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A great deal has been recorded about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with ability for cathartic release. Within the context of competitive games, though, the stress of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime transcends awards and honors to explore the inner motivation that fuels an competitor’s aspiration.

Plot Overview

The Sprint Story chronicles Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys diverge when they turn professional. Once the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi helps the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the duo enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both battle fears and doubts. Encompassing more than 15 years, the tale follows their internal hurdles, exposing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, locked in a loop of societal observation, performance expectations and commercial obligations.

Artistic Strengths

Possibly it’s due to the base story, but the film’s response to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts quickly dissolve 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 breathtaking graphics. Using live-action tracing, in which cartooning is superimposed on live-action footage, the feature produces stunningly detailed dash moments. The athletic effort of a sprint is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of rivalry are etched on the athletes’ physiques.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race ends in the rain, with torrents of charcoal lines that engulf the scene. Apart from conversation, these bursts of artistic excellence capture the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to evoke.

100 Meters is released in Britain from the 16th of November.