100-Meter Dash Review – Captivating Animation of Young Athletes in Search for Physical and Spiritual High
Much has been recorded about the art of running, a healing activity with ability for emotional liberation. Within the context of competitive games, though, the strain of contests can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Transposed from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends prizes and accolades to explore the core impetus that spurs an competitor’s aspiration.
Plot Overview
The 100-Meter Film follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose career trajectories separate when they turn professional. Formerly the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi helps the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the duo progress into their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the ranking of elite competitors, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both struggle with fears and doubts. Covering more than 15 years, the story tracks their psychological barriers, laying bare the struggles of an competitor’s existence, caught in a loop of societal observation, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.
Creative Merits
Maybe it’s because of the original work, but the movie’s approach to these intricate issues is a bit simplistic; time and time again, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the anime is deficient in plot refinement and pacing, it redeems itself with in dazzling visuals. Utilizing live-action tracing, in which animation is superimposed on live-action footage, the feature produces stunningly detailed sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a sprint is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of contests are etched on the protagonists’ forms.
Unforgettable Scenes
One particularly momentous race concludes in the storm, with cascades of grey strokes that overwhelm the screen. More than any dialogue, these bursts of creative mastery capture the almost spiritual high the animation aims to provoke.
The 100-Meter Anime is showing in the United Kingdom from November 16.
