Going into this story with the expectations that it was 'just another sports anime', really set me up for a great hour and forty seven minutes. I was blown away by how deep the message was. In those 10 seconds your entire life is shown, everything you have worked for, everything that you want to become is laid out for the world to see. No matter how you go to the race, those 10 seconds were the same for everyone.

Togashi is obviously the main character of the story, and he's an amazing sprinter. He's a good person as well, which makes him very easy to root for. However everyone loves an underdog story, and Komiya is here to give that to you. Something this story leaned into more than most sports anime is that instead of having an obvious bad guy, or someone you should be cheering for, you have loads of good people who are just trying to run for whatever reason they have. The most non spoiler example we have is that Togashi runs because he feels the most free when he is in those 100M's. He is truly himself. Watching the story show everyone's determination really lets you into their world for a moment. In those 10 seconds you wish that each person could cross that finish line at the same time.

Something that was said during the movie that really stuck with me was a quote: "Then give up your body because it's just a collection of cells. Glory is forever.". That line really sets the tone for what I believe the story is all about. Those 100M's (or anything in your life) that feels hard, or really hurts, the aftermath of not having given your all is going to hurt more than missing a chance to be at the peak. That logic is displayed a few times throughout the movie.

Why should you watch this movie? Does it deserve your hour and forty seven minutes?

Absolutely, I do not believe if you go in with good intensions you will come out disappointed. There is a little something for everyone here, and you can expect to leave with more than just a winner and loser in a race. 10 seconds might change your perspective on things you might have saw one way before.

Animation:
I think where people are going to gripe most is the technical details that were brought into this movie. The way each character moves was very fluid, and maybe a few times it felt a little awkward if they were just talking, but personally I really enjoy when studios are willing to take a chance on a style that isn't the normal standard. There were moments in the story as well where the shots looked as if they came from a real camera with the way the screen would sort of shake as if the person was adjusting the camera on his shoulder, I think that those moments will be hit or miss for a lot of people when it comes to what their expectations of 'good' animation is.

There's something so frustrating with a story like this. Early on I felt annoyed watching them interact and then have internal monologues about how much they like each other, but assumed the other didn't like them. I know we all went through this, and it is semi relatable, but to have this go on for 3 of 12 episodes was frustrating. Bringing in Enomoto as well sorta throws the story in a 'pick a girl' direction, which comes with love triangles, again this is fine! However, where it gets super annoying is that for so long Himari hides how she truly feels, you end up hoping Enomoto just wins because why would you ever want Himari to win when she doesn't put in any effort! You are young, and you don't really understand your feelings, that can be understood, but Enomoto understands she likes Yuu, and is trying her hardest to win him over, and Himari just sorta rolls over and takes it for so long until she finally snaps - and in this moment you are thinking HEY FINALLY WE ARE GONNA GET SOME FIGHT BACK, but instead she just try's to turn everything back - Its progression of the relationship that I feel is probably my main annoyance. If you take ep 1 Himari and ep 10 Himari you wouldn't hardly know the difference. The blitz to the finish line just didn't stick with me.

You have 12 episodes to build up 3 characters and make me fall in love with them, instead I feel like I was strung along waiting for this WOW moment to finally come, but at every turn we are just met with BWA-HA!! There are cute moments in this anime, and there are moments I really enjoyed, it just felt so dull trying to cheer on Himari since she just permanently wants to not accept her own reality.

The side characters were really good, Shinji is a W instigator, and Hibari was an awesome older brother - I found his moments always leaving a smile on my face. There was potential for a really great story here, I just feel like it was masked by a lot of misunderstandings and BWA-HA moments brushing off the could be really good dialogue to replace it with funny gag moments. I didn't think it was bad, just felt like it was off the mark for me.

Yuu's business as well was a heavy focus this entire anime, I really enjoyed watching him work, I wish we could have had an episode dedicated to him making these items, and sharing the process with us. We had a lot of small moments of him working, but I feel like we could have benefited from him and Enomoto creating the items, and spending the day doing it, episodes given to losing heroines always get me in the feels later in a story.

