100 Meters Review – Mesmerising Anime of Young Athletes in Search for Physical and Spiritual High
Much has been written about the art of running, a healing activity with capacity for cathartic release. Within the context of competitive games, yet, the stress of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends prizes and accolades to investigate the existential drive that drives an athlete’s ambition.
Plot Overview
The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories separate when they turn professional. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the pair move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative follows their psychological barriers, revealing the challenges of an athlete’s life, locked in a pattern of societal observation, result pressures and sponsorship demands.
Visual Highlights
Maybe it’s down to 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 quickly dissolve after a lengthy conversation with a peer or a senior. But what 100 Meters falls short in narrative subtlety and rhythm, it redeems itself with in breathtaking graphics. Employing trace-over animation, in which animation is traced over live-action footage, the movie generates exquisitely intricate dash moments. The athletic effort of a dash is clearly shown, and the suffering and elation of competition are engraved on the characters’ bodies.
Impactful Sequences
One especially significant race ends in the storm, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that immerse the screen. Apart from conversation, these bursts of stylistic brilliance capture the almost spiritual high the animation aims to provoke.
100 Meters is showing in the United Kingdom from the 16th of November.
