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Much has been recorded about the practice of running, a healing activity with capacity for cathartic release. In the sphere of competitive games, yet, the pressure of contests can lead athletes to forget of this primary objective. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends trophies and medals to explore the core impetus that spurs an sports star’s dream.

Story Synopsis

The Sprint Story follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories split when they turn professional. Formerly the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the twosome progress into their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the story tracks their mental obstacles, laying bare the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, trapped in a pattern of public scrutiny, result pressures and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s down to the original work, but the animation’s answer to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; frequently, a protagonist’s uncertainties simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the film is deficient in plot refinement and pacing, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Using live-action tracing, in which animation is drawn atop filmed sequences, the movie generates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a race is clearly shown, and the struggle and triumph of contests are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One notably pivotal race finishes in the storm, with torrents of charcoal lines that engulf the frame. Apart from conversation, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance embody the near-transcendent euphoria the animation aims to evoke.

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