A preview of the animated feature film " 100 Meters ", based on the manga by Uoto , also known for " Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Chi: Chikyu no Undo ni Tsuite), " which was adapted into a TV anime, has been released. The film centers around the 100-meter dash, and the first 56 seconds of the final scene of the men's 100-meter final at the National High School Championships, held in pouring rain, have been released. The final scene, a single take lasting 3 minutes and 40 seconds, took approximately one year to create using the rotoscoping technique, which involves filming live-action footage and then tracing it to create hand-drawn images. Director Kenji Iwaizawa is said to have been particular about this "superb single-shot" with a total of approximately 9,800 frames. The rotoscoping shot features Nobuharu Asahara, a silver medalist in the 4x100-meter relay at the Beijing Olympics, playing a high school athlete.
Director Iwaizawa said about this scene, "When I actually went to see the tournament, I felt a sense of drama in the series of actions before the race, when the athletes entered the stadium, warmed up, and then each took their position. I thought that if I showed this part, which would normally be cut, in a long take, it would create a sense of tension and be worth watching on the theater screen, which would be a selling point of the film. This one shot of the national tournament in the rain also gave me a sense of the success of the rotoscoping in this film."
The original author, Uoto, also praised the scene, saying, "The tension that comes from having plenty of time before the start, and then the scene ending in an instant once it starts, is unexpected and very impressive precisely because it's not in the original work. I'm really glad that they incorporated it."
It was also announced that "6-cut stickers with character names and lines" will be distributed as a gift to attendees from October 3rd. The stickers feature character visuals and logos of Togashi, Komiya, Jinjin, Zaitsu, and Kaido.
"100 Meters" is Uoto's debut serialized work, which was serialized on Kodansha's web manga app Magazine Pocket (Magapoke) from 2018 to 2019. It depicts the madness and passion of those in the world of track and field who are captivated by the brilliance of the 100m, a flash of light that lasts less than 10 seconds.
Togashi, a naturally fast runner who has made friends and found a place to belong, meets Komiya, a transfer student who simply runs as hard as he can to forget his tough reality. Gradually, the two develop a relationship that could be described as both rivals and best friends through the 100-meter dash. A few years later, Togashi, who has made a name for himself as a genius runner but is terrified by the need to keep winning, is confronted by Komiya, who has become one of the top runners... This is the story.
The anime is directed by Kenji Iwaizawa, who was nominated for an Annie Award for his work on "Music," and is produced by Rock 'n' Roll Mountain, the studio behind "Music." It was released on September 19th.
