🔗 Share this article 100 Meters Review – Mesmerising Animation of Young Athletes in Search for Physical and Spiritual High A great deal has been documented about the practice of running, a restorative movement with potential for cathartic release. Within the context of professional sports, though, the stress of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this fundamental aim. Transposed from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime looks beyond trophies and medals to examine the inner motivation that fuels an competitor’s aspiration. Story Synopsis 100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths diverge when they turn professional. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the more uncertain Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of top athletes, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Spanning more than 15 years, the story tracks their psychological barriers, exposing the struggles of an competitor’s existence, trapped in a loop of media attention, performance expectations and commercial obligations. Visual Highlights Maybe it’s because of the base story, but the film’s response to these intricate issues is a bit simplistic; time and time again, a lead’s mental struggles simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the anime is deficient in narrative subtlety and rhythm, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Employing rotoscoping, in which animation is drawn atop live-action footage, the movie generates remarkably precise running sequences. The bodily strain of a dash is clearly shown, and the suffering and elation of contests are etched on the characters’ bodies. Impactful Sequences One particularly momentous race concludes in the storm, with cascades of grey strokes that engulf the scene. Beyond spoken words, these displays of creative mastery capture the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to provoke. 100 Meters is released in Britain from the 16th of November.