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Plenty has been written about the art of running, a healing activity with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of elite athletics, yet, the pressure of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this primary objective. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends trophies and medals to examine the inner motivation that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Plot Overview

The Sprint Story follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys split when they turn professional. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi assists the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Spanning more than 15 years, the story follows their internal hurdles, exposing the challenges of an sports professional’s journey, caught in a cycle of societal observation, performance expectations and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Possibly it’s down to the base story, but the film’s response to these intricate issues is somewhat facile; time and time again, a lead’s mental struggles simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the anime falls short in story nuance and pacing, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Using rotoscoping, in which animation is drawn atop filmed sequences, the movie creates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a dash is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of contests are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One especially significant race finishes in the storm, with sheets of charcoal lines that immerse the scene. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of creative mastery encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to provoke.

100 Meters is in UK cinemas from the 16th of November.