100-Meter Dash Review – Captivating Anime of Emerging Sports Stars in Search for Physical and Spiritual High
A great deal has been written about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with ability for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of competitive games, though, the pressure of rivalry can make people lose sight of this primary objective. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime goes past prizes and accolades to investigate the inner motivation that spurs an sports star’s dream.
Plot Overview
The Sprint Story chronicles Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose life paths split when they enter elite competition. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the more uncertain Komiya with the essentials. As the twosome move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both battle worries and uncertainties. Spanning more than 15 years, the story tracks their mental obstacles, exposing the difficulties of an athlete’s life, trapped in a pattern of media attention, result pressures and commercial obligations.
Visual Highlights
Perhaps it’s because of the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is somewhat facile; frequently, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a extended discussion with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters falls short in story nuance and rhythm, it compensates for in stunning imagery. Utilizing live-action tracing, in which animation is drawn atop filmed sequences, the film generates exquisitely intricate running sequences. The physical exertion of a race is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of competition are etched on the athletes’ physiques.
Impactful Sequences
One especially significant race finishes in the downpour, with cascades of charcoal lines that engulf the frame. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of creative mastery encapsulate the quasi-enlightened elation the movie aims to provoke.
The Sprint Film is showing in the United Kingdom from the 16th of November.
