It has finally begun. The things that make us love sports anime are slowly showing. There is over-the-top drama, hot feelings for the sports and exceptional talent from the main character; we got it all and it couldn’t be better! Welcome to the review of this week’s episode of Welcome to the Ballroom.
Japanese Episode Title: ワルツを踊れ
Tatara gets to practice dancing with a partner, even if that partner is Karen-sensei. And even if they are comparing our beloved Tatara to a monkey or a fawn, Tatara is doing well. Things start to proceed fast and we are already at the next competition where Shizuku and Kiyoharu participate. Tatara is there with the teachers to watch them and wish them good luck. Just that it seems that as long as Tatara is there, Kiyoharu won’t have any good luck. After the Latin dances, for some reason Kiyoharu doesn’t turn up and before the pair gets disqualified, Sengoku decides to put Tatara in Kiyoharu’s outfit and makes him dance the waltz in the competition.
What really stuck to me this episode was how cute Tatara is with his family! I am very much a family person and I think the lack of family bonds in some anime is shocking. But here he is, sitting at the dinner table with his granny and dad, and he is describing to his granny who can’t see very well what the sumo fighters are doing to the last detail. And it’s a hard job, because sometimes those fights only last a few seconds. In any way, Tatara is a family guy and I love that they show it. It makes him so much more real and caring. And it makes me like him so much more as well.
They are trying hard to find a certain balance between the genius Tatara and the amateur dancer Tatara. I don’t know about you, but I am not sure I am buying it. Last episode he was the incredible ghost-dancer, this episode he is not so much. I mean, they compare him to a dancing monkey! That is not something I would call a genius? So, after we are back to being humble and an amateur, we are sitting there, watching the professionals dance. And the next thing we know, Tatara is standing on stage, dancing waltz. Not any waltz, but Kiyoharu’s choreography, which he saw probably just one time. What?! So he is our Tensai Tatara after all…
Wow, do they always have to be so extreme? I have never been into any professional sports, but don’t they teach to be fair anymore? The point where Kiyoharu gets pushed down stairs enraged me. And Number 2 doesn’t even show any remorse… I am speechless. Of course it was one of the highlights, but I couldn’t help but be baffled. And while Number 2 probably was the biggest drama queen, I think Tatara has great potential to become one as well ( I am pretty sure he will NOT push people around in any way! A different kind of drama queen… overly passionate!). There were many drama hints: The ending, with him bowing. His overreaction when he had to dance. The way he looked at himself in the mirror when he wore the tuxedo and Sengoku made his hair stay flat on his head. The moment he saw Latin dance for the first time and his reaction… All those moments had very good drama-queen potential!
Yes, we are back on stage! And I can’t imagine how much time and effort it takes to animate the dancing scenes. They are gorgeous and I love how they showed all the different dances, not only the waltz. They introduced new dances like the rumba or cha-cha-cha, which some of the viewers might not know.
Of course, seeing Kiyoharu dance means his creepy face is back. Was that a creepy grin or what? But his outfit kind of made up for that, because that shirt made him look good! He has great abs. If Shizuku likes him, I can imagine why. His charisma while dancing is amazing. I would say it’s 10 times his regular charisma, but since he doesn’t have any charisma when he isn’t dancing (at least until now), I can’t really multiply it with anything… So, it’s from zero to hero!
Dancing can be very sexy. That’s why people like it and that’s what makes it amazing. But then there was this one scene where Tatara was on the verge of being a tiny pervert and the camera setting didn’t make it better. Shizuku and Kiyoharu dancing the rumba, looking at each other really hot and longingly. And then a zoom to Tatara’s crotch. And as he talks about how he can’t explain this feeling, I start to get confused about what we are talking about. Is he thinking about Shizuku or the dancing? Or maybe Kiyoharu? Whatever it was, he really looked strange in that scene and I had the feeling he was aroused…
High Hover: Now we are getting into the real world of dancing. The high hover is actually a real figure and it seems it’s not only used during waltz but also in quick step and other dances. Maybe we will see it some more? And I hope we will see more figures explained, even fictional ones. Because that’s what makes sports anime great: over the top sports and unbelievable figures or manoeuvres to make the show interesting. They are also very motivating, as the viewer might start dreaming of doing something similar. So while I try to do my research on all the figures, it is hard to figure out what is real and what is not, so please bear with me if I deem something real that is not and vice versa. If there are any dancers out there volunteering to be my counselor, I would be happy to hear from you!
YES, YES, YES! He got to dance with someone! Not only Karen-sensei but also Shizuku! My mind was blown and still is! He looked amazing with her! The only thing I really wondered was…why wouldn’t Shizuku lead instead of him? Why did Tatara have to decide on what step followed next? If he was such a bloody beginner, she could just be the power girl I want her to be and take the lead, make Tatara great and tickle the genius in him to come forward. Instead she was being thrown around to the point of breaking down. But aside from that tiny disappointment, I loved everything about her. She was gorgeous and her dancing is amazing. The dress looked great, and what is with that make-up? The only thing I would suggest is to not let Sengoku get close to her in the dressing room again because why would you rip her dress off!? What is wrong with you, Sengoku? That means serious deduction of popularity points for you! Bad boy! Into your corner!
This episode I got all my hopes fulfilled. There was a partner, more magic dancing, and I guess Tatara did show off his dancing. As far as I can tell from the review, we will see how well he did in the next episode by the points he receives. Probably Kiyoharu will get angry as well. I am looking forward to it and hope it will be a great outbreak! So, let’s say Tatara did way better than expected, he would get angry because it was his choreography and he could also tell him to stop kidding and why he would dance for him? Maybe? And Tatara is such a precious baby, he would apologize and take care of Kiyoharu’s leg instead, being worried for him.
Something I’d also like is for Tatara to proceed to a more exciting dance. I do like waltz, but it can be a bit boring. I like the heat of the Latin dances. And I like the dresses more. I also would like to see Number 2 get punished in some way or another. I really hope he will end up worse than in second place, because foul play doesn’t deserve any better. What are your thoughts on this episode? I would love to hear your opinion in the comments!
If you liked this review, maybe you also will like some of our other Summer 2017 reviews! And if you want to talk more about Welcome to the Ballroom, maybe we can welcome you to the MANGA.TOKYO forum, where we talk about the whole world of anime and manga.
NEXT TIME: Heat 4. Dancer’s High (ダンサーズ八イ)
Official Site: http://ballroom-official.jp/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ballroom_anime
The first season of the new year is just one month away from its finale. It was a great start with many amazing titles that made these past months worth the extra hours we put in front of our sets. Now, it is time for the cold wind to give way to the pink hues of the sakura tree and for the Winter 2018 season to give the anime baton to Spring 2018.
