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A great deal has been written about the art of running, a restorative movement with ability for cathartic release. Within the context of competitive games, however, the pressure of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime goes past awards and honors to investigate the core impetus that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Plot Overview

100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys separate when they turn professional. Formerly the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the pair move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Spanning more than 15 years, the story tracks their psychological barriers, laying bare the challenges of an competitor’s existence, caught in a pattern of societal observation, performance expectations and commercial obligations.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s because of the original work, but the film’s response to these intricate issues is a bit simplistic; frequently, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the film is deficient in plot refinement and tempo, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Using live-action tracing, in which animation is drawn atop live-action footage, the feature creates exquisitely intricate dash moments. The bodily strain of a race is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of rivalry are imprinted on the athletes’ physiques.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race finishes in the storm, with sheets of monochrome brushwork that immerse the screen. Apart from conversation, these displays of artistic excellence embody the almost spiritual high the movie aims to inspire.

The Sprint Film is released in Britain from November 16.