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Plenty has been recorded about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with potential for emotional liberation. Within the context of competitive games, yet, the strain of rivalry can make people lose sight of this ultimate goal. Transposed from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime goes past awards and honors to examine the core impetus that fuels an athlete’s ambition.

Plot Overview

The Sprint Story traces Togashi and Komiya, childhood friends whose life paths separate when they turn professional. Previously the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi assists the less confident Komiya with the basics. As the twosome enter their teens and their 20s, Komiya steadily accelerates up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both struggle with anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the narrative follows their internal hurdles, exposing the challenges of an competitor’s existence, caught in a cycle of media attention, performance expectations and commercial obligations.

Artistic Strengths

Maybe it’s down to the source material, but the film’s response to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; time and time again, a protagonist’s uncertainties simply disappear after a extended discussion with a fellow athlete or mentor. But what the film falls short in story nuance and rhythm, it makes up for in stunning imagery. Using trace-over animation, in which animation is drawn atop filmed sequences, the feature produces remarkably precise dash moments. The bodily strain of a dash is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of rivalry are imprinted on the characters’ bodies.

Memorable Moments

One notably pivotal race ends in the downpour, with cascades of monochrome brushwork that overwhelm the frame. More than any dialogue, these flourishes of artistic excellence embody the quasi-enlightened elation the movie aims to evoke.

The Sprint Film is showing in the United Kingdom from November 16.