Ballroom e Youkoso

"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.

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.

I admit I haven’t actually sat down and read the manga, but I’ve seen more than enough to undoubtedly know the original creator put clear passion and effort into her manga. While you could perhaps say the same about the work ethic of the anime’s adaptation team, I’m afraid you could not similarly stand up for the anime’s painfully transparent budgeting and scheduling. Yes, that’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Production IG—the titans of Japanese animation—those who have, over recent years, released many of the highest quality sports anime ever made, finally made what I think we can all agree is a bad adaptation.

Welcome to the ... Ballroom has the sleek character designs, the clean art style, and the sharp drawings of Production IG’s previous standard-setting sports anime, Haikyuu, but it has not nearly the same quality of animation. What made IG’s recent manga adaptations so shockingly good despite having their roots in the most archetypal sorts of shounen/shoujo tropes was the fact the studio bestowed upon them the first-class animation quality no other studio could ever even dream of coordinating, that which they’ve given to their most ambitious of originals, or at least something close. Whether it be a dime-a-dozen shounen sports anime like Haikyuu or Kuroko no Basuke, or a dime-a-dozen shoujo romcom anime like Kimi ni Todoke or Ao Haru Ride, no matter what their producers saddled them with, Production IG didn’t let their reputation falter. As much as I poke fun at the cartoonish writing and crazy leaps in logic of the aforementioned Kuroko no Basuke, I’m still able to acknowledge how the over-the-top presentation really made the athletic prowess, the personal style, and the distinct attitude of the characters shine, or in other words, what made the show as a whole good or at all worthwhile. Since I’m a terminally inactive, frail, anorexic loser, evolutionary failure of a human being who never leaves their home for leisure, I’ve never really liked sports nor those who played them, but the detailed artwork and lavish animation of Haikyuu handily convinced me of and pushed me to respect just how taxing the sport was on the bodies of the athletes and how hard they had to fight to get as good as they’d gotten. You could always tell precisely how exhausted the characters were becoming over the course of their strenuous matches by looking at the intricately presented strain and pulse of their shoulders and knees, and not long after I came to appreciate all the love and care the staff were putting into the animation, I soon gained genuine admiration for the characters and teams working themselves to the bone for victory on the court, the court which I now saw as something of a battlefield. On the other hand, at least from the standpoint of visual consistency, Welcome to the Ballroom has exactly none of this attention to detail, exactly none of IG’s jaw-dropping TV anime frame-count, and exactly none of the technical prowess behind the drawings, all because the animation simply isn’t there. It’s not ugly, it’s just static.

Most of the dance sequences resort to panning over still frames, and the background dancers are almost invariably CG, with movement cycles so unbelievably clunky and downright ugly, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’m not so utterly moronic as to think any of this was done in-house, but the fact remains IG outsourced it, and that fact is deeply disheartening. The driving motivation of our main character, Tatara, was the fact he had lived his life as a nobody, and seeing professional dancers do their thing made him realize just how much he wanted to be “seen” in the same glamour himself. While this is a well-written and widely sympathetic motivation which most people can surely invest in and empathize with, especially given how believably scripted this show is, the fact that we, the audience, are being sold on this desire of his by such a lackluster display of animation and out-of-place CG leaves us thinking the unavoidable thought, “You were really inspired by THAT?” And it’s even sadder, too, because when you watch either opening animation as well as the limited sakuga done in-house by IG staff like Takashi Mukouda and Shinji Hashimoto, you can really see what could’ve been. I don’t think the staff was insufficient; I just think they needed more time. However, finally putting the animation aside, what we did get was actually a pretty good show, filled to the brim with directorial inspiration and a lovable, vibrant cast of amazing characters. People are equally likable and hatable when they need to be, and the story progresses at a grounded pace which gives you the time to appreciate the maturation of the characters’ respective dancing styles and moral outlooks on the sport, as well as their interpersonal relationships with one another. And speaking of, the character chemistry in this show is usually quite upbeat, but whenever things do turn sour, you actually feel like you have an understanding of where people are coming from. Unlike most highschool anime which are often ruined by needless drama that turns every character you thought you liked into an unrecognizable, obnoxious asshole, no drama in this show ever feels awkward or manufactured. In fact, my favorite character in the show, Chinatsu, is actually the one who starts most the of the drama. That should say a lot about how competently written this show is, especially when I usually drop anime for having character like this.

I know turning around and saying I was invested in the show I just spent ten years whining about the visuals of may seem contradictory, but personally, I don’t think so. Sure, I can bitch and moan all day about IG taking themselves down a few pegs, but does this show looking average as opposed to stunning mean it looks downright hideous like most anime coming out these days? Of course not, and I haven’t yet mentioned how every single aspect of the show’s production aside from that subpar animation was just as stellar as any other IG show you can think of. The voice performances were all excellent, and some of the characters, especially the cute girls like Mako, had me down for their characters on their voices alone. There wasn’t a single vocalist whose performance disappointed in the slightest, and their absolutely GORGEOUS character designs only pronounced their personalities even more, because despite being an under-animated show, it’s not like Production IG would ever dare to air something with off-model artwork. Rousing music, intricate sounds, striking colors, and beautiful backgrounds all make it so that the more facets of the production I sit back and appreciate after having gotten over the lackluster animation just leaves me with more and more small things to easily praise, even if I’d call show as a whole a disappointment in the long run. There’s countless scenes throughout the show which wholeheartedly immerse you in the impassioned emotions of the characters and the modest themes of the story, and you’re left feeling like you really understand the art and craft of the dance. While most of these scenes can only come to life by way of the outstanding writing as opposed to the raw visual flair with which other IG shows would arrest you with, the fact you’re feeling the inspiration in the first place stands firm. I suppose what I’m trying to say here is that I shouldn’t have been comparing Welcome to the Ballroom to likes of Haikyuu or Kuroko no Basuke to begin with, because while their production staff and animation team are largely the same, their content is not. Those anime and their banal stories needed to be animated by the badasses at Production IG to be worthwhile, but this one didn’t. No matter how lavishly animated they were, generic shounen manga adaptations like that could never have been masterpieces. Something more artful like this definitely could’ve.

Thank you for reading.

Competition is a beautiful thing. It makes us strive to accomplish, to win, and hope that we can simply be good at something in our lives. When it comes to expressing talent, we try to be the show-off and express it like a form of art. For a guy named Tatara Fujita, he just wants to prove to the world that he can be good at something. That is, one day…he discovers the world of ballroom dancing.

Watching Ballroom e Youkoso (Welcome to the Ballroom) feels like taking a journey down memory lane. I’m talking about the type of memory lane where you were once a ... kid and wanted to prove everyone you had talent in something. Academics, sports, art, acting, singing. Just anything in general that make your friend go “wow, I didn’t know you could do that!” As such, this anime is one that I found remarkably realistic and relatable. The first few episodes doesn’t take long to establish the principle cast along with its intention.

I’ll be honest here. Tatara is a character that won’t be very easy to accept for most people at first glance. He has a meek personality and seems to overestimate himself on certain circumstances. This is shown in the beginning when Tatara expresses to professional dancer Sengoku that he wants to be a pro rather than just to dance. His initial attitude makes him look like a fool as dancing isn’t just something that can perfected like a click of a switch. My impression of Tatara made me realize that while he sets high expectations for himself, he does have potential but needs the right people and time to unlock it. Luckily, Tatara gets the opportunity at the Ogawara Dance Studio where other talented dancers gather to perfect their work. From the studio, Tatara also meets the very talented and beautiful Shizuku. She becomes a source of inspiration for Tatara as he strives to improve and become a pro. Throughout this show, Tatara embraces the art of ballroom dancing and becomes very determined to prove himself. From an amateur to an inspiring ballroom dancer, his character can really grow to people as we see his progress.

