100-Meter Dash Review – Mesmerising Anime of Emerging Sports Stars in Search for Physical and Spiritual High

Plenty has been documented about the art of running, a therapeutic exercise with potential for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of elite athletics, however, the strain of rivalry can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Reimagined from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends trophies and medals to explore the core impetus that spurs an athlete’s ambition.

Story Synopsis

The 100-Meter Film chronicles Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories separate when they enter elite competition. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the more uncertain Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both battle worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the story documents their internal hurdles, exposing the difficulties of an competitor’s existence, trapped in a loop of societal observation, performance expectations and endorsement requirements.

Visual Highlights

Possibly it’s due to the base story, but the film’s response to these complex dilemmas is rather superficial; repeatedly, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the anime falls short in plot refinement and rhythm, it compensates for in dazzling visuals. Employing live-action tracing, in which animation is traced over real-life video, the feature generates stunningly detailed dash moments. The athletic effort of a dash is on full display, and the suffering and elation of contests are engraved on the protagonists’ forms.

Memorable Moments

One especially significant race finishes in the rain, with torrents of monochrome brushwork that overwhelm the frame. Beyond spoken words, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance embody the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to evoke.

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