100 Meters Review – Mesmerising Animation of Young Athletes in Search for Physical and Spiritual High
A great deal has been documented about the art of running, a healing activity with capacity for emotional liberation. In the realm of competitive games, however, the stress of competition can lead athletes to forget of this primary objective. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime looks beyond awards and honors to explore the inner motivation that fuels an athlete’s ambition.
Narrative Summary
100 Meters follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose life paths split when they turn professional. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the less confident Komiya with the essentials. As the twosome move through their youth and early maturity, Komiya steadily accelerates up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both battle fears and doubts. Encompassing more than 15 years, the tale documents their mental obstacles, exposing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, caught in a loop of societal observation, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.
Visual Highlights
Maybe it’s due to the base story, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is rather superficial; frequently, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a peer or a senior. But what the anime is deficient in story nuance and pacing, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Using rotoscoping, in which drawn art is traced over live-action footage, the film creates exquisitely intricate running sequences. The physical exertion of a sprint is on full display, and the pain and the joy of rivalry are etched on the athletes’ physiques.
Unforgettable Scenes
One especially significant race finishes in the downpour, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that engulf the scene. Beyond spoken words, these displays of artistic excellence capture the almost spiritual high the movie aims to inspire.
The 100-Meter Anime is released in Britain from November 16.
