Ballroom e Youkoso

Tatara Fujita is a shy middle schooler who has no particular plan for the future. He has gotten through life by avoiding any kind of confrontation and blending in with the crowd. But blending in isn't enough to get out of trouble, as some bullies harass him for money. Luckily, he is saved by a man named Kaname Sengoku.

Kaname invites Tatara to his dance studio. Although he would normally never set foot in such a place, Tatara is captivated by Sengoku's commanding presence. Granted an opportunity to dance with fellow classmate Shizuku Hanaoka—who often practices at the studio—Tatara realizes there's something about the idea of being put in the limelight and dancing where people will see him that keeps him coming back. With an earnest, passionate drive to improve, Tatara begins his journey into the world of competitive dance.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hiyama, Chinatsu Main

Akasaki, Chinatsu Japanese

Fujita, Tatara Main

Tsuchiya, Shinba Japanese

Hyoudou, Kiyoharu Main

Okamoto, Nobuhiko Japanese

Hanaoka, Shizuku Main

Sakura, Ayane Japanese

Akagi, Mako Supporting

Morohoshi, Sumire Japanese

Sengoku, Kaname Supporting

Morikawa, Toshiyuki Japanese

Kugimiya, Masami Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Hongou, Chizuru Supporting

Kotobuki, Minako Japanese

Akagi, Gaju Supporting

Tomita, Kentarou Japanese

Hyoudou, Marisa Supporting

Kaida, Yuuko Japanese

Kananiwa, Kozue Producer

Maeda, Toshihiro Producer

Maruyama, Hiroo Producer

Morishita, Katsuji Producer

Reviews

Dec 16, 2017

Pipe

Recommended

"This adaptation is like a painting, it has a beautiful frame that could be the story itself presented and maintained throughout the show, and the remarkable artistic quality of the main characters enclosed in this frame that is compared to the hypnotic and vivid sunset that fascinates our eyes and earns our total attention."

At first, you may be a bit skeptical after reading the summaries of this anime, the central theme is a bit unusual, a ballroom anime. Also, you can consider, a dance competition, another anime about some championships or tournaments that could be similar to any other sports anime, but you could be ... wrong. Ballroom e Youkoso is a fantastic adaptation that combines excellent storytelling with fabulous art design and captivates viewers by making them want more. Sadly, not all is perfect, the use of CGI could be weird and creates an ugly contrast between the characters' art and the scene background but it isn't a big issue.

Story 8

The anime has two main story arcs. The first one, the introduction of Tatara Fujita, the main character. An important fact is the display of Tatara's problems and insecurity. In addition, this arc presents the secondary characters, such as Kiyoharu, Shizuku, Mako, and Gaju. These characters enhance the narrative, the dynamics of the dance and the tournaments. They create an initial rivalry between Tatara, but the most exciting part is that they are still mates and support each other in their way. In other words, it is a healthy rivalry that is needed to help in the growth of Tatara and does not conceive the effect of a villain or a pompous competitor as we can see in the typical sports adaptations. Simultaneously, this arc reveals the differences that exist between the characters and establishes a challenging atmosphere among all of them.

The second arc presents the other main character, Chinatsu Hiyama, and you can feel the progression of Tatara. Chinatsu is the opposite of Tatara. She has a dazzling personality, is rebellious and very strong. She also has a lot of experience in dance, so on many occasions, she shows her displeasure about the way of leading proposed by Tatara. She can not understand Tatara's personality. However, their relationship turned up due to Tatara's personality. For my eyes, Chinatsu is the perfect complement for Tatara.

On the other hand, you can see a new secondary character, Kugimiya Masami. He is a shadowy character who could be Tatara's antagonist. For several viewers, including me, Kugimiya could fit the description of an odious competitor with some secrets. This figure is very dark and mysterious. He hates Tatara, and even the art portrays him with a faint aura. However, after a closer look, this character has been affected by several "life" problems that could be a reflection of Tatara if he abandoned his passion for dancing and improving. Kugimiya even compared himself to Tatara, and that bothered him more. All those elements created a beautiful story with a good rhythm, excellent narrative and with outstanding characters that can feel real.

To conclude, the standard sports anime could not cope with Ballroom and Youkoso. The series has everything: A story of high quality, with a good pacing, realistic characters, sadness, joy, need, frustration, etc. The anime emphasizes concepts such as trust between couples, their understanding, and conviction. We can observe the constant need to overcome and the hard work required to achieve a change both personally and competitively.

This anime has two scenarios. The first, the interaction of the characters outside the "ballroom." A rational world where the characters are beings with needs, problems, and feelings. The second world is inside the ballroom. A place with its own sets of rules where the score and the leader-companion relationship matter. This ambiance adds pressure and rivalry to the story, creates a dynamic where feelings of the characters bloom. Maybe my criteria could be biased since I have dance competition experience. However, seeing the relationship between partner and leader brought me many good and bad memories such as the foot pain after an event =D. To rephrase it, Tomo was able to convey those feelings to the audience, and that made me feel very happy because it stands out the realism.