The storytelling builds on many fronts although most of it still follows Tatara and his journey. He deals with personal issues, social problems, and also establishes rivalries with certain characters he meets. At the same time, an important part of this show involve him building important relationships with others. Two particular characters stands out the most: Mako Akagi and Chinatsu Hiyama. As dancing partners, Tatara’s relationship with both of these girls vary in attitude. Mako and Tatara has a friendly relationship that is based on trust, respect, and strong spirit. On the other hand, Tatara and Chinatsu’s relationship is more borderline towards competitiveness. Not to mention, Chinatsu already has a dancing background and doesn’t tolerate a weak partner. Throughout the anime, we see how Chinatsu begins to accept him more with their growing trust. In respect, Tatara also develops as a person as he crafts his own dancing style so that it’s not just his partner carrying their dances. Whether he realizes it or not, Tatara even has influence on others. This includes making Mako realize how skilled she really is, restoring Chinatsu’s love for dancing, and even influencing Shizuku to improve herself to be better. In retrospect, this anime steps over the line to make Tatara a more likeable character as time goes on.

Unfortunately, I can’t really say all the main cast gets decent screen time and development. While Shizuku is Tatara’s initial inspiration, she doesn’t get much highlight later on in this show. Don’t expect this anime to focus much on Tatara’s love life either. While it’s obvious that Tatara crushes over Shizuku from the beginning, the show makes it clear that she prefers dancing rather than finding a boyfriend. This also applies to Tatara’s other dancing partners so if romance is something on your mind, then look elsewhere. Also, be aware that this anime focuses a lot on dancing. By a lot, I mean a LOT with all types of dances, music, and style. If you’re not a fan of dancing, it may take some time to enjoy this show. Ballroom dancing is portrayed as a fierce competition on the dance floor with some episodes dedicating their entire time to it. Luckily, this anime is quite a faithful adaptation for what it had to work with. With only some minor differences, it’s an anime that really made me glad it got adapted. However, there are times that I wish the anime picked up the pace with its extensive background storytelling, especially in later episodes.

Adapted by Production I.G., this was really the number one choice. They are known for making other anime that involve competition come to life. (ex. Haikyu, All Out!, Kuroko no Basket) For this particular anime, they leave a memorable impression with the art style and character designs. The biggest selling point is the smooth camera angles and timings. When the competition gets fierce, it really draws out the talents of the dancers with their body movements. Each movement is precisely timed to show their potential with colorful aesthetics. It further amplifies them through clever facial expressions. The dancing outfits in this anime are also memorable for their coloring and hair style, in particular for the female characters. It’s not to be interpreted as fan service but rather a work of art. On the other hand, there are some body parts in this anime that can be distracting. The one most worth mentioning is the overly extensive necks that can make viewers point fingers at.

At the core of its technical feature is the music. It’s what makes the ballroom dancing come to life along with its vivid choreography. The anime mixes in a variety that includes jazz, latin, classic, and among others. Director Yoshimi Itazu really made an impression through his work by allowing the music to do the storytelling on many occasions. Without words, many of the dancing segments feels like a dream and as if time itself stopped to showcase the characters’ talents. The music supplements that with its directing. Voice character mannerism is also well performed with characters like Chinatsu, Hyoudou, and the Akagi siblings. Both the OP and ED theme songs are also worth listening to for their rhythm.

As a show with a fierce competitive energy, this one might seem to be intimidating to watch at first. However, it’s a show that I can recommend to anyone even if its selling points doesn’t hit all the marks. From its character cast to storytelling, Ballroom e Youkoso is a well-adapted manga that focuses on what it intended to without betraying expectations. Sure, some characters are not as well focused compared to the others. There are also times when you wish the story can just move its pace faster. However, it’s still a show that gives competition a powerful meaning.

Anime Has often surprised me with the fact that how unpredictable it can really get. We often think to ourselves, that having watched so many shows, nothing can really surprise us anymore, But yet again, we are proved wrong with every new season. Take Fune wo amu for example, I never thought i will watch an anime about dictionaries, And yet I found myself loving it more and more. And now we have Ballroom, An anime which explores the world of ballroom dancing, A sport which is perhaps is one of the most peculiar one out there , and perhaps the most ... elegant one too, And surprisingly makes it more interesting than you might really expect it to be.

Sports anime have existed pretty much since the beginning of the medium itself. From football to basketball, and even Shogi, We have seen almost all kind of games, And its not wrong to say that these anime, rather than the game, are now all about building the hype and adrenaline rush within the viewer, and keep them captivated. Welcome to ballroom explores the world of ballroom dancing, which as a sport is not really that well known to many, But Rather than just being all about the game itself, Ballroom is somehow able to bring out the true beauty of Dancing, Not as a sport, But more as a form of art. It also gives the competitive vibe of the game as we would expect from any other sport anime.

Now,When it comes to the story, Sports anime are not really known for their story lines. Of course we have seen sport anime, with some pretty amazing storylines, But as mentioned before, Many of them are really all about sports, Which is not really a bad thing. Ballroom also offers little in this department, What we see is the generic run off the mill plot line that we we have really seen a hell lot of a times before. But, what really differentiates a good sport anime from other genre of anime, is that how it overcomes the lack of a proper story line , by offering the viewer something more than that, That is , The real excitement of the game itself.

The anime can be simply broken down into two parts here, The first one is more focused towards Tatara, The MC, as a a learner, who is slowly trying to grasp the concept of dancing . He is just a newbie who is learning , and is not someone you will refer to as a good dancer. The second half on the other hand is about how overcomes his weaknesses and learns more about himself . How he also tries to prove himself as a worthy dancer and built his identity in this world of dancing.

Characters, universally are known as the most important part of any anime , However, In such anime, their role is of much more importance than others. Ballroom shows The conflicts, self doubt,excitement, and of course, the anxiety, that the Characters hide behind their smiling faces on the stage.

The main character Tatara, has been struggling to find his purpose in life, more than anyone, he wants to prove his talents to the world, but is confused about how to do so, And he finds His own way in this world of Dance. He still is new to the world of dancing, and really has no special talent for doing it either. But he still works hard to become the very best and most of all, he is portrayed a strong willed and determined person and not as a wimp. However, It doesn't hide the fact that he is really just a generic character that we might have seen before . However, as mentioned before, it is the second half from where things change. Introduction of Chinatsu is The most important part of the second half, As she is not just the new partner of Tatara, But a person who completely changes him and also the world around him. She is much like a tomboy, who uses harsh words , but cares about Tatara more Than anyone else. She is an experienced dancer herself, But her inability to become a partner makes her really no different from Tatara, With is inexperience in leading. And This mismatched combo is perhaps The best part of the entire show itself

Now, talking about characters, we should also see that the other characters are not overshadowed in any way, In fact they actually shine out the most in the first half of the show, quite literally. Both the girls, Mako and shizuka, have played important roles in the development of Tatara as dancer. They have both played as his partners and have been major part of the story. Sengoku san served as his mentor and have taught him everything he knows. These other characters do have played major roles, but just in support of Tatara, That is for the most part, and we do not really get to see a lot about them, But as said there presence is not overshadowed. In fact, one of my most favorite parts of the show was the Mako Tatara solo, in which Mako was the main presence and she quite literally shone beautifully like a flower.

Like other Sports anime, Ballroom also brings along with it , some in depth trivia and facts about the sport. It just shows us how watching people dance and actually being on the stage is completely different experiences. .It also goes a bit deeper by showing us the psychological battles that these people go through while on the stage, The anime shows how much does an actual person goes through when on a stage, The split second decisions and of course To maintain The focus on the partner. But more than that, It shows the true happiness These people feel while on the stage. Honestly, The show does and excellent job of portraying all these complex feelings of these people, without being too forceful with it.

