Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
10 Dance is a Japanese BL romance about two competing professional dancers who fall in love. It’s based on the manga of the same name by Inouesatoh.
Shinya Sugiki (Keita Machida) is a talented professional dancer, specializing in Latin ballroom dance. He and his dance partner, Aki Tajima (Shiori Doi), are known for their steamy, high-energy performances. When Shinya Suzuki (Ryoma Takeuchi), a popular standard ballroom dancer, asks him to train with him and his partner, Fusako Yagami (Anna Ishii), for the 10 Dance, a competition where the contestants compete in five standard and five Latin dance styles, Sugiki isn’t interested. His only reason for declining the offer is that he has a strong dislike for Suzuki.
It isn’t until Aki shows an interest in the 10 Dance competition that Sugiki changes his mind. As the two couples practice together, Sugiki begins to form a respect and Suzuki, and soon deeper feelings begin to grow between them. And that is when the story begins to unfold.
Some Thoughts:
Although 10 Dance has some great ballroom dancing, the romance is lacking. Most of this is because the story focuses so much on ballroom competition that it forgets to set up the romantic leads for the ensuing drama. And when the heat between the two men does arrive, it feels forced and unnatural, almost as if it came out of nowhere. If some of the secondary characters hadn’t mentioned that Sugiki and Suzuki were falling in love, I wouldn’t have known.
Despite the lack of amorous buildup, the kissing and touching scenes are rather hot. Machida and Takeuchi have the chemistry to make the story work, so it’s a shame the script isn’t better. The viewer needs to see the emotional connection unfold, not be told that what’s happening.
The acting is fine, as is the pacing. The dance numbers are also great to watch, and the commentary from the onlookers is often amusing. What’s missing is the emotional connection.
The Final Verdict:
10 Dance is a gay romance high on dance and low on love. If you’re a fan of the manga or enjoy ballroom dancing, this movie may interest you. As for the rest of us, there are better ways to spend two hours.