🔗 Share this article 100-Meter Dash Review – Mesmerising Anime of Young Athletes in Quest for Mind-Body Elevation A great deal has been documented about the act of running, a restorative movement with potential for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of elite athletics, yet, the pressure of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this primary objective. Adapted from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime looks beyond awards and honors to explore the existential drive that fuels an athlete’s ambition. Story Synopsis 100 Meters traces Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys split when they turn professional. Formerly the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome enter their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Encompassing more than 15 years, the narrative follows their mental obstacles, laying bare the challenges of an athlete’s life, trapped in a pattern of media attention, 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 a bit simplistic; repeatedly, a protagonist’s uncertainties just vanish after a prolonged talk with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what 100 Meters falls short in plot refinement and pacing, it redeems itself with in breathtaking graphics. Utilizing live-action tracing, in which drawn art is superimposed on real-life video, the movie generates exquisitely intricate sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a race is visibly evident, and the pain and the joy of competition are engraved on the characters’ bodies. Memorable Moments One particularly momentous race finishes in the storm, with sheets of monochrome brushwork that immerse the frame. More than any dialogue, these displays of creative mastery encapsulate the almost spiritual high the movie aims to evoke. The 100-Meter Anime is showing in the United Kingdom from November 16.