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Much has been recorded about the practice of running, a restorative movement with ability for emotional liberation. In the realm of professional sports, though, the stress of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends prizes and accolades to investigate the core impetus that drives an sports star’s dream.

Narrative Summary

The Sprint Story chronicles Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys diverge when they go pro. Previously the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the pair enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their internal hurdles, laying bare the struggles of an competitor’s existence, locked in a loop of societal observation, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Creative Merits

Possibly it’s because of the original work, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is a bit simplistic; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what the anime is deficient in narrative subtlety and tempo, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Using trace-over animation, in which cartooning is drawn atop filmed sequences, the feature generates stunningly detailed running sequences. The athletic effort of a dash is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of contests are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One especially significant race finishes in the downpour, with sheets of monochrome brushwork that immerse the scene. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of artistic excellence embody the quasi-enlightened elation the film aims to provoke.

100 Meters is in UK cinemas from 16 November.