Now when we talk about dance, music is something which naturally comes to our minds along with it, So as one would think in such anime music of course would play in important role. Now Both the Op are very good in my opinion, They tend to be fast paced and built the excitement within the viewer. The music played within the scenes, That is during the dance routines, is somewhat overshadowed, Now the anime is focused on dance, but music is as important, The anime uses different styles of music and effects for different dance routines, however the music sometimes, just tends to get a bit overshadowed, which is not really good. Both the ED are also pretty fine, Tho second one is my favorite.

The art, I guess, is just pretty average. The anime uses a bright color palette , Which fits quite well with the series, But there is really nothing special heer, That is , until the things get on the stage. The beautiful animations during the dance literally make the characters and music , come to life. The smooth movement, the Beautiful special effects just makes things even more beautiful. The character design is also pretty fine, but thins get real when they are on stage, The facial expressions they make are more than enough to convey their satisfaction and happiness. Overall, The art section is really well done .

Now dance is something which we would expect to see in a sports anime, But don't let that fact deceive you, Because this show is nothing less than any other sport show out there. Its fast paced, beautifully animated and gets you excited and makes you wish for even more. It is something everyone should experience once. It shows something like dance, which we might not really think of often, in a way we would never expect. It does have its flaws, however, in total, Its an enjoyable ride, that everyone should try.

I couldn't wait to start watching Ballroom e Youkoso, but it really missed the mark. While it has a lot of problem, I'll focus on two big ones: failure as a sports anime and a boring lead.

I love sports anime. The drama. The tears. The tension. I love Ping Pong the Animation, Haikyuu!!, and the Yuri on ICE!!!. But Ballroom fails at a fundamental level when it comes to being a "sports anime".

First, almost none of dancing is actually animated, which is pretty surprising considering Production I.G. also brought us Haikyuu!!. Sure it's difficult to animate characters in motion, but YOI dedicated a ... lot of screen-time to skating routines (maybe even too much). When I started a ballroom dancing anime, I expected more than a few seconds of footwork every episode. Instead I got a bunch of stills with long-necked characters bearing frankly creepy smiles and long-winded narrations about why a character is dancing well or not. Later we also see weird metaphors that meant the anime lowered its budget or author went on a existential bender. Some of these ended up looking so silly that I laughed so hard I cried.

Without clearly defined rules (like get the ball over the net) and with no visuals to help you out, the audience must rely wholly on narration to build tension, and it's pretty boring. There wasn't a single moment where I was holding my breath, waiting to see if our character would win. Even Kuroko No Basket (which I wasn't a huge fan of) built a lot of tension in games, as all sports anime should. The lack of rules and dancing animation sucked away the tension. Therefore Ballroom, as a sports anime, fails.

But wait! Some sport anime, like Ballroom, are character focused, so the tension comes from the characters, right? Sure. I love Ping Pong The Animation. During the show's final match you don't even care who wins because the tension is invested in character's growth. Yuri on ICE!!! and Free! are also character-focused sport anime, but both build more tension than Ballroom.

Why?

The characters are more developed and more interesting than Ballroom's cast. Fujita Tatara is about as interesting as a piece of wet toast. He whines about not being a good enough dancer for 24 episodes (basically the typical shounen plea of "I need to get stronger). Tatara is on trend with "nicer shounen leads", but he falls flat when compared to, say, Hinata from Haikyuu!! or Midoriya from Boku no Hero Academia. It would've been less irritating if he another conflict he could've overcome.

While the side characters have potential, they get stuck talking to Tatara, which makes for lack lust conversations. Instead of seeing two characters with tension or conflict duke it out, both characters talk to Tatara about their problems, which results in disappointing resolutions to character conflicts.

On top of all of this, there are some unnecessary fan service scenes and narrative issues that make this anime subpar. It can't hurt to watch if you like sports anime, but you're not missing anything special if you don't. Despite front-loading the first episodes with fan service, the first dvd didn't sell well, which doesn't surprise me.

The last episodes made it terribly difficult to root for what I liked to call the "limp noodle and wild mare pairing" over the other pairings, who all proved more interesting and complex.

The ending was so cheesy and predictable it could've made a Disney character puke. But with little to no dancing animation, it was hard to judge the caliber of the dancers. This just proves the anime, at a fundamental level, failed.

If you like dull leads, predictable plots, a cluster of shounen tropes, and long-winded dialogues about how good/bad someone is dancing, go for it. Otherwise, you aren't missing anything.

Now that, is seriously an unexpected but a very pleasant surprise. Damn, that is something really lighting up! Dancing TV shows have really been a trend lately, but what I’ve just witnessed is something much more impressive. The anime is 100% about ballroom dancing exclusively.

This is the very first anime series dedicated to professional ballroom dancing, if I’m correct, hell, that’s the first anime dedicated to dancing at all! There’s been lots of shows about all other kinds of sports like basketball, football, baseball, tennis, volleyball, swimming,… and tooons of others, and finally, FINALLY, we’ve got to ballroom dancing, which can’t make me anything but ... happy.

You see, being a ballroom dancer myself for 15 years, I’m SUPER DUPPER OVERMYHEAD EXCITED seeing my favorite sport at last getting an anime adaptation, and though it’s only’ve been a couple episodes, but trust the expert, judging from what I saw – this is gonna be EPIC.

The story is more than simple. A total newbie is been dragged into the world of dancing by some stranger who happens to be an expert and will teach our hero and bla-bla-bla… Now agree, that is mostly common plot thing to almost every sports anime, not to mention that our main character is making a tremendous progress since the very beginning of his trainings… aaand that’s all because he’s been charmed by a beautiful classmate girl who also happens to be into dancing (actually he was just stalking after her and that’s how it all happened, but that’s not a thing). The thing is that the creators have really made a COLOSSAL work by showing every single move of the dancers that we see, such detailed, every singe line and angle of their body as they stand prepared to waltz, every dynamic motion as they dance cha-cha, and every emotion on their faces – from serious and confident tango to romantic and sensual rumba.

With that said, all I can tell about an art style is “FANTASTIC”. Though I’m not a fan of frequent usage of 3D in anime (more a fan of an old animating style), this one does deserve to be noticed and praised for its aliveness, vividness and multicolourness.

The anime will amaze you with musical compositions – rhythmic and inflammatory – they will make you dance even sitting on a chair. From opening to ending – this is a trip to a wonderland that will drag you into an unrestrained yet splendid whirlpool of dance sports and you WILL beg for MORE. Not to mention flawlessly looking girls who will make your heart beat speed up twenty times faster;)

The show is expected to be on the level of “Your Lie in April” that startled us with great characters, its own unique drawing style and a feeling of full immersion in deep waters of music; this is what you SHOULD look forward to from “Welcome to the Ballroom” series,… but about dancing.

Coming from Production IG who's track record we are all aware of, Ballroom e Youkoso is certainly a star in this packed summer 2017 season.

This run of sport and athletic anime being produced is really a joy for me to see. The diversity and vast approach all of them are taking and the care they are putting into portraying these different sports, it's something wonderful to see. Ballroom e Youkoso is a part of this wondrous run.

As far as the story goes, I am a little disappointed with regards to the setup. Fujita being a complete novice but yet holding some miraculous ability ... that goes beyond reason, Hyodou being an absolute beast on the floor. This is something we have seen time and again, but the show is charming enough to compensate for this well trodden road. The addition of Hanaoka, who is talented in her own right, as Hyodou's partner and the focus of Fujita's fancies, and then Sengoku, former superstar who is now a teacher, it feels a bit like a mashup in ideas between Haikyuu and Yuri on Ice. They all work well together, especially considering the fact that the anime is about dance.

