©Courtesy of Netflix
These two Shinyas are like the Oscar Madison and Felix Unger of Japanese ballroom dancing. Shinya Suzuki is a messy, hard-partying ladies’ man, who has won a string of Latin dancing championships. Shinya Sugiki is a fastidious, uptight specialist in traditional ballroom dances, who always seems to come in second at international competitions. Despite their wildly different temperaments, they might just share a mutual attraction in Keishi Otomo’s live-action feature 10Dance, adapted from Satoh Ioue’s manga, which premieres this Thursday on Netflix.
Although they appear at the same tournaments, Suzuki and Sugiki never directly compete against each other, because they dance in different categories. The traditional ballroom (waltzes, foxtrots, etc.) and Latin (samba, rumba, cha-cha-cha, etc.) divisions never crossover or intersect, with one notable exception. At the marathon “10Dance” competition, participating couples perform all five officially sanctioned traditional ballroom dances, as well as the five formally recognized Latin dances, in quick succession. It is a grueling event that demands advanced proficiency in both styles. Neither Shinya equally commands both ballroom disciplines, but Sugiki hopes he and Suzuki can teach the other how to master their respective specialties. The mercurial Suzuki is skeptical, but his partner, Aki Tajima goads him into trying anyway. Sparks will fly.
All that time dancing together and holding each other’s hips aptly suits the so-called “Boys’ Love” or BL genre, which Inoue’s source manga represents. BL manga was once derogatorily referred to as “Yaoi,” a term subsequently coopted and embraced by the genre’s fans. Polls consistently show young women make up at least two thirds of BL readership, attracted by the sensitive (and often rather chaste) depictions of youthful romance. Obviously, it is not for all otaku, but it is a well-established manga/anime niche, so Otomo’s film will not shock anyone who regularly patronizes comic shops.
©Courtesy of Netflix
Despite the sexual themes, Otomo’s adaptation indulges in little actual sex and only incidental nudity. However, he incorporates extensive dance sequences, both in rehearsals and competitions. Otomo remains best-known for helming the blockbuster Rurouni Kenshin samurai franchise. In a sense, the dance routines in 10Dance replace the extravagant fight choreography of his biggest hits.
Indeed, Otomo has a talent for telling stories through physically intense set pieces. However, his adapted screenplay, co-written with Tomoko Yoshida suffers from a sense of incompleteness. Even though its running time exceeds two hours, Otomo’s 10Dance plays more like a television pilot than a stand-alone feature film. The film introduces several supporting characters like Sugiki’s British mentor Martha Milton, but there is no hint of a possible resolution for their strained relationship. Of course, fans of the manga would probably be delighted if Otomo’s film turns out to be an unannounced pilot for a future series or the first of many films. (Whereas, mere mortals might appreciate a small degree of closure, which they won’t find here.)
At this early stage, the Shinyas’ halting courtship proceeds credibly, but largely in a manner that viewers might expect, even if they are newcomers to the franchise. However, the most intriguing aspects of Otomo’s 10Dance are the richly complex relationships between the lead dancers and their platonic female partners. Frankly, Shiori Doi deserves to emerge as a fan favorite for her performance as Tajima and the tough, no-nonsense way she cuts through Suzuki’s self-delusions and hipster pretense. Her megawatt screen presence often outshines co-stars.
©Courtesy of Netflix
Similarly, Anna Ishii portrays the other Shinya’s partner Fusako Yagami with arresting vulnerability. In fact, Sugiki’s confession of his past emotional abuse of Yagami adds a potentially redemptive subplot, which is often considerably more resonant than the central romance.
Nevertheless, both Ryoma Takeuchi and Keita Machida look quite fit as Suzuki and Sugiki. They also fully commit to the intimacy and physicality their roles demanded. This is indeed BL, which Otomo and his co-leads never shy away from.
Real waltz and cha-cha-cha dancers should recognize how much the Japanese film industry has done to re-popularize ballroom dancing, thanks to the classic film, Shall We Dance. The Shonen manga/anime franchise Welcome to Ballroom also explores the dramatic challenges faced by ballroom dancers, but more emphasizes the athletic nature of dancesport. Otomo’s 10Dance joins their small but distinguished company. It certainly celebrates on the elegance of ballroom and even more so the passion of competing dancers, but don’t expect any tidy resolutions. Mostly recommended for fans of Inoue’s franchise and ballroom dancing in general, 10Dance starts streaming this Thursday (12/18) on Netflix.
©Courtesy of Netflix
Grade: B-
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Here’s the trailer of the film.