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Plenty has been recorded about the practice of running, a therapeutic exercise with potential for emotional liberation. In the sphere of elite athletics, however, the strain of competition can cause individuals to overlook of this ultimate goal. Transposed from the eponymous manga, Kenji Iwaisawa’s spellbinding anime transcends prizes and accolades to explore the core impetus that fuels an sports star’s dream.

Narrative Summary

The Sprint Story chronicles Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose life paths split when they turn professional. Previously the fastest grade-schooler in Japan, Togashi guides the less confident Komiya with the fundamentals. As the duo move through their teens and their 20s, Komiya progressively advances up the ranking of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both confront anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the tale follows their internal hurdles, laying bare the struggles of an sports professional’s journey, locked in a cycle of public scrutiny, result pressures and sponsorship demands.

Visual Highlights

Possibly it’s due to the original work, but the animation’s answer to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the film lacks in story nuance and rhythm, it redeems itself with in stunning imagery. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which animation is superimposed on filmed sequences, the feature generates remarkably precise dash moments. The bodily strain of a dash is on full display, and the struggle and triumph of contests are imprinted on the protagonists’ forms.

Impactful Sequences

One especially significant race concludes in the rain, with sheets of monochrome brushwork that engulf the scene. Beyond spoken words, these displays of stylistic brilliance embody the quasi-enlightened elation the animation aims to provoke.

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