10
Dance | 2025 | 2h 6m
Genre:
Costume Drama / Drama / Romance | Country: Japan
Director:
Keishi Otomo | Writers: Satoh Inoue, Keishi Otomo, Tomoko Yoshida
Cast:
Ryoma Takeuchi, Keita Machida, Shiori Doi
IMDb:
7.1
My
Rating: 7/10
Shinya Sugiki and Shinya Suzuki try to learn each other’s dance styles—each being their respective expertise—in order to compete in a championship that features ten different dances. A relationship that begins as rivalry slowly shifts when complex emotions start to grow between them.
Warning:
Contains nudity, sensual scenes, violence, smoking, alcohol use, and LGBT themesSynopsis:
Sugiki
and Suzuki are both known as champions in the competitive dance world, but they
walk very different paths. Suzuki excels in Latin Dance, while Sugiki, the more
senior of the two, dominates Standard Ballroom. Sharing the same first and last
name “Shinya” often causes audiences to pair them together, even though their
abilities and styles are complete opposites.
In
order to fulfill his long-held ambition of winning the 10 Dance Championship—a
title that has always slipped through his grasp—Sugiki invites Suzuki to
collaborate. He proposes an exchange: Latin Dance mastery from