Fujita's arc so far has been enjoyable, watching him and his growing desire to compete is quite admirable. His growth as a dancer is almost laughable but then there are moments where his internal brilliance shines through and you get caught off guard, just like the characters in the show.
I also appreciate that even though Fujita is the MC, the other pairs and members of the dance studio play such an integral part in his development. They aren't exactly a team but function as some sort of strange family with rivalries and desires to get better.

The animation of the show really sends it to the top in my honest opinion. The art exaggerates the postures and figures of everyone in the show, which makes the dancing feel that much more real. In real life, dancers are meant to be larger than life and this show captures that well. Everyone appears long, everything flows, it's all extremely dynamic, the steps are crisp and precise, the emotion shines through each movement. It really is a great example of how to animate an activity with such a range in movements, from little swings of the hip and sliding of the feet to leaps and quick steps in succession.

As the season progresses, I am eager to see more of the dancing, how it evolves and how all the students can overcome their own personal dilemmas through their dance of choice.

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.

Story: 7 - Good

Welcome To The Ballroom portayed the cut-throat nature of competitive dance accurately, while also making something I never cared about, actually interesting to watch. This anime also was surprisingly written like a battle shounen. Main character starts off really bad at something. Main character has a special ability no one else has (For Tatara, he was a natural at dancing, and was a very, very fast learner). The main character has training arcs, battle arcs, and tournament arcs, with character development mixed in between it all. Battle shounen writing is actually unexpectedly fitting for competitive ballroom dancing.
... The ending was very predictable, even since episode 1. But it was still an enjoyable ending, mostly due to the great writing of the main character and his emotional journey to get to that predictable ending.
Unfortunately, this anime was very repetitive, which is the downfall of a lot of sports anime. In battle shounen, you can do a lot to spice it up because most of the time it is fantasy based. But in most sports anime, you are limited and need to get super creative. Unfortunately, not enough happened to spice things up or change the formula here.

Art: 5 - Average

The animation style was weird, but I did get used to it within 6 episodes. Also, for a show about dancing, there wasn't actually much dancing. A lot of still shots, and a ton of copy & paste twirls. There was a ton of potential for some genuinely beautiful or sexy animation, but they obviously did not have a lot of budget. Also, often we hear the audience comment on things that happen in the dances, but we don't actually see those things most of the time because they didn't animate it, or it just looks the same as the rest of the dance.
Character design was average, or at least it didn't stand out, which isn't that big of a deal honestly. Some characters' designs did look more pleasing than others, especially the two main girls. Also, dresses and suits thankfully had effort put into designing them, and actually looked professional and pretty, respectively.
There definitely were a handful of beautifully animated scenes, but nowhere near enough to make up for 24 episodes of average, dull, or copy and paste animations. Don't even get me started on still frame conversation, repeated frames, or cut frames to save animation costs, making movement choppy at times.
So much potential for this anime depended on animation quality, and I was let down unfortunately.

Sound: 6 - Fine

Potentially could of gotten around an 8, but I was really let down by the music. The music itself was okay, perhaps it needed more variety, but my only real complaint with the music was that it wasn't loud enough. Music would start up for a dance, and very quickly fade to almost nothing as we got an endless barrage of character narration over it. This goes hand in hand with wanting more dancing, I also wanted more music with it.

Character: 7 - Good

This anime about dancing, something I never would of cared to watch, was made watchable and interesting solely because of the great writing of the main character. Tatara is a cookie cutter shonen protagonist. You could of put him as the main character of any shonen out there, and it would hardly change the story at all. What makes his trope acceptable is good writing. You can actually see growth in Tatara, both as a dancer, and as a person as the anime progressed. You can sympathize with him, and relate at times. You even get so attached to him that you want to cheer him on too, like you were a part of the audience.
None of the other characters were written this well, however, some weren't just cookie cutter tropes either. Some almost felt like real people with their own thoughts and emotions. Those are hard characters to write, so it's excusable that they weren't written wonderfully. Bonus points for trying to write unique characters.
There definitely were some throw away characters, and a fair share of poorly written and unlikable ones as well. Especially Chinatsu, the redhead tsundere.
I see the potential with being paired with a tsundere. It was a great idea. A fiery tsundere could translate to a really good, powerful, or sexy performance. What's really important though, is a tsundere character is only as good as their dere development. Her tsun was one of physical violence, which is never a plus in my opinion, and is not forgivable no matter how good their dere transformation is. And when she finally did reveal her blushy, sweet dere side, she reverted right back to tsun the next breathe. Nothing in between, and no lasting character development.
A couple last notes about character, I kept mixing up the names Chizuru with Chinatsu. I'm sure if I was Japanese it wouldn't of been so bad, but generally, you want all your characters to have distinct names. No points deducted for this though, this ones on me.
Also, Mako was absolutely wonderful anytime she was on screen, and it's a huge shame she wasn't written in as a love interest for the main character like the horrible Chinatsu was.

Enjoyment: 7 - Good

Overall enjoyment I would rate a 7. I wasn't glued to the anime like a 9, and I didn't dread watching it or put it off like a 5.
The comedy in this anime was actually well received. Most comedy in anime is a miss for me, but I actually enjoyed most of it here. Sometimes it was badly timed and cut through a serious scene, but overall the comedy was great.
Animation quality, sound, characters, etc are all factored into my enjoyment. As well as a few major gripes I had while watching. The first of these gripes is the topic of synchronization. This was emphasized as something unachievable, said by one of the most skilled dancers in the whole anime. That there is always a lag due to reaction times after feeling your partners intentions. If you are making up your dance with your partner as you go, without words, then sure. But if you are performing a routine like ballroom dancers should be, and were shown to be doing, that's a whole entirely other story. How do you think musicians play synchronously with each other? They practice a set, and they follow the TIME SIGNITURE and TEMPO of the song. Dancing is not all that different from playing music. Dance performers on stage do this all the time in perfect sync. They practice a routine, and follow the song. The whole "our natural tempos aren't matching" is absurd. You do not make the tempo, the song you are dancing to SETS the tempo. Why they didn't listen to music while practicing also made zero sense. That's literally most of their problem. You don't have to make up an imaginary tempo and try to match your partners imaginary tempo if you simply play the song and follow it's tempo together.
Gripe number two. Most advice given to the main character was very oddly specific to exactly what was going on through his head. Almost like every character could read his mind. And there was literally never a moment where someone didn't have advice for him, no matter how niche the problem was.
Another huge gripe I had with the anime was it's huge contradictions. The first 12 episodes our main character is praised as an amazing lead, able to perform someone else's routine at a high level, simply by watching it performed once. Even goes on to rank highly in events he was nowhere qualified for, thanks to his great natural lead skills. Then episode 13 on, he is told he is a terrible lead because he wasn't 100% in control of any of his previous dances, that his followers influenced his movements, and that judges grade depending on the leads control.
This is already confusing and jarring. Now to top it off, we spend the next 10 episodes trying to make him a better lead, because now all of a sudden he isn't good at leading. Only to take ANOTHER 360, and have his partner start influencing his leading like it had in the first 12 episodes, and it works. We were just told it's bad to be influenced by your follower's movements, spend 11 long episodes to fix it, then go back to his follower influencing his movements, and it working out no problem.

Overall: 6.4 - Fine

Overall, I would recommend this anime to someone who wants to expand the range of anime they watch, someone who is tired of watching tons of extremely similar anime, and someone who wants to see and experience something fresh. I'm on the fence if I would recommend this to any anime newcomers though, for fear it would turn them off from anime.
Honestly, there was no need for 24 episodes. They could of fit everything nicely into 12 episodes, cut several side characters, and gotten the exact same points across. Being shorter would potentially solve several other problems too. Twice the budget for halving the episode count, meaning better animation, and the story repetition problem wouldn't exist either. It wouldn't of been a faithful adaptation of the original manga, but it would of made for a better anime overall.

