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Much has been documented about the art of running, a healing activity with capacity for emotional liberation. Within the context of professional sports, though, the stress of contests can make people lose sight of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends prizes and accolades to examine the existential drive that drives an athlete’s ambition.

Plot Overview

The Sprint Story follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories separate when they go pro. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi helps the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the twosome move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative documents their mental obstacles, laying bare the difficulties of an athlete’s life, caught in a loop of societal observation, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s because of the original work, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; frequently, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a lengthy conversation with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters is deficient in plot refinement and tempo, it redeems itself with in stunning imagery. Employing trace-over animation, in which animation is drawn atop live-action footage, the feature produces stunningly detailed running sequences. The bodily strain of a dash is on full display, and the struggle and triumph of competition are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Memorable Moments

One particularly momentous race ends in the storm, with torrents of grey strokes that overwhelm the screen. Beyond spoken words, these flourishes of stylistic brilliance encapsulate the almost spiritual high the film aims to provoke.

The Sprint Film is showing in the United Kingdom from November 16.