100 Meters anime movie: Why you need to watch it

100 Meters
100 Meters (Image Credits: Pony Canyon)

100 Meters anime movie is a sports drama film adaptation of the manga 100 meters (hyakuemu) of Uoto, which is directed by Kenji Iwaisawa and animated by Rock n roll mountain. It is the story of two runners, Togashi, a sprint-born prodigy, and Komiya, a transfer student who intends to win, whose lives move apart and collide in the world of competition. It has a rotoscoped animation, music by Hiroaki Tsutsumi, a screenplay by Yasuyuki Muto, and is distributed by GKIDS in North America.

What makes this film so compelling to watch is simple: it has successfully integrated emotional depth, technical prowess, and a powerful sports challenge into a single film. The 100 Meters anime movie is not merely a sports rivalry film because it explores deeper aspects of identity and hard work, as well as human relationships. Ranging its pacing to its visual direction, the adaptation manages to make sprinting an existential metaphor without basing the story on competitive elements.

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The anime film 100 Meters depicts the dominance of Togashi as he runs easily in the first act of the film, as opposed to Komiya, who experiences difficulty in running with technique and confidence. Their initial bond is based on mentorship and rivalry, in which the latent challenge of Togashi is rekindled through the persistence of Komiya. The presence of supporting characters, including Zaitsu, Saizu, and Kaado, makes the world of athletics richer and closer to life.

Togashi is portrayed by Tori Matsuzaka, Komiya by Shota Sometani, and others by Koki Uchiyama (Saizu), Kenjiro Tsuda (Kaado), and Jun Kasama (Nigami). The manga was published in Magazine Pocket by Kodansha between November 2018 and August 2019, and published in five volumes. The movie will be released in Japan on September 19, 2025, and in North America, it will be released on October 10 - 14, 2025. Official HIGE DANDism performs its theme song, Rashisa.


100 Meters anime movie -- Why It Stands Out

One of the biggest attractions of the 100 Meters anime movie is the rotoscoped fashion, where the motion reality is followed to create movements that appear natural. This method gives a kinesthetic reality to every step and every sprint, and on-screen movement gives a tangible quality. The outcome is physical vitality that is not exaggerated but experienced labor.

In addition to imagery, rivalry is presented as a dialogue in the screenplay. The relationship between Togashi and Komiya is not about who is stronger but about who can make the other person better. The conflict is not about spectacle but about interpersonal interests, pride, insecurity, and seeking a purpose. The 100 Meters anime film develops that conflict with grace.

Togashi and Komiya (Image Credits: Pony Canyon)
Togashi and Komiya (Image Credits: Pony Canyon)

Hiroaki Tsutsumi scores it musically, making each step emotionally charged. Music and rhythm follow the steps in a sprint sequence, falling in unison with footfall, breathing, and heartbeat - supporting not spectacle but internal motivation. Melodic decisions of thematic moments (loss, pressure, aspiration) are based on the visual narration instead of overwhelming it.

In addition, the film moves swiftly -- the story bridges years of expansion and competition in its 1h 46m duration. But it does not hurry: beats of character and changes are allowed to fall. The opposition between innate gift (Togashi) and fieldwork (Komiya) is addressed without caricature and reduction.

Togashi and Komiya (Image Credits: Pony Canyon)
Togashi and Komiya (Image Credits: Pony Canyon)

The film takes a step higher with the cast performances. Togashi, by Matsuzaka, embodies reserved self-confidence disguised by inner heavy weight, and Komiya, by Sometani, is one of anxiety, determination, and vulnerability. Supporting voices also make up the athletic world, which adds depth to the role of every competitor in the film 100 Meters, an anime movie.

Lastly, this film fits into a recent trend of anime toward realistic sports. Its popularity may impact the dramatization of athletic narratives, demonstrating that competition tension does not need fantasy elements in order to be felt.


Summing up, the 100 Meters anime film deserves to be mentioned because of a combination of technical ambition, emotional undertones, and narrative wholesomeness. It makes sprinting not a spectacle but a reflection of human endeavors, identity, and attachment. Its ensemble, design, and thematic reverberation make it one of the most interesting anime sports movies in recent years.

Edited by Sroban Ghosh