100 Meters

• Name — 100 Meters • Ja Kanji — ひゃくえむ。 • Ja Romaji — Hyakuemu • Genre — * Sports (track and field) • Sports drama

• Type — manga • Author — Uoto • Publisher — Kodansha • Imprint — KC Deluxe • Magazine — Magazine Pocket • First — November 6, 2018 • Last — August 6, 2019 • Volumes — 5

• Type — film • Director — Kenji Iwaizawa • Producer — * Yūsuke Terada • Yūki Katayama • Akane Taketsugu • Writer — Yasuyuki Mutō • Music — Hiroaki Tsutsumi • Studio — Rock 'n' Roll Mountain • Licensee — GKIDS • Runtime — 106 minutes

• Portal — yes is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Uoto. The story follows a prodigious sprinter named Togashi, whose life becomes intertwined with Komiya, a socially isolated transfer student he introduces to sprinting, unknowingly creating his biggest rival. The manga was originally based on a one-shot called 100'M, it was later serialized online via Kodansha's Magazine Pocket website from November 2018 to August 2019, and was later collected into five tankōbon volumes. An anime film adaptation, produced by Rock 'n' Roll Mountain and directed by Kenji Iwaizawa had its world premiere on June 12 at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, followed by a release in Japan on September 19, a limited United States release on October 12, and a limited Australian release on October 16. The film released globally for streaming on Netflix on December 31, 2025. The film features the voice talents of Tori Matsuzaka, Shota Sometani, Kenjiro Tsuda, and Koki Uchiyama. It was licensed for an English-language release in North America by GKIDS and in Australia by Sugoi Co. The film received positive reviews, with critics praising its rotoscoped animation style, and the score of Hiroaki Tsutsumi. The film was also nominated for several awards, including Animation of the Year at the 49th Japan Academy Film Prize.

The story focuses on Togashi, a sprinter regarded as one of the fastest grade schoolers in Japan. A transfer student named Komiya is later introduced to his class. Togashi catches Komiya the next day and asks him why he runs. Komiya explains that he feels he has nothing and doesn't get along with people, so he runs because it allows him to escape from reality. Togashi says that being the fastest runner can solve Komiya's problems, as it does for him, and that it is up to Komiya to make that happen. Togashi starts training Komiya after school, and Komiya begins to improve, but Togashi is concerned about how obsessed Komiya becomes. On Sports Day, Togashi wins his race, while in Komiya's race, he has a strong start but falls soon after. With Togashi cheering him on, Komiya 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 by how good Togashi is, despite the age difference. Later, Komiya asks Togashi for a race, and Togashi agrees. 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 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 by helping the club, but they need one more runner for a relay that they must 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 anyway. 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, his 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 ends up winning, leaving Togashi shocked in the rain. Ten years later, Togashi runs 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 that he stop running and rest until next season, but his agency warns him that 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 afterward. The final race arrives, with everyone preparing in their own way. 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, with the winner left unclear.

• Togashi: • 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: • 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: • The current national record holder and most famous sprinter in Japan. He is an alumnus 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: • 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: • 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: • 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: • 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: • 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: • 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: • 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: • 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: • A first year of the Nishizawa track team who is friendly with Komiya.

Written and illustrated by Uoto, 100 Meters was serialized on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket website and app from November 6, 2018, to August 6, 2019. Its chapters were collected into five tankōbon volumes from June 7 to October 9, 2019.

Uoto first became interested in sprinting after watching the 100 meters at the Brazilian 2016 Rio Olympics. After witnessing a runner being disqualified for a false start and pondering the implications, he felt inspired by the intensity of the sport. Uoto won an honorable mention in the 2016 Magazine Grand Prix from Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine for his manga about rapping called Punchline, going on to then publish the one-shot 100'M, which served as the predecessor for 100 Meters. 100'M would go on to win a Special Encouragement Award at the 97th Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Awards. 100 Meters became Uoto's first serialization through the Magazine Pocket website from Kodansha. Following a tweet, the increase in online readership prompted Kodansha to publish 100 Meters in five collected tankōbon volumes.

Unlike Iwaizawa's previous film, On-Gaku: Our Sound, which was produced by a small team of animators with little industry experience over a 7-year time frame, 100 Meters was made with a large team of experienced animators. The film primarily relied on an animation technique known as rotoscoping, in which animators use reference film of a scene to animate motion in a more "life-like" way. Iwaizawa had directed the actors used in the reference footage, and citied his experience from his background in live action film composition as contributing to the "unique" feel of the film. 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. To help with the authenticity, the production team also interviewed Japanese professional sprinter Ippei Takeda to get a real athlete's perspective and better understand their behaviors.

100 Meters was released in Japan on September 19, 2025, with an opening weekend of or, ranking number 8 in Japan that weekend. It would go on to earn or during its run in Japan. The film had a limited release domestically through GKIDS October 12-14, 2025, earning opening day and gross. The film would end with a worldwide gross of. The film was released for streaming on Netflix on December 31, 2025. 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.

• Award — Year — Category — Recipient(s) — Result — Ref. • Aichi Nagoya International Animation Film Festival — December 17, 2025 — Iris Prize — Kenji Iwaisawa • AkaShachi Award (audience voted) — 100 Meters • Crunchyroll Anime Awards — May 23, 2026 — Film of the Year • Florida Film Critics Circle Awards — December 19, 2025 — Best Animated Film — Runner-up • Hochi Film Awards — December 2, 2025 — Best Animated Picture • Japan Academy Film Prize — March 13, 2026 — Animation of the Year • Japan Expo Awards — July 10, 2026 — Daruma for Best Feature Film • Daruma for Best Action Anime • New York Film Critics Circle Awards — December 2, 2025 — Best Animated Film • Tokyo Anime Award Festival — March 16, 2026 — Best Original Story / Screenplay — Uoto

A red orchid open wide to reveal a phallic looking erect yellow stamen representing 'Love Question No 266', Carl Lewis runs 100 meters in 9.86 seconds - how quickly can you get a condom on?; one of a series of safe sex AIDS prevention advertisements by Folkhälsoinstitutet, RFSU and RFSL. 100 Meters is associated with Japan.