100 Meters Anime Film Director Kenji Iwaisawa’s Attention to Detail Puts Artistic Originality First

six years ago, Iwasawa Kenji He surprised the world with his hilarious and charming adaptations Hiroyuki Ohashiof music. Now, with a larger budget and a team of industry professionals, Iwasawa has taken on the challenge of adapting fallof 100 meters as his latest film. This fast-paced film showcases mind-blowing animated sequences that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Iwasawa’s attention to natural movement and his team’s stylistic grasp of camera angles help visually enhance the film’s message about chasing one’s passion. Anime News Network interviewed Iwasawa ahead of the film’s release in the United States on October 10, 2025.

when you work Music: our soundyou mentioned that you have almost no animation experience, and your team also has basically no experience. for 100 metersyou work with a team of professionals. As a director, how has working with this team changed you?

Iwasawa Kenji: We actually have new staff and professionals 100 metersso it’s a mix of rookie and veteran staff. As a director, I’ve learned that professionals have their own workflow. I learned if it suited my style of work, but ultimately, gaining experience working with these professionals helped develop my skills as a director.

Between making independent films and big-budget films, what aspect of making an animated film wouldn’t change even with more resources and money?

Iwasawa: As a director, when I’m done 100 metersthe shooting process and style remain the same. The only difference is how much I will smoke and how much everyone else will smoke.

You primarily drew and produced many of the scenes in “Medium” Music: our sound. what is an aspect 100 meters Is it something you have to work on and can’t leave it to someone else?

Iwasawa: exist 100 metersI didn’t draw anything involving human figures. However, in the raining scene, the background was hand-painted and all the trees were made by me. I don’t think I can ask anyone else to do it because it’s difficult.

I read that you spent nearly a year working on the 3 minute and 40 second single shot rain scene and completed it just before the film was released. Why did you decide to put this time-consuming one-shot scene in the middle, when sometimes they’re saved for the end?

Iwaisawa: In the original work, the rain scene is also in the middle of the story. I wanted to make it a highlight of the movie. When I started working on this project, this scene was the first thing I thought about because it was before the actual competition. I was able to put a lot of time and effort into this sequence.

Similar to Music: our soundAdditionally, the film also changes style throughout. Do you establish these styles first and then hand them over to the animation team? Or did you brainstorm different styles based on the mood of the scene?

Iwasawa: I would come up with a lot of stylistic changes myself and tell the animators. However, if there’s an animator with a unique style, I’ll hand it over to them and try to find a scene that fits their style.

Although 100 meters Not being a music-centric film, sounds and melodies form a huge part of the film, especially during the thrilling running scenes. how do you work Hiroaki Tsutsumi About the movie’s score?

Iwasawa: Tsutsumi-san and I produced the theme song for the movie together, and the result was “100 meters“. It might have been a little weird for me to have the composer come up with the theme first. He had other options that he could use as themes; we could use those bits in other parts of the film, like the relay race. I would go to his studio and discuss what kind of music I wanted, and he would play something. Then I would ask him to make changes here and there. I also asked him to create something that would stand out and impress the audience.

You’ve said you’re drawn to animation with “unnecessary movement” and that you took some references from actors. Did you incorporate any moments from the studio into the animation?

Iwasawa: The actors thought up their characters’ movements themselves. The dynamic shooting method adds depth to the characters as it allows them to blend well with the way the actors are portrayed.

Viewers can see many similarities between the characters’ passions and frustrations in pursuing painting and art. When you read the dialogue between the characters, do you get a similar feeling about your passion for filmmaking?

Iwasawa: When I first read the manga, the dialogue stood out because it was so rich fallstyle. I’m more interested in how the characters express themselves through certain words. At this moment, I can’t think of any similarities to myself. I don’t think as deeply as the characters.

What was the author involved in? fall Is there a movie like this? What suggestions were made? fall Is it available during production?

Iwasawa: He was more involved in the scriptwriting process and we got a rough idea of ​​how the film would develop. We submitted it to him and he gave us feedback. He pays special attention to dialogue and the nuances it conveys.

falldesign 100 meters It was already cool to begin with, but this movie takes it to the next level Kojima Keisukedesign. How did you work with him to incorporate these designs into the film as the characters age?

Iwasawa: I left a lot of the work to Mr. Kojima as he incorporated the manga designs and thought about how best to express them in the animation. I did tell him not to make them look like beautiful girl You would see in typical anime, instead, to make them more realistic.

Which character is it? 100 meters What do you think is the most similar?

Iwasawa: I don’t know if I’m the most similar to him, but my favorite is Kaido.