100 Meters (manga)

100 Meters
First tankōbon volume cover
ひゃくえむ。
(Hyakuemu)
GenreSports (track and field)
Manga
Written byUoto
Published byKodansha
ImprintKC Deluxe
MagazineMagazine Pocket
Original runNovember 6, 2018 – August 6, 2019
Volumes5
Anime film
Directed byKenji Iwaizawa
Produced by
  • Yūsuke Terada
  • Yūki Katayama
  • Akane Taketsugu
Written byYasuyuki Mutō
Music byHiroaki Tsutsumi
StudioRock 'n' Roll Mountain
Licensed byGKIDS
Released
  • June 12, 2025 (2025-06-12) (Annecy)
  • September 19, 2025 (2025-09-19) (Japan)
  • October 10, 2025 (2025-10-10) (North America)
  • December 31, 2025 (2025-12-31) (Worldwide)
Runtime106 minutes[1]

100 Meters (Japanese: ひゃくえむ。, Hepburn: Hyakuemu) is a Japanese sports drama manga series written and illustrated by Uoto. Originally based on a one-shot called 100'M, it was later serialized online via Kodansha's Magazine Pocket website and app from November 2018 to August 2019, and was later collected into five tankōbon volumes.[2][3] 100 Meters follows Togashi, a prodigious sprinter whose life becomes intertwined with Komiya, a socially isolated transfer student he introduces to sprinting, unknowingly creating his biggest rival.

An anime film adaptation, produced by Rock 'n' Roll Mountain and directed by Kenji Iwaizawa, featuring the voice talents of Tori Matsuzaka, Shota Sometani, Kenjiro Tsuda, and Koki Uchiyama.[4][5] The film had its world premiere on June 12 at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, followed by a release in Japan on September 19 and a limited United States release on October 12.[6] The film released globally for streaming on Netflix on December 31, 2025.[7] The film received positive reviews, with praise for its rotoscoped animation and the score of Hiroaki Tsutsumi.[8][9] The film was also nominated for several awards, including Animation of the Year at the 49th Japan Academy Film Prize.[10]

Plot

Togashi is a talented runner who has become well known as the fastest grade school sprinter. One day a boy named Komiya transfers to his class, and despite seeing him running the day before, he is actually the slowest when they race in class. The next day, Togashi catches Komiya and asks him why he is running. Komiya explains that he doesn't get along with people and feels he has nothing, so he runs because its blurs reality and lets him escape. Togashi says that being the fastest runner can solve his problems, like it does for him, and it was up to him to make that happen.

Togashi starts training Komiya after school, and he begins to improve, but Togashi is concerned how obsessed Komiya becomes. The Sports Day for their school arrives, and Togashi wins his race easy. During Komiya's race, he has a strong start, but falls soon after. With Togashi cheering him on, he gets up and makes a frantic dash to the finish line, winning his first-ever race. Togashi is invited to an interview alongside Nigami, a star junior high runner. They race, and Nigami is surprised how good Togashi is, despite the age difference. Later, Komiya asks Togashi for a race, which Togashi agrees to. Togashi takes an early lead, but Komiya has a final burst that gives him the win. Komiya says goodbye and limps away, having injured himself during the race. The next day, they are told that Komiya had to move because of his family, much to Togashi's surprise.

Togashi is now in high school and had won the junior high championships for the 100 metres all three years, but his performance has declined recently because of pressure. He meets Asakusa, who tries to recruit him for the track and field club to save it from being shut down. At first he refuses, but after talking with her more, he changes his mind. He feels inspired again helping the club, but they need one more runner for a relay that they need to win to keep the club alive. They end up recruiting Nigami, who has quit sprinting after a back injury and mounting pressure to perform, but is reinvigorated after racing Togashi again. They race Nigami's former rivals and end up getting second place, but the club gets to continue anyways.

Komiya ends up going to Nishizawa high, a school known for track and field, and the former school of the national champion Zaitsu. Komiya meets Zaitsu, who gives him advice, and Komiya tells Zaitsu he wants to beat his national record. Komiya ends up beating Tsuneda, their team captain, to advance to the national high school championship. Nigami ends up qualifying for the championship as well, but is defeated by Komiya in his heat. Heavy rain falls during the final, and even though Togashi is the favorite, Komiya end up winning, leaving Togashi shocked in the rain.

Ten years in the future, Togashi runs for an agency, but has struggled to produce results. He talks with his senior, Kaido, who asks what he is racing for. Feeling inspired after reflecting on Kaido's words, Togashi realizes that he wants to race Komiya again. After a series of wins, he finally qualifies for the national championship. However, his momentum is brought to a halt after he suffers a muscle strain during practice. His doctor recommends he stop running and rest until next season, but his agency warns him his contract will be terminated if he does not run in the championship next week. Seeing this as his final chance, he decides to compete.

