100-Meter Dash Review – Captivating Anime of Emerging Sports Stars in Search for Mind-Body Elevation
Plenty has been written about the practice of running, a healing activity with ability for emotional liberation. Within the context of elite athletics, yet, the pressure of contests can cause individuals to overlook of this primary objective. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past awards and honors to examine the inner motivation that drives an competitor’s aspiration.
Narrative Summary
The Sprint Story chronicles Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys separate when they turn professional. Once the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the pair progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya progressively advances up the standings of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with worries and uncertainties. Encompassing more than 15 years, the tale follows their mental obstacles, laying bare the struggles of an athlete’s life, caught in a cycle of societal observation, performance expectations and endorsement requirements.
Creative Merits
Possibly it’s because of the base story, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is rather superficial; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts quickly dissolve after a lengthy conversation with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters lacks in plot refinement and pacing, it makes up for in breathtaking graphics. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which cartooning is drawn atop real-life video, the film generates exquisitely intricate running sequences. The athletic effort of a sprint is clearly shown, and the suffering and elation of competition are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.
Memorable Moments
One particularly momentous race concludes in the downpour, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that overwhelm the frame. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery capture the almost spiritual high the film aims to provoke.
100 Meters is released in Britain from 16 November.