There are still some problems with the story, however. The most visible is the lack of a real ending. Tomo fell ill, so she could not advance in the manga story. The animation exceeds the progress of manga story, so the conclusion of the adaptation could be original compared to the continuation of the manga, and it felt a bit rushed. Therefore, there may be reasonable speculation about when, or if, the date of the second season.

Characters 8

The adaptation has a good number of characters. Perhaps the most relevant is the personality of the couples in competition. For example, the pair of Tatara in the first arc is utterly different if compared to the second arc because the couple has a distinct personality and that reflects the way the couple dance and act. For example, Mako is more delicate and shy compared to Chinatsu, who is more rebellious and strong. I'm sure that Tatara will continue to grow in the manga, and it is likely that a relationship between Chinatsu and Tatara will arise, but we can not rule out a possible attraction between Tatara and Shizuku.

The characters:

Tatara Fujita. He is a shy and insecure person who cares for everyone and, in particular, for his partner. Tatara was looking for a place to fit in, and the dance was a door of change for him. However, he is in constant development, his features remain constant, but explode during competitions. Maybe this character is a bit complex, but that is what makes it real.

Chinatsu Hiyama. Even if she was added halfway through the entire adaptation, her impact is gigantic. The personality of Chinatsu changed the dynamics of the narrative and directly affected Tatara's character. She is a rebel, strong, and has a lot of experience in dancing. She does not visualize Tatara as a good leader, sometimes she tries to follow him, but everything ends in constant frustration. However, she gives Tatara a chance to the point that both fight hard and evolve. It is a character with whom I feel connected, and I think there is a lot to see about its complexity.

Kiyoharu Hyoudou: You can say that he is the best dancer in the series. He is very talented and may be Tatara's main rival in the future of the story. He does not have any opponent that overcomes him. However, he helps and guides Tatara as he considers him as a rival with enormous potential and with a lot of raw skill.

Shizuku Hanaoka: She is the best companion. However, it could be said that she depends on Kiyoharu's leadership. She finds Tatara's unusual dance skills to the point that she decides to wait for his evolution and supports him. It is still too early to see if there are sentiments of her towards Tatara.

The remaining characters are essential as well, but I don't want to prolong any further.

Art and Sound 8

Ballroom e Youkoso is quite impressive regarding sound and illustrations. The art follows the dynamics of dance and is quite clean. The movement and the characters, in general, is real. Usually, the scenes make the eyes focus on the pairs because of the color palette and the details. However, a high level of detail and quality isn't maintained in the surroundings (CGI use). Besides, if the eyes change from the principal observation point, you will notice some awful disparity between the surroundings and the couples in some scenes, do not let that change your decision towards the anime. Several good animations do not have the budget to fill the whole scene with a high artistic quality; sadly this one is the case.

Lastly, some camera angles can give the impression of disproportion because the postures of the different dancing styles are complicated, but it must be taken into account that they are positions with a high degree of realism. The color palette is very vivid and uses a high contrast of colors where you can see the beauty of the couples, and this marks the details and character traits of the cast.

About the sound, it's awesome. The series uses a vibrant score. In addition, it is listened to in a very soft way and keeps the rhythm and the action going. This helps the movement of the scenes especially the dances. The OPs and EDs are excellent and enjoyable. In my personal opinion, OP1 and ED2 are the best.

Enjoyment 9

I can not complain about this show; it is very entertaining. The narration is very fluid with an acceptable rhythm, creating the perfect environment for any spectator. The characters are complex and stand out. However, for some anime fans, it is possible that this type of genre is not pleasant or will complain by the lame use of the CGI, but it is not a reason to overlook this fantastic adaptation. I'll be waiting for a continuation of the manga, and I hope that in the next few years the animation of Ballroom and Youkoso will continue.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Dec 16, 2017

EnZanity

Mixed Feelings

May contain slight spoilers...

For an anime that’s entire focus is dancing, I’m a little disappointed in some of the dance scenes I found in Welcome to the Ballroom. Why, you may ask? Well, if I had to sum up my issues with the show, I’d probably blame them on the show’s budget. Of course, it wasn’t all bad as I thoroughly enjoyed the characters that I met in this 2 cour anime, and the drama and comedy kept me watching for more, but I just couldn’t shake the problems I kept picking up on.

First of all, let’s start with the good points. The characters are ... all lovely and most of them get their own special moment in the spotlight. We either watch them dance their hearts out or peer into their backstories that are filled with all the hardships that they endured to become the athletes they are today. Their interactions with each other are also hilarious, as dancers competing in their pairs are forced to try and somewhat get along, allowing some funny or gripping moments between the cast.

Each of their differing personalities clashes with each other, from an enthusiastic newbie that learns differently from others, the professionals that practice endlessly to maintain their status and a female dancer that would rather act as the male lead role in the couple. The more you progress into the show, the more you learn about a certain someone as they continue to grow in experience and skill. Add in rivals and silly facial reactions and it becomes a joy to watch their antics as they either try to teach the new kid to dance the basics or look away when one of them is being subjected to some painful joint stretches. You can’t help but have fun watching the cast training to perfect their dance routines or enjoying their lives as school students.

