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Much has been recorded about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with ability for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of competitive games, however, the pressure of rivalry can make people lose sight of this primary objective. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past awards and honors to investigate the core impetus that fuels an competitor’s aspiration.

Story Synopsis

The Sprint Story follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys separate when they go pro. Once the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi helps the less confident Komiya with the basics. As the twosome progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of elite competitors, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both battle worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the story tracks their internal hurdles, revealing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, caught in a loop of societal observation, performance expectations and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Possibly it’s because of the original work, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is rather superficial; repeatedly, a lead’s mental struggles just vanish after a extended discussion with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the film is deficient in story nuance and rhythm, it makes up for in breathtaking graphics. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which cartooning is drawn atop filmed sequences, the movie creates exquisitely intricate running sequences. The physical exertion of a dash is visibly evident, and the struggle and triumph of rivalry are engraved on the athletes’ physiques.

Impactful Sequences

One particularly momentous race finishes in the rain, with sheets of monochrome brushwork that overwhelm the frame. Apart from conversation, these displays of stylistic brilliance embody the almost spiritual high the movie aims to inspire.

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