A great deal has been documented about the art of running, a healing activity with potential for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of professional sports, yet, the stress of rivalry can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Adapted from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends awards and honors to explore the existential drive that fuels an athlete’s ambition.
100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose personal journeys split when they go pro. Formerly the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the duo move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya progressively advances up the ranking of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both confront anxieties and insecurities. Encompassing more than 15 years, the narrative documents their internal hurdles, revealing the difficulties of an sports professional’s journey, caught in a pattern of public scrutiny, performance expectations and sponsorship demands.
Perhaps it’s down to the original work, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is rather superficial; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the anime is deficient in narrative subtlety and tempo, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which animation is traced over filmed sequences, the feature creates remarkably precise sprinting scenes. The bodily strain of a race is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of contests are etched on the athletes’ physiques.
One notably pivotal race finishes in the storm, with torrents of monochrome brushwork that engulf the frame. More than any dialogue, these bursts of creative mastery capture the almost spiritual high the movie aims to inspire.
100 Meters is in UK cinemas from November 16.
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Robert Williams
Robert Williams
Robert Williams