Plenty has been documented about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with potential for emotional liberation. In the sphere of competitive games, however, the stress of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this ultimate goal. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends trophies and medals to examine the inner motivation that drives an sports star’s dream.
100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories diverge when they go pro. Previously the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi assists the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the pair enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the tale follows their internal hurdles, laying bare the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, locked in a cycle of public scrutiny, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.
Maybe it’s down to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these intricate issues is somewhat facile; frequently, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what the anime falls short in narrative subtlety and tempo, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Utilizing rotoscoping, in which cartooning is superimposed on live-action footage, the film generates remarkably precise running sequences. The bodily strain of a sprint is on full display, and the struggle and triumph of rivalry are imprinted on the protagonists’ forms.
One especially significant race concludes in the storm, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that immerse the screen. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery encapsulate the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to inspire.
The 100-Meter Anime is in UK cinemas from November 16.
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