At the championship, Togashi wins his semifinal heat, with Kabaki finishing second. In a surprise finish, Kaido ends up winning his heat, with Komiya in second. Zaitsu is eliminated, and he announces his retirement afterwards. The final race arrives, with everyone preparing in their own ways. They line up and the race starts, with Kabaki, Kaido, Komiya, and Togashi coming out ahead. Togashi and Komiya take the lead and reminisce about when they raced as kids. The final shot shows them both smiling as they cross the line, the winner left unclear.

Characters

Togashi (トガシ)
Voiced by: Tori Matsuzaka,[4] Atsumi Tanezaki (young)[11] (Japanese); Joe Zieja[12] (English)
A naturally talented runner who has been famous since grade school for his potential. He dominates the 100 meter throughout junior high, but starts to decline with the mounting pressure on him. After his loss to Komiya, he struggles the next ten years to produce results, doubting himself and unsure what he is racing for. He eventually finds his purpose and goes all out to beat Komiya.
Komiya (小宮)
Voiced by: Shota Sometani,[4] Aoi Yūki (young)[11] (Japanese); Mark Whitten[12] (English)
An outcast who struggles to fit in, he becomes obsessed with sprinting after meeting Togashi. He recovers from his injury throughout junior high and starts sprinting again in high school. He has anxiety related to his injury, but he eventually overcomes it to beat Togashi. He is obsessed with chasing records, not thinking about anything else.
Zaitsu (財津)
Voiced by: Koki Uchiyama[5] (Japanese); David Cui Cui[12] (English)
The current national record holder and most famous sprinter in Japan. He is an alumni of the Nishizawa high school that Komiya attends. He has been labeled the undisputed champion of Japanese sprinting, but has become bored with no one to challenge him.
Nigami (仁神)
Voiced by: Jun Kasama[11] (Japanese); Adin Rudd[12] (English)
Became famous as a junior high runner and is the son of a famous athlete. He stops racing because of a back injury and the pressure of fulfilling his family reputation. He lives as a shut-in until Togashi and Asakusa convince him to join their relay, which reinvigorates his passion for the sport.
Kaidō (海棠)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda[5] (Japanese); Matthew Waterson[12] (English)
An older sprinter at the same agency as Togashi. He has always been second to Zaitsu and has continued to try and overcome him, tired of living in his shadow. He has an intense personality, but is supportive of Togashi.
Asakusa (浅草)
Voiced by: Rie Takahashi[11]
A kind and talkative runner who convinces Togashi to join the track and field club at Iwani Daini high school. Despite not being as talented as Togashi, she supports him and helps him find his rhythm with sprinting again as part of the track and field club.
Kabaki (樺木)
Voiced by: Yuma Uchida[11]
A fellow sprinter at the same agency as Togashi. He secretly hopes that Togashi gets his rhythm back so they can compete. Despite being younger, he is on the same level as Kaido and Togashi.
Tsuneda (経田)
Voiced by: Haruki Ishiya[11]
A second year at Nishizawa high and captain of the track team. He struggles seeing Komiya so successful, especially with his unconventional form. He gets eliminated from competing at the national high school championships by Komiya.
Onomichi (尾道)
Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita[11]
A runner at Nigami's former school who has been overshadowed by Nigami his entire career. He is the self-proclaimed rival of Nigami and competes against him in the relay.
Morikawa (森川)
Voiced by: Hiiro Ishibashi[11]
A young athlete who won the high school nationals while Togashi is an adult. He was inspired by Togashi to take up running and makes it to the national championship, losing to Togashi and Kabaki in his heat.
Shiina (椎名)
Voiced by: Yuki Tanaka[11]
A friend of Asakusa and the other girl in the track club at Iwani Daini high. She serves as the second runner in the relay.
Numano (沼野)
Voiced by: Junya Enoki[11]
A first year of the Nishizawa track team who is friendly with Komiya.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Uoto, 100 Meters is based on a one-shot called 100'M, which won a Special Encouragement Award at the 97th Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Awards.[2] 100 Meters was serialized on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket website and app from November 6, 2018, to August 6, 2019.[3] Its chapters were collected into five tankōbon volumes from June 7 to October 9, 2019.[13][14]

No. Release date ISBN
1June 7, 2019[13]978-4-06-516405-1
2July 9, 2019[15]978-4-06-516439-6
3August 9, 2019[16]978-4-06-516441-9
4September 9, 2019[17]978-4-06-516440-2
5October 9, 2019[14]978-4-06-516883-7

