate the core impetus that fuels an competitor’s aspiration.

Plot Overview

The Sprint Story traces Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories split when they enter elite competition. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo progress into their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their internal hurdles, revealing the struggles of an athlete’s life, caught in a pattern of public scrutiny, result pressures and sponsorship demands.

Artistic Strengths

Perhaps it’s because of the base story, but the movie’s approach to these intricate issues is rather superficial; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters falls short in narrative subtlety and tempo, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Utilizing rotoscoping, in which animation is superimposed on filmed sequences, the feature generates stunningly detailed dash moments. The bodily strain of a race is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of competition are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Unforgettable Scenes

One notably pivotal race concludes in the rain, with sheets of monochrome brushwork that immerse the scene. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of artistic excellence capture the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to evoke.

The 100-Meter Anime is in UK cinemas from 16 November.