Sports shows sometimes are very hard to handle especially on the art and animation category. Some studio really pushed their limits just to achieve and match the sports for the sake of the overall production of the series. But don't you worry, Production I.G is back to save the day! before I conclude my review, let me discuss the show's fine points and noticeable flaws

This really bothers me when I watched the very first episode. The similarities between this show and Hajime no Ippo's pilot episode is insane. This is definitely interesting or rather annoying for other people but for me atleast, I ... still quite enjoy the 1st episode even though the execution isn't original. The overall plot is quite decent, I think the show doesn't really bother saving all of its full potential rather than making a risk and just blows everything up just to impress us the audience very early in the series. The show really excels on the general build up, giving us major informations that helps us to enjoy and understand the series. Though not all of them are given, there are times that you can't understand some of its given basic rules or even major guidelines for the competitions. Also I find the characters quite appealing, tho they're still not that very well fleshed out. But overall the show still really is trying hard to give us knowledge to understand the show fully. Btw, you know that one series that blew all of its animation budget for episode 1? and then as the show goes on, the quality melted? Ballroom e Youkoso wants to avoid that. ( "Yes we were born to make history!"~ )

I won't say much on the art because that's Production I.G for you. Stellar visuals, very detailed character designs, clean frames and great cinematography. I love the style and the details for the series but there is that one major problem that the series really can't avoid even for bigger studios like Production I.G, the lack of time for animating complicated performances. That's ballroom for you, very good to look at when it's animated perfectly but very hard to animate and it takes so much time. For now, I've seen some dancing scenes that felt too short, for the most part it's just editing and a detailed keyframe. I'll definitely accept Production I.G rotoscoping real ballroom sequences rather than having them waste time on animating these from scratch. ( Tho, it is confirmed that I.G really don't rotoscope real movements, they're more likely to use them as reference.

Overall, Ballroom e Youkoso is a good show, having such fascinating visuals and with an interesting premise really deserves to be one of the highlights of this season. But let's still wait and see if this show really deserves the praise. Do I recommend you to watch it? Definitely! Is it for everyone, probably.

"Now that's what I call Sports Anime!"

I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful this show was for me to watch. Until this past year I had not managed to enter the world of sports anime, and after devoting an entire season to exploring the genre in its various forms and series, I can definitively say that Ballroom e Youkoso (Welcome to the Ballroom) is one of my favorites and one of the most enjoyable by far. From basketball to rugby, ping pong to bicycle races, the realm of sports has all different kinds of appeal, however; Ballroom has something that is entirely unique to ... it: aesthetic.

When I say this, I don't mean the art or animation--though I shall talk about that shortly. What I mean when I say aesthetic, is that the look of the competitors and exhibition of the dancing itself is wholly important to the nature of the sport being examined here. Ballroom Dancing is a team (pair) sport about performing amazing physical feats and looking stunning while doing them with the utmost precision and technique. Though skeptical at first, I feel that this manga and subsequent anime adaption have done every thing in their power to show this to their audience. Though usually thought of as a activity for "women, and old people with too much money and time on their hands," Ballroom manages to take every part of what makes an anime a "sports" anime and turn it into a show of beauty that appeals to a much wider audience than one may first think.

Allow me to be the first to bring up last year's Yuri!!! On Ice, which disappoints severely in this regard. As a result of this past disappointment, I had a great deal misgivings about Ballroom and was worried that it would end on a less impressive note; however, after finding the manga at my local bookstore and deciding to pick it up and give it a perusal before the anime began, my fears were wiped away. What I got was beautiful illustrations, even development for the characters, and a story that didn't understate the work and effort and devotion they needed to be competitive dancers. Ballroom Dancing is a sport, this series wasn't going to let you forget that, and I love it all the more because of it.

I have few points to bring up on the technical side of the series:

Story: It's a tale as old as sports series about a boy who just wants something to give his life a little more meaning, finds his way into a dance school accidentally, and then finds himself exploring the world of a sport that he wouldn't have given a second glance at if not for the people he meets there. Now this is just how the story starts and as our leading boy Tatara explores the world of dance and struggles to find his dance we are treated to an interesting take on the typical beginner's story. Maybe nothing too flashy, but definitely nothing to sneeze at either.

Art: People complain about the necks a lot, but this is dance and posture is consistently pointed out, so this is no doubt a creative choice on the part of the creators. The animation is lack luster at it's worst, and ASTOUNDING at it's best. While it would have been nice to have seen the animation be its best the entire time, very few seasonal anime manage to be as consistent, so some lee-way is there. Perfect? No, in fact it has a habit of letting you down too early in some crucial instances, but I believe it serves it's purpose more than well enough. You can follow the movements of the dancers almost always fluidly and that has to count for something.

Sound: A++ Points for Unison Square Garden for both openings and Sing Sing Sing as part of the soundtrack. I don't think anyone would complain about the sound.

Characters: I found them to be unique and likeable. None of them were one-time friends or adversaries, and each of them had a story to tell and a role to play that would have changed the story entirely had they not been present. Some might find the protagonist a bit hard to be initially invested in, but time makes him grow on you, and until then the supporting cast is always fun.

Overall, Welcome to the Ballroom is an exemplary show that incorporates the beauty of ballroom dancing with the intensity of sports anime while balancing a well-put-together cast and enjoyable story. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is a very easy 24 episodes to recommend. I look forward to continuing to follow the manga and will be overjoyed should we ever get the honor of a future season of the anime.

I watched Ballroom e Youkoso, also known as Welcome to the Ballroom. Here are my thoughts:

First of all, let's get one thing out of the way: SENGOKU IS INSANELY WILDLY SMOKING HOT.
...*ahem*
Okay so yeah by the way in other news this anime is an absolute masterpiece.
And uummm
*checks notes*
HYOUDOU IS FINE AS HELL.
I mean, uuhhmmm, actually this is one of the finest works of art ever made.

... Seriously though, Ballroom e Youkoso is spectacularly mindblowingly terrific.

This anime is about a teenage boy's journey into the world of competitive formal dance. In some ways it feels like a sports shounen, but also has far vaster appeal than the typical audience for that. The dance scenes are phenomenally captivating. They are so dynamic and well choreographed, with excellent cinematography and screenplay; they are joyfully entertaining and I couldn't help but rewind them over and over. There is an impressive level of detail paid to the technical aspects of dance – you can tell that the author cares deeply for the activity and is knowledgable of it. I appreciated this level of authenticity – it is one reason among many why Ballroom e Youkoso is actually a fantastic sports anime.

The character designs are enthralling. The facial expressions are exceptionally well done. The overall level of attention to detail in the character animation is way beyond what I'd expect from typical anime. The characters in this consistently look fantastic and the character animation is excellent. Conversely, the animation of the backgrounds and setting could have been done better, but this aspect of the visuals is certainly adequate, and the focus is rightfully on the characters anyway. Lighting effects are used well during the dance scenes and take advantage of the point-source nature of the dancefloor lighting. The animation quality of the scenes unrelated to dance is solid but the real spectacle is on the dancefloor. Also, there's lots of dazzling jewelry and so many gorgeous ballroom dresses it's heavenly, OMG!!

Ballroom e Youkoso is one of the best-directed shows I have ever seen. Every episode is packed with emotion, to the point that I could not avert my gaze if I tried. The thrilling excitement of the dancefloor is joyfully contagious. The script is well written and oozes passion and emotion. The cast has a wide variety of unique interesting characters – I found myself wishing that the supporting cast got more attention.

I have mixed feelings about the MC (Tatara). He isn't a bad MC by anime standards, but some of his qualities irked me. At times, I did not like his voice acting. He sounds a little too meek and childlike, although I suppose it fits his character. He often sounds whiny as well. He's just kind of unpleasant to listen to, especially because the show is frequently narrated by his internal monologue. He uses this wimpy tone of voice all the time and it becomes grating to hear after a while. I thought all the other main male voice actors were solid though. The female VAs are a mixed bag but none of them impressed me.

