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Plenty has been documented about the practice of running, a healing activity with potential for cathartic release. Within the context of professional sports, though, the stress of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this fundamental aim. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime goes past trophies and medals to explore the existential drive that spurs an competitor’s aspiration.

Narrative Summary

The Sprint Story chronicles Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories separate when they turn professional. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the pair enter their youth and early maturity, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the story follows their internal hurdles, laying bare the struggles of an athlete’s life, locked in a loop of societal observation, result pressures and sponsorship demands.

Creative Merits

Maybe it’s due to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what 100 Meters is deficient in narrative subtlety and rhythm, it compensates for in dazzling visuals. Utilizing live-action tracing, in which cartooning is superimposed on real-life video, the film generates exquisitely intricate running sequences. The bodily strain of a race is visibly evident, and the struggle and triumph of contests are imprinted on the athletes’ physiques.

Unforgettable Scenes

One particularly momentous race finishes in the rain, with torrents of monochrome brushwork that immerse the frame. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of artistic excellence embody the almost spiritual high the movie aims to evoke.

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