Anime film

An anime film adaptation was announced by the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on May 24, 2024.[18][19] The film was animated by Rock 'n' Roll Mountain, produced by Pony Canyon, TBS and Asmik Ace, and directed by Kenji Iwaizawa, with characters designed by Keisuke Kojima and music composed by Hiroaki Tsutsumi.[6] The film's theme song is "Rashisa" performed by Official Hige Dandism.[20] Unlike Iwaizawa's previous film, On-Gaku: Our Sound, which was produced over 7 years and with a team of animators with little industry experience, 100 Meters was made with a team of experienced animators.[21] The film primarily relies on a technique of animation called rotoscoping, where animators use reference film of a scene to animate motion in a more lifelike way.[22][23] In addition to this technique, the film also includes a long take shot that lasts three minutes and forty seconds, made up of 9800 frames that took over a year to animate.[24][25]

The film had its world premiere on June 12 at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[6] It was released in Japan by Pony Canyon and Asmik Ace on September 19, 2025.[4] GKIDS licensed the film for an official English release, recording a full English dub.[12] The film was first screened in Los Angeles on October 10, 2025, with a wider North American release following from October 12-14.[26][27] The film was later released globally for streaming on Netflix starting December 31, 2025.[28]

Reception

Box office

100 Meters released in Japan on September 19, 2025, with an opening weekend of ¥102,666,040 or US$693,848, ranking number 8 in Japan that weekend.[29][30] It would go on to earn ¥470M or US$3,034,548 during its run in Japan.[30] The film had a limited release domestically through GKIDS October 12-14, 2025, earning US$62,131 opening day and US$140,991 gross. The film would end with a worldwide gross of US$3,611,916.[30][31]

The film was released for streaming on Netflix on December 31, 2025.[32] Netflix announced that 100 Meters ranked number 6 over the week between December 29 and January 4 for the global top 10 list of non-English films, amassing 15,000,000 views in that time. The film was also ranked in the top 10 films overall for that week in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.[32]

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 18 critics' reviews are positive.[33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[34]

The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Phuong Lee from The Guardian rated the film 3 out of 5, writing "what 100 Meters lacks in narrative subtlety and pacing, it makes up for in dazzling visuals."[8] He would go on to praise the running sequences and the use of rotoscoping to add detail and bring out the physical exertion of the sport. William Bibbiani of TheWrap called 100 Meters a "winner" and praises the exploration of existentialism and the inner struggle of being an athlete throughout the film.[35] Kevin Cormack of Anime News Network likens the film's rotoscoped animation to that of The First Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue, pointing to the latter as a benchmark for how the technique can be used to great success.[36] The film was included in the top ten list of 2025 for Ally Johnson of RogerEbert.com.[37]

Steven Scaife of Slant Magazine praises the use of varied techniques to capture the thrill of the sport, in particular the oner shot in the rain.[38] Blake Simons of the British Film Institute was more critical. He praised the score of Hiroaki Tsutsumi, calling it a "hair-raising, blood-pumping blast of brass and synth," but called the action "dull and predictable."[9] Matt Schley of The Japan Times again praises the use of rotoscoping, attributing it to the "naturalistic style rarely seen in anime," as well as the use of varied animation techniques during the sprint sequences to build tension. He does go on to point out the film's loss of narrative focus when it shifts attention from Togashi and Komiya to secondary characters like Kaido and Zaitsu, arguing that their extended philosophical monologues distract from the central rivalry.[23]

Accolades

Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
New York Film Critics Circle Awards December 2, 2025 Best Animated Film 100 Meters Nominated [39]
Hochi Film Awards December 2, 2025 Best Animated Picture 100 Meters Nominated [40]
Aichi Nagoya International Animation Film Festival December 17, 2025 AkaShachi Award (audience voted) 100 Meters Won [41][42]
Iris Prize Kenji Iwaisawa Won [41][43]
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards December 19, 2025 Best Animated Film 100 Meters Runner up [6]
Japan Academy Film Prize March 13, 2026 Animation of the Year 100 Meters Nominated [10]

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b "『チ。』作者・魚豊の初連載作品『ひゃくえむ。』がアツい！ 「100m」に命を賭けた男たちの生き様". Real Sound｜リアルサウンド ブック (in Japanese). June 3, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  3. ^ a b 誰よりも速く100mを走ればいい、マガポケ新連載「ひゃくえむ。」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 6, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 20, 2025). "Kenji Iwaisawa's 100M Film Reveals Cast, Composer, September 19 Debut in Teaser". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
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