The OST is decent but it could be much better. I definitely felt some squandered potential in this regard. As you can probably imagine, a show focused so much on dancing would certainly benefit from a better OST. The music of this show, although still solid, didn't realize its full potential. I usually wouldn't be this harsh, but a show exclusively focused on dancing should have a strong music component, and it didn't quite rise to the occasion in this respect. Perhaps some of the classical music is iconic and expected for this activity, but I wouldn't know.

Although the entire series is delightful, I enjoyed the first cour more than the second, primarily because the second cour involves the introduction of a new female lead character who is a textbook tsundere, which resulted in a lot of generic cliche character dynamics that I found tiresome and predictable. As much as I adore this anime, I will concede that Chinatsu is sometimes quite annoying; I liked the MC's other dance partners far more than her. However, I do understand why the author added Chinatsu to the story – she is an effective foil to the MC, and they have weirdly compatible chemistry, like opposite magnets attract. Chinatsu's childhood friend (Akira) is also annoying, and I found her entire story arc generic, tedious and predictable. Both those insufferable angsty bitches need to go catch a dick, shut up and relax.

This might sound counterintuitive, but I think there's a significant possibility that your typical shounen fan would enjoy this show. I say that because there are a lot of 'hype moments' and, even though the theme is ballroom dance, the excitement and adrenaline is reminiscent of more-traditional sports anime that are often celebrated by their target audience. I would urge a potential viewer of Ballroom e Youkoso to give it a chance even if the dance theme is something they ordinarily wouldn't seek out. Fundamentally, this is an excellent sports show, and it follows that your average sports anime fan is likely to enjoy it.


My overall rating: 10/10
This is what the anime medium was made for. I absolutely LOVED it. Ballroom e Youkoso is like a dream come true. I got an immense amount of enjoyment out of this anime; no other medium could have done it better. My only significant criticisms pertain to the excessive bitchfight drama during the second cour, mainly revolving around Chinatsu, as well as the weak annoying voice acting for the MC. Otherwise, this anime is truly phenomenal and does a spectacularly mesmerizing job of showing the viewer the world of competitive formal dance.

So when people say they can't escape sports anime hell they mean it! I can attest to that, Ballroom e Youkoso is a sports anime that hasn't been seen much of or at all really. The animation is great and seeing all the work that was put into this anime is amazing. I appreciate the crews hard work and the creator for making this. The characters are unique and sometimes you can get lost with what their goals are but that could just be lost in whether or not you're paying attention to the subtitles and show or just watching the images itself. The main ... character is relatable and offers so much potential to this anime. I am up to date with the manga and since this anime's release I have been excited to see it all animated and where it leads next. The music is nice and fits very well! I enjoy this anime because it keeps my attention and I can relate to it because who hasn't been like the main character at some point in their lives when they try something new and want to get better?

I wasn't expecting to ever write a review but after watching this anime I couldn't not do it! Ballroom e youkoso really surprised me, at first i thought "an anime about dancing? How good can that be?" but i soon realized how wrong i was.
Now the synopsis of this story is kinda basic for a sports anime but the execution is done in a exceptional way! I love all the emotion that the characters bring out and the fusion between that, the music and the animation is really something else! The characters are really fun and to me they seem like normal people with good ... and bad traits. The art is gorgeous (although at first i was a bit alarmed by the long necks but i got past that really quick).
For those who don't know, the animation is the same as Haikyuu! a well known volleyball anime so if you love that you probably are gonna like Ballroom e youkoso as well. This anime kept me at the edge of my seat and the adrenaline it gave me was crazy, i would never imagine an anime about dancing to "shake me up" like that. I couldn't wait to watch the next episode. I'm really glad that i got to watch this the ending for me was super emotional and cute, i wish we had a season 2 but you can also read the manga to find out what happens next! I hope this review got you to watch and enjoy Ballroom e youkoso! <3

P.S: I want to point out that this anime for me is a 10/10 but for typical reasons i gave it a 9/10. This is also my first review so keep that in mind.

Have a nice day!

Beautiful , Emotional ,Enjoyable and Brilliant ! From an anime that focuses on dancing i got more than i was expecting! A masterpiece!

Welcome to the Ballroom is one of the candidates for anime of the year. At first i was wondering what an anime about social dancing could offer to me as a viewer who has no particular interest in these stuff. I got myself into a fantastic show who knows how to built up the tension in each episode and release it on the dance floor, in a beautiful display of the characters thoughts and feelings during their dance and finally i got some ... knowledge about the dancing world. Let's not forget the enjoyment after finishing each episode that leaft a great taste in my mouth. If you are hesistant to watch it because of that trust me it's worth your time and it will exceed your expectations.

The story is layered in two acts and follows the development of our main character Tatara as he venture into the world of dancing. He discovers and experience new stuff and emotions that break his ordinary world and make him step up his game. The focus is not only on Tatara, the story has more to offer such as competitions, rivals, different styles and genres of dancing(quickstep, waltz ) ,the effort and time spend on mastering your own style as a dancer, what it needs for a dancing pair/couple to work as one, leader/follower in a pair and finally how all these things influence the lives of the characters as dancers. Amazing!

The characters are great and the funny interactions between them manages to make them easier to be understood by the viewers. They develop and shine on the dance floor were each dance gives you a bump of adrenaline. What it's impressive in this anime is how they manage to connect its audience to the mindset, emotions and tensed atmosphere that our characters feel on the dance floor.

The visuals and great music play an important role throughout this series and manage to make an ordinary dance from boring to brilliant and make the dancers bloom like a beautiful flower on the dance floor.
If i may complain of something about this show that would be the first episodes who are kinda slow but even this can't ruin my overall enjoyment and impression. Just watch it is damn awesome!

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

For as long as I have known my older sister, she has been a dancer through and through.

Everywhere has counted: at the school talent show, at her local studio, at numerous recitals, at different states. Everything has counted as well: tap, ballet, hip-hop, Latin. Across her entire leg-driven journey, she has claimed enough awards and cheers and experience to last a lifetime.

Basically, she has seen and partaken in nearly all that dance has to offer. Despite her dancing expertise, though, I have yet to hear any mention of ballrooms. And after watching the entirety of ... Ballroom e Youkoso, I can confidently say, as someone with zero dance moves whatsoever, she is seriously missing out.

STORY

The world of competitive ballroom dancing may not exactly be on the forefront of everyone’s mind. It exists within that niche corner given its lack of truly intense traits and low popularity. It tends to also be a very difficult sport to get into, demanding countless hours of repeating the same basic techniques and requiring certain physical builds to succeed. And its set of unfair stigmas potentially turn people away from the get-go before they even give it a fair chance.

Ballroom e Youkoso faces such negativity head up and foot forward without ever losing a beat.

True to its premise, the anime understandably makes it a priority to explain what goes on within ballroom dancing for the uninitiated (which, again, is most likely a majority). The dances themselves – the waltz, the quickstep, the tango – are paramount, so the differences, the nuances, and the moves between them become a focal point. Tons of smaller details about the league, the scoring, the ranks, the gender ratios, and the types also pop up to further flesh out the formation of the sport and thus the show itself.

The anime is not just content with explaining itself; Ballroom e Youkoso also demonstrates what makes ballroom dancing worthwhile to begin with. It does so with a passionate edge, a look-see into the minds of the dancers themselves. In doing so, the show grants itself a cooler, fuller picture of its scenes beyond just watching a bunch of people twirl and step about.

For instance, ballroom dancing posits that mutual chemistry between two people causes a better understanding of one’s self as adaptation and sympathy take hold. Moreover, it demonstrates a willingness and a purpose on behalf of the dancers, for they choose this sport not for direct confrontation but instead as a want and as a desire to prove their capabilities to the masses. And the sport simply brings fun and happiness as synchronized steps form rapturous emotion for the dancers, the judges, and the audience at large.

