First Impressions:
The main reason why I chose to not watch Ballroom e Youkoso when it first aired was because I never really found dancing/music anime interesting. I didn't watch acclaimed shows like K-On or sporting shows like Yuri on Ice, so when Ballroom e Youkoso first aired, I felt that it was a show that didn't require my attention. I thought that it looked too effeminate and bordered on uninteresting. I mean, ballroom dancing? How interesting could it get? With all that in mind, I guess the most pertinent question would be: How did you even come to watch Ballroom (for ease of reference, I'll just be referring to Ballroom e Youkoso as Ballroom from now onwards) in the first place then?
Simply put, I was looking for decent anime to watch, given that the current few seasons didn't really have any anime series' which caught my eye. So I surfed myanimelist, and found Ballroom e Youkoso. Little did I know I was about to watch one of the most touching, emotional and inspiring anime to grace the anime world.
I can safely say that my preconceived notions of Ballroom e Youkoso and narrow mindset that I brought coming into this show were utterly wrong, and I have learnt to be more open-minded when it comes to anime. Well, we all live and learn. But what made me change my mind?
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| From left to right: Gaju, Hyodo, Shizuku and Tatara |
After watching the anime series (SPOILERS AHEAD):
Some episodes are full of action in the form of dance competitions, while others are quieter and more idyllic, dealing with main character Fujita Tatara's growth as a dancer. The first few episodes build on our MC's desire to become a pro ballroom dancer, to 'beat' talented dancer and 'rival' Kiyoharu Hyodo. From Tatara's first clumsy box-step, to his first dance on a pro stage standing in for Hyodo with his Hyodo's dance partner and Tatara's schoolmate crush Hanaoka Shizuku, it begins a journey which spans over a few months to a year. While the amount of failures and effort put in by our MC to overcome said failures is commendable, what I found a little jarring was that he was able to eclipse some dancers who have been training since they were toddlers, and at least be on par with them in most cases. This might have been for the sake of pushing the story further, but it sacrifices somewhat on realism to achieve story progression, which may not be a huge issue since it of course is an anime, which requires one to suspend his or her disbelief to go with the plot.
While it might seem that Tatara has quite a bit of plot armor due to him being the MC, we do see some difference in skill between him and his rivals/friends, classy yet precise Hyodo and fiery Akagi Gaju. This gap seems to haunt him constantly, a thorn in his side as the plot thickens. However, what Tatara seems to have is unbridled passion for the sport, which helps develop his partners and rivals by helping in some cases to reignite their own passion for the sport, or to find new perspectives on how to improve as dancers. The anime addresses issues that creep up in real life, like how to deal with failure, loss of passion for a certain job or hobby and contains small little nuggets of wisdom for the everyday watcher.
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| Tatara and Mako |
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| Tatara and Chinatsu |
Tatara's partners Akagi Mako and later permanent partner Hiyama Chinatsu both undergo their own 'transformation' with Tatara, from discovering how to shine in their dance as 'follower' in the Lead and Follow routine of ballroom dancing, to transitioning from a born 'lead' in Chinatsu's case to become a stellar 'follower'. The dynamics of the relationships between our MC and his partners reflect somewhat of the different personalities, and this anime aims to show a variety of different dancers, with different approaches to how they dance and their individual 'style'. This provides a small glimpse of what it might be in real-world dancing, with clash of personalities and differences arising between partners, as well as how to resolve such differences.
Ballroom e Youkoso employs four main styles: the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot and Quickstep, each different in showcasing the elegance, passion, tempo and technical ability of the dancers, and I can't help but be amazed at how real dancers have to master all four styles, and even more than those four aforementioned dance styles. While of course the dances may feel a little fast and steps a little exaggerated at certain times, the effort to show the subtle nuances of dancing have to be applauded albeit a little over the top.
Another small detail which I particularly liked and helped make the setting more realistic was the use of real-life locations as inspirations for competition venues in Ballroom, lending credibility and even perpetuating this myth that "it might have actually happened". This is true with Your Lie in April, where some locations like the hall where Kaori and Kousei played in was based on a real hall in Japan (see this link for comparisons), further pushing the idea that such experiences may be more true to life and grounded in reality than we think it is.
OVERALL
Ballroom e Youkoso is a gripping and emotional animation with amazing animations which help to showcase the different tempos of different ballroom dancing styles and while the movements can be a little exaggerated at times, it helps to bring across the intensity of the dance style, while capturing the various spectrum of emotions put into a single dance. It is a ode to all professional dancers in whatever fields they may choose to go into, the difficulties they face technically in mastering certain steps and movements. It also showcases the struggle between raw talent and hard work, plus a mix of both. Through this anime, I could catch a glimpse of what people who constantly strive towards excellence expect from themselves, as well as how dedicated they may be in their craft. While it may not be 100% realistic, this is an anime and to strive to hit a balance between the right amount of action and excitement while not making it too unbelievable was just right in Ballroom e Youkoso. I mean, I actually felt for the guy (Tatara) and was genuinely happy for him when he did find his groove. Not many animes manage to connect their viewers with the characters, and Ballroom e Youkoso does that fairly well.
Rating: 8.25/10
Overall ranking (among all anime I've watched so far): 23/101
Updates 2020: Do take a look at my not-so-comprehensive personal list right here!
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