Of course, these same elements are used to create drama as well, with a sibling couple separating cause they can’t seem to reach their full potential together or an old-fashioned dancer trying to make a comeback after being out of the game for awhile. You can’t be the best in anything if you don’t overcome obstacles, and the show knows how to create situations for our characters so they can rise up to the challenge. The mix of laughter and tears accumulate into a story that just draws you into their world of professional ballroom dancing as they enter tournament after tournament to show off their style to everyone around them.

Now the main issue I have with the show, the actual dancing. Due to it being an animated show locked under money constraints, it’s forced to use way too many stills and transitions to try and make it’s dancing scenes barely “passable”. If may work for other anime to do something like this, but for a sport that solely relies on body movement to entertain its audience, a lot of the time there is not enough actual movement.

What’s even worse is all the dialogue that should just be going on in the background becomes the focus as the camera is forced from the characters dancing to someone in the audience commenting on what’s happening. Instead of being an anime about dancing, it seems to turn into an anime about people talking about dancing a few too many times.

The music for some tournaments also needs to be improved, as there are a quite a few scenes where the songs in the first half don’t exactly match the dancing. Dancing and music go hand in hand, so to mess up something as important as this, along with every other issue mentioned, it’s gonna lower the enjoyment of the show quite significantly. It might be better to just read the manga where it’s already still/quiet so you won't have to sit through the anime's problems or wait for a movie that has more time and cash to actually put in the effort needed to make the show look good.

Even with the frequently lacklustre dance animation, Welcome to the Ballroom was still a joy to watch each week. The characters and story kept me from hating the show, keeping my score and view of the show decently high. Of course, there may be people that can’t forgive an anime for being unable to properly portray its main focus, so some might see the manga as best option if you still wanna try the series. If I had to choose between calling this show a good or bad experience, I would have to say it was pretty good, so at least try it out for yourself. Anime or manga, whichever one you decide, just let yourself get dragged into their story.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Dec 16, 2017

PaladinAlchemist

Not Recommended

Ballroom e Youkoso’s hype sank faster than 2-ton anchor. And it’s easy to see why. The show is plagued by lackluster animation and unlikeable characters.

Ballroom’s biggest disappointment is the extreme lack of any actual dancing (or ballroom-styled music). Shows can survive dull characters and repetitive melodrama if they deliver something else worth sticking around for, but Ballroom failed on its biggest promise - to see some dancing.

Instead of dancing, we get drawn stills and repetitive commentary from the audience about how great someone is or how much they improved or the differences between one dancing style and another, but never see any of ... it. And any dancing we do see looks more like chickens flapping around than anything graceful.

The lack of any actual dancing also removes a good deal of tension from the show, a staple of sports anime. Instead of seeing action, we hear commentary on the action, breaking any chance of creating tension whatsoever.

Bad animation isn’t the only reason behind the show’s lack of tension. While we’re watching our dancing stills and hearing people talk about them, we have very little clue about the sport itself. The points system, what judges are looking for, and any rules are only touched upon.

The characters are as disappointing as the animation. When Tatara’s not complaining, he acts a sponge that exists to soak up other characters’ drama. In the first half of the season, he’s at least a boring-but-nice guy, but in the second cour, he spends most of this time failing to take action and complaining a lot.

Oddly, Tatara is also the local psychologist - I guess. Not only is it weird that these characters (specifically, Shizuku and Mako) start blabbing their issues to someone they barely know, but they never actually talk to the person they’re having an issue with. The drama between these two girls and their dancing partners magically disappear without direct confrontation, which is not only confusing, but also misses on potential drama and character growth.

The trend continues in the second half. Akira and Chinatsu get two episodes dedicated to their past history - but hardly interact with each other in the present. Instead, we get a clunky two-episode flashback from Akira’s point of view and jump back into the present without furthering Chinatsu’s and Akira’s relationship in any way whatsoever.

Chinatsu is flat-out mean at times, and Tatara is flat-out pathetic. Their nonsense gets old after the first 10 episodes of the same thing over and over. On top of that, our supposed antagonist-rivals, Kugimiya and Akira, were made so sympathetic, that I don’t think I’ve ever wanted the leads to lose so badly before.

I’d say the odd, creepy fanservice moments earlier on where we’re supposed to be entertained by a highschool girl getting peeped on and embarrassed by an older man is unnecessary. But this anime never had much going for it.

Ballroom had so much promise. An anime about a visual sport? I was hoping for Yuri on Ice 2.0. By the end, I was hoping for anything remotely interesting to happen - including seeing a full dancing routine (crazy, right?). Instead, Ballroom provides little dancing, little tension, and lots of repetition and unlikeable characters.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	Poll: Ballroom e Youkoso Episode 20 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Nov 18, 2017	52 replies	by Uneducated_Weeb »» Jul 31, 8:59 AM
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