Looking into Ballroom e Youkoso on a narrative level, it showcases a solid-enough plot as the practices, the tournaments, and the conflicts naturally arise. Furthermore, themes on self-worth and numerous engaging moments affix an appropriate amount of drama. It could be argued that the competitions tend to stretch out too long at times, but the intermittent hype of the dances and those introspective thoughts of the characters yield the right amount of variety to keep these stretches manageable.

The anime does not earn full marks in every round, though. The occasional sexual content is not totally out of place when considering the sensuality of dancing itself and the attractive people who believe this sport to be their calling. Akira commenting on Chinatsu’s extreme beauty or Chinatsu in turn teasing Akira for her extra curves do not cross over into weird territory.

However, the infrequent “jokes” related to accidents, sizes, and masculinity can cross the line, clashing too much with the seriousness of the drama and leaning too far outside of the lighthearted direction of the comedy overall.

Besides this problem, some of the writing and the dialogue can come off as antiquated due to the terminology surrounding the male-and-female duos. But this awkwardness deals more so with the culture of the sport and treads into nitpicking territory since the ladies are themselves a powerful bunch anyway.

Otherwise, the setup, the purpose, and the structure of the story allow positivity to reign supreme within this dancing spectacle.

ART & ANIMATION

On the visual side, Ballroom e Youkoso continues its strong stride.

The character designs start things off right. Nice line work and facial details in general increase the accuracy of their depictions and therefore give greater definition to their expressions. Their casual garb versus their competitive attire – especially for how much handsomer and prettier the men and women respectively jump – makes for a lovely contrast, too. Even their overly long necks (giraffes or no) contribute an elegance and a fragility which further emphasizes the impact of their dances.

To be fair, the audience must suspend some disbelief that these near-pro-yet-still amateurs are at the tail-end of middle school despite looking like college kids or outright adults. Nevertheless, their slender frames once again bolster the ballroom motif, and their different builds even become a factor in the character writing itself.

Not so right is Ballroom e Youkoso’s penchant for reusing past moments or segments to a noticeable degree. Tatara’s ginormous smile as he comes into frame comes to mind. While not a deal-breaker (since it is unrealistic to expect an absolute, constant upkeep of new depictions), it leaves the show for want of stronger artistic appeal.

It combats against this detriment with interspersed scenes filled with style and creativeness. Kiyoharu and Shizuku turn on fire at one point as their dancing heats up, and Tatara and Chinatsu break down doors together amidst their foggy consciousness. Whatever the case may be, these scenes up the intrigue and the fascination of the presentation, giving Ballroom e Youkoso another leg to stand on as its vital events commence.

This anime deserves some extra credit, too. Animating and articulating the complexities of dancers, both on their own and in unison, is by no means an easy feat. And, despite the troubles outlined above, the dancing depicted almost never took on any outright mistakes or notable hiccups. Rather, Ballroom e Youkoso took many a creative liberty with perspectives and proportions to up the ante.

Yes, the back bending could be slightly less obtuse, but this exaggeration furthers the finesse this sport demands. A praiseworthy stride no doubt.

CHARACTERS

While Ballroom e Youkoso does well on both a story and artistic front, the characters make a claim for the strongest part of the entire show.

It all centers on Tatara, the main protagonist of this dancing tale. Without much in the way of prospects, his humble beginnings make him a prime candidate for everlasting change. He has no experience whatsoever in this field, and he only joins the studio after watching the entrancing footage which Sengoku-san, the best ballroom dancer in the world, lent to him.

As such, Tatara’s journey is far from an immediate rise to the top. He has sharp eyes that let him absorb information by studying those around him, and he has a keen knack for dance in general, but he begins at the bottom like any other jelly-legged nobody. Stamina issues, confidence issues. The anime makes it clear that Tatara is a bright young man with a good heart yet still needing all the help he can get.

That’s where the supporting cast members arrive. Ballroom dancing is a paired sport, so the people around Tatara offer their aid either directly or indirectly through mentoring, coaching, or battling. For instance, Shizuku will offer advice or encouragement from the sidelines, or Mako, with her own low self-esteem, will lean on him in her own time of need to challenge his perception.

Then similarly, Tatara sees Sengoku-san and Kiyoharu as companions-in-arms (or rather legs) that inspire him. Sengoku-san represents his role model as he strives to be like him while also realizing how vastly inferior he is skill-wise. As for Kiyoharu, he wishes to compete alongside him someday soon, for they see in each other the same knack of passion and of potential.

Truth be told, these side characters do not normally have the largest depth given the small amount of background exploration and the quickness of its delivery. But again, they exist mostly to compare and contrast with Tatara and show his strong points, his weak points, and everything in-between. Plus, Mako, Kiyoharu, and others still either receive their own time to shine or otherwise have portions of episodes dedicated to their past experiences and subsequent upbringing. That’s more than enough for their supportive roles throughout the series.

What they and Tatara cannot fix, however, is his lacking foundation. In other words, Tatara’s motivations and personal conflicts stem from a rather nonexistent place. His desire to change and to kickstart his static path is flimsy at best, and his background, home life, and general non-dance life is hardly (if ever) explored outright. So, while the path he takes develops him well, his core character never truly emerges.

To combat this problem, Ballroom e Youkoso doubles down on Tatara’s character growth in the back half of the season. It does so not with its standard approach but instead by introducing into the fray a newcomer and, perhaps surprisingly, the second-most important person in the show: Chinatsu.

Chinatsu puts up a tough personality, dislikes dance, and maintains a lot of experience. Basically, she is the complete opposite of Tatara – naturally making her the perfect partner for him and him for her. They therefore don’t quite get along (at first anyway), but they need each other more so than they realize. If for nothing else than to discover the “other side” of sorts.

These sides capture what they each fail to do. Tatara cannot lead; Chinatsu cannot follow. By mirroring their individual yet interlinked struggles in this manner, the show marks their bond as a stellar point of the series. They test and practice, fight and compromise. All in the name of leaving everything on the dance floor.

As this dichotomy plays out, he finally discovers the magic in his footing thanks to her uncompromising will, and she finally learns to trust others thanks to his unflinching determination. Thus, she goes from leading to following, and he goes from following to leading. Such a reversal in roles makes for an awesome dual character arc that they share together in splendid fashion.

Simultaneously, more supporting characters arrive during this home stretch, too. Akira and her relationship with Chinatsu. Kugimiya and his internal frustrations. Once again, Ballroom e Youkoso enlists the help of these extras who both affect the mains in a worthwhile way and receive at least a modicum of attention to give their presence more than a passing stance.

By the end of this two-cour season, Tatara, Chinatsu, and a host of other characters form a stalwart cast who not only contribute to the well-being of one another but also charge ahead with advancements of their own. They don’t reach that top-tier spot, but strong execution in the writing can be seen readily enough.

MUSIC & SOUND

Speaking of leading and following, Ballroom e Youkoso leads with several nice musical pieces and follows with some swell audio decisions as well.

The show kicks it off with its first opening track, “10% roll, 10% romance”. The rhythmic drums and the upbeat guitar build the foundation for this peppy song, and the lighter vocals form the mood equally as light. Better yet, the step-wise delivery and the multitude of pacing switch-ups coincide with that all-encompassing dancing motif, placing this OP into good graces.

Come the second half of the anime, the second opening track, “Invisible Sensation”, replaces the first one. While it returns with a similar sense of instrumentation and singing, this new OP takes on a slightly different tone. A twinge of both passion and melancholy now exist in the composition as the hopeful arrangement carries on. While this track is somewhat of a downgrade, the nuanced shift in the overall feeling, to reflect the remainder of the season upon its arrival, can at least be appreciated.

