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Much has been written about the act of running, a healing activity with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of competitive games, however, the strain of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this primary objective. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime looks beyond prizes and accolades to explore the existential drive that drives an competitor’s aspiration.

Narrative Summary

100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories separate when they go pro. Once the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi assists the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome progress into their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Spanning more than 15 years, the story tracks their internal hurdles, laying bare the difficulties of an athlete’s life, trapped in a pattern of societal observation, result pressures and endorsement requirements.

Visual Highlights

Perhaps it’s because of the original work, but the film’s response to these intricate issues is rather superficial; frequently, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters is deficient in narrative subtlety and pacing, it makes up for in dazzling visuals. Employing trace-over animation, in which cartooning is drawn atop real-life video, the feature produces remarkably precise running sequences. The bodily strain of a sprint is on full display, and the suffering and elation of contests are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race concludes in the downpour, with cascades of charcoal lines that immerse the screen. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of artistic excellence encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to evoke.

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