If you would have told me in the first 2 eps I would be ugly crying for over 30 minutes by ep 13 I would never have believed you. I thought this story by ep 2 was going to be shallow, I thought we were pulling up to Antarctica, looking for mom, getting lost, and finding her. Cliché anime, but boy was I dead wrong.

The first like 7 eps are getting to Antarctica, and even that was amazing, it was 7 eps to build up the friendship between these so-so friends. Everyone wanted to go, but nobody wanted to go for the same reason, it was just how it worked out, yet these girls became so close on this journey. When they first touched the ice, and they screamed "IN YOUR FACE" I actually teared up smiling for Shirase, all the haters were proven wrong, and all the small drama with the friend group, and their personal lives all were laid out bare for everyone to see. Antarctica cant let you hide anything. They were molded by this, and took the opportunity to grow closer. When they finally went out on the expedition I thought "ok here comes the cliché", but instead it didn't happen. It was so real. They went and performed the duties they were set to do, and when they finally got to the station they were set to rebuild the girls refused to let Shirase think there was nothing of her mom there. They search around finding the laptop and give it to her, and all the emails start populating, I am ugly crying at this point right along with everyone, Shirase knows her mom is dead, but she needed closure, and this provided it. She knows her mom loved her very much, even if it seemed like she chose her work over her. With the closure, they pack it up and head back. they have a goodbye party for the girls, and Shirase now with her heart partially healed tells them she will be back, and leaves the laptop with Gin. Gin logs on and sees the final email unsent to her daughter. When they are on the ship looking up at the aurora lights and the message comes across sent from her moms phone and its a picture of the Aurora lights I continue to cry so hard, I didn't stop crying until they got back home and talked about their home views.

Sometimes its not about having the happy ending, but instead getting the closure needed to move on with your life, and I really think that was captured perfectly in this anime, it helps you to not always have the expectation everything is going to go your way, but to know that you can find a way to cope with whatever has happened in your life.

This season is like a slingshot end to Myne's life as a commoner // I was so happy when the guard ended coming to be Myne's bodyguard for a year, I trust him with my life, that man will never let Myne get hurt if he can help it // Sylvester showing up was not a character I expected, and at first I hated him, I definitely thought he was just a stuck up noble who could do what he wants and get away with it, and you know that's not totally false! - I was not expecting the twist with him LOL like after he gave the stone to Myne I was like oh okay this guy is just gonna come swoop in giga save the day all flashy like and its gonna be a cool moment after him being a funny guy for a few eps, BOY WAS I WRONG LMAO // The high priest and that noble tried to banish Myne from the church but her father, body guard, and Fran fought off the bad guys and then she let her mana run loose and stopped the fighting - thankfully Ferdinand walked in aura farming the room and ratio'd them both - then enters Sylvester for the giga bomb shell - Turns out he is the lord of the domain and Ferdinand is his half brother LOL what a W duo, I cant express to you how much I enjoy all the male role models in her life, like I didn't think we could top Ferdinand but Sylvester did it, we have Otto - Benno - Gunther - Ferdinand - Sylvester - SO MANY AMAZING FATHER FIGURES // Sadly the final 5 mins of this season ripped my heart out. Myne had to leave her family and become the lords daughter. The goodbyes with her family gutted me, her sister brought tears to my eyes, her mom made it hard to see, but the moment she hugged her dad and said 'she wished she could marry him' I lost it, Gunther said he was sorry he couldnt protect her better and that killed me. He's a commoner with no magic, but he did his best to the very end, he was prepared to die at every corner for her - having to never talk to their daughter again, and never act like they know her in public hurts. I cant imagine the pain, its basically like she died. Now she's headed to the lords home, her new home.

Looking back at everything that has happened, I could understand why people would be upset that she chose to live with Sylvester, but between her inability to take care of herself at home, and the number of times she has endangered her family, it only makes sense that it is time for her to move on - Its gutting, but I do believe it was the right move, seeing Gunther in so much pain however is never fun, he lost his daughter after everything, I hope he doens't hate himself deep down.