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Much has been written about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with ability for therapeutic unburdening. In the realm of competitive games, though, the stress of competition can lead athletes to forget of this fundamental aim. Reimagined from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime looks beyond awards and honors to explore the core impetus that spurs an competitor’s aspiration.

Plot Overview

The Sprint Story follows Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose personal journeys separate when they turn professional. Previously the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi guides the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the duo enter their youth and early maturity, Komiya steadily accelerates up the leaderboard of premier sportspeople, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with fears and doubts. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their psychological barriers, revealing the challenges of an athlete’s life, trapped in a loop of societal observation, performance expectations and commercial obligations.

Visual Highlights

Maybe it’s because of the original work, but the animation’s answer to these complicated problems is somewhat facile; repeatedly, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the film is deficient in story nuance and rhythm, it compensates for in dazzling visuals. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which cartooning is superimposed on real-life video, the movie creates exquisitely intricate sprinting scenes. The physical exertion of a race is on full display, and the struggle and triumph of contests are etched on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One notably pivotal race concludes in the downpour, with cascades of charcoal lines that overwhelm the scene. Apart from conversation, these bursts of artistic excellence embody the near-transcendent euphoria the movie aims to evoke.

The Sprint Film is in UK cinemas from 16 November.