“Maybe the next waltz” isn’t a statement but instead the title of the first ending track. Compared to its two OP counterparts, this piece invites the listener with gentleness aplenty. Piano keys and string instruments provide an orchestral base for a grander sound, but the chimes and general daintiness keep the song in check as its fantastical aura moves about softly on the ears. The main vocals dance along, the backing vocals uplift the track, and, in unison, they round out the rest of this unassuming melody.

As for the second ED, “Swing heart direction” combines a bit of each of the three songs heard already while carving out its own piece of the dance pie. Drums and guitar accompany a piano, working together and on their own, towards a sincere yet mellow angle. It doesn’t quite dazzle as much as the other tracks, but its simplicity and (as it denotes) heart fill the song with a steady amount of emotion.

Ballroom e Youkoso also creates a bunch of sweet pieces for its original soundtrack in-between these OPs and these EDs. Dramatic tunes of violins and of pianos add the necessary weight to the more powerful moments, such as when Shizuku talks to Tatara about how he (and others) have already left an impression on her. A defined acoustic-guitar gets at a tensioned, almost sexy atmosphere when required. And hip-hop beats with a nearby saxophone push scenes along with a smooth, jazzy hand.

This diverse and intriguing OST is perhaps the best trait from the music-and-sound department, but the remaining elements deserve at least a shout-out, too. The anime demonstrates attention to detail with the squeaking of shoes on wooden flooring and, while the voice acting may not exactly enrapture, the ensemble cast provide very solid performances.

At the minimum, Chinatsu Akasaki as (coincidentally enough) Chinatsu displays a directness and a range of emotion that elevates the red-head above her peers. Alongside the strength of the audio direction overall, Ballroom e Youkoso caps off its production values with a lot of clout, indeed.

ENJOYMENT

Slap on me a bowtie and nickname me “Tango” because I was a fan of this anime the whole way through.

The gentlemen brought a lot. Tatara is an earnest fellow, and I like seeing him face his position with realism and guts. Gaju is at first a jerk, but he turns into a cool friend. And Kiyoharu is the quiet star, yet his wisdom and advice are honest and true. Each of the main ladies were a treat, too. Shizuku’s alluring, thoughtful intimidation. Mako’s tiny, cute smile. Chinatsu’s tomboyish, fiery passion.

These characters are a ton of fun, and their rivalries and interactions translated into entertainment galore. I found myself rooting for and cheering on Tatara and Mako as their combined efforts led them to sincere happiness, and I invested emotions into Tatara and Chinatsu as they fought with everything they had.

Plus, as someone without much interest in ballroom dancing, it kept me hooked. This sport is not technically a marvel, and I’m certainly no expert in that field. Meaning, I’m aware of its existence but I place myself in that group I described way earlier who truthfully cannot say it has landed on my radar in the past. Yet I’m always open to trying out stories or premises that don’t automatically fall into my favorite categories, and so I was pleasantly surprised that it basically never lost its luster and kept me engaged throughout its whole run.

And I cannot forget to mention the other likable parts of this anime. The blonde Russian bombshell Marisa and the attractive Chizuru. The slight sparks of romance. The hilarious comedic segments throughout. Even if these parts weren’t here within this anime, I would still be singing its praises – or, more relevantly, attempting a jig in its honor.

Ballroom e Youkoso impresses the judges and wows the onlookers with its moves. The audiovisual elements grab some attention, but the worthwhile setup, the strong character writing, and the huge amount of entertainment glide this project towards the front of the line. While not going everywhere or doing everything, it wins out regardless.

SUMMARY

Story: Good, ballroom dancing takes center stage, delivering a stout introduction to the sport and the benefits it brings, while also putting together a solid, exciting plot despite the occasional tactless “joke”

Art & Animation: Good, wonderful designs, intriguing stylistic moments, and, for the complex dance numbers, both an avoidance of major mistakes and lots of creative liberties overcome some of the issues with reused segments

Characters: Good, despite the weak motivations backing the core of Tatara’s person, his growth throughout the season is reasonable and meaningful, his pairing with Chinatsu is stellar, and side cast members such as Mako and Kugimiya both support and improve

Music & Sound: Good, a collection of interesting OPs and EDs, a diverse OST, and some solid VA performances put the audio on the correct footing

Enjoyment: Great, waltzed right in and quickly became fun as it tangoed without end

Final Score: 8/10

Meh what more to say about the animu, prolly the best sports anime so far i've watched.
What the animu lacks? idk
All i know it it's a mix of feelings, hardship, the undying never give up spirit, bit of romantic dev , amazing animation and s.tracks along with the slow paced but steady CHARACTER DEVELOPEMENT :D (unlike other sports animu's where mc's were either dope/prodigy or they develop by the time we reach half of the series. 10/10 YO!

It's a mix of all stuff you need- how the mc gets inspiration for doing something he never imagined, how he goes down after a failure, backs ... up and shuts everyone else making em stand open mouthed. The part i most loved is prolly the slow paced ch. development: weather it is tad of romance, skills,ability, trusting each other,believing,recovery and the spirit.

Lastly, i hope there's gonna be a S2 for the season's best rom/sports animu :)

Hajime Shokugeki no Kuroko's Ballroom e Ippo no Haikyuu could've been a much more enjoyable anime if not for two major character mistakes:

1. They all but removed Sengoku from the series in the second season.
2. They introduced Chinatsu who I did not like at all.

Sengoku was by far the best character in the entire anime, yet, without spoiling things, they completely removed his character for half of the anime. He was the source of the humor and energy for the entire anime, and they cut him out. Big mistake.

But the biggest mistake was the introduction of Chinatsu, ... who, for me, was a supremely unlikeable character, on the order of Sakura from Naruto. Needlessly moody, obstinate and not at all charming as a Tsundere. (SLIGHT SPOILER) And it was doubly irritating considering that the clear move and best pairing for Tatara was Mako. I shipped Mako and Tatara hard, but instead, we get this irritating woman coming out of nowhere.

This really killed the anime for me. I really just lost interest and only completed it now because I had a couple of episodes left and I figured: "Meh, why not finish it?".

As you can tell from my intro, this anime is just another Shoukugeki No Soma, Kuroko No Basket, Hajime No Ippo or Haikyuu. Instead of sports or food, it's ballroom dancing, which was a weird choice. But, it's exactly the same in that a savant takes on a competitive field of individuals and overcomes the odds, while people in the stands pretty much narrate the story for you. Nothing groundbreaking or original in terms of plot.

I will say the animation was striking for its unusual style. Although, the dance moves weren't that well animated, in my opinion. It was more just zooming in on character's over exaggerated faces while the background moved behind them. Or they would be frozen in place while the camera panned their bodies. The actual movements weren't very well animated. I give them a break on it, however, because animating dancing seems to be hard for everyone to do. I think that's why there aren't more anime revolving around dancing. But, besides that, the character design was interesting, especially the ostrich necks.

To be honest, I really liked the anime's first season when the goal seemed to be catching up to Kiyoharu and Shizuku, Sengoku was the Sensei and Mako was the partner. But, once that all changed in the second season, and become more about Tatara learning how to deal with a irritant like Chinatsu, the anime lost its magic.

Story: 5
Art: 9
Sound: 8
Character: 4
Enjoyment: 5
Overall: 5

To be honest, I only watched it for the necks lol
I couldnt bare to watch anymore because the anatomy kept distracting me and the story wasnt honestly that good. It was really repetitive and somewhat bland. But there was one thing i loved about it most, THE SOUND. They did a wonderful job at detailing the sound of the shoes hitting the floor and everything just kinda made me feel like I was actually there.
As for the art, it was so strange and inconsistent. one minute this guy is a normal human being and then BOOM you got long neck mcgee over here dancing ... with this pretty lil long neck lady as well. It was just so weird and i couldnt help but laugh