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A great deal has been recorded about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for emotional liberation. In the realm of professional sports, yet, the stress of competition can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime goes past trophies and medals to examine the existential drive that spurs an sports star’s dream.

Narrative Summary

The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories separate when they go pro. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the pair enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their internal hurdles, exposing the challenges of an athlete’s life, caught in a pattern of societal observation, achievement demands and sponsorship demands.

Creative Merits

Possibly it’s down to the source material, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is rather superficial; frequently, a lead’s mental struggles quickly dissolve after a extended discussion with a peer or a senior. But what 100 Meters lacks in narrative subtlety and pacing, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Employing rotoscoping, in which animation is superimposed on live-action footage, the feature creates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The athletic effort of a dash is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of competition are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race concludes in the rain, with torrents of monochrome brushwork that engulf the scene. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance capture the quasi-enlightened elation the film aims to inspire.

The Sprint Film is in UK cinemas from 16 November.