100-Meter Dash Review – Mesmerising Animation of Emerging Sports Stars in Search for Physical and Spiritual High
Plenty has been written about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for cathartic release. In the realm of professional sports, though, the strain of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this ultimate goal. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends prizes and accolades to investigate the existential drive that spurs an competitor’s aspiration.
Story Synopsis
The Sprint Story follows Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose career trajectories split when they go pro. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is trapped in a decline; both struggle with worries and uncertainties. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative documents their mental obstacles, revealing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, trapped in a pattern of societal observation, achievement demands and endorsement requirements.
Visual Highlights
Possibly it’s down to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complex dilemmas is a bit simplistic; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts simply disappear after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the film is deficient in narrative subtlety and tempo, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Employing rotoscoping, in which cartooning is superimposed on filmed sequences, the film creates stunningly detailed dash moments. The physical exertion of a sprint is visibly evident, and the suffering and elation of competition are etched on the protagonists’ forms.
Impactful Sequences
One particularly momentous race concludes in the downpour, with cascades of grey strokes that engulf the frame. Beyond spoken words, these displays of artistic excellence embody the almost spiritual high the movie aims to inspire.
The 100-Meter Anime is showing in the United Kingdom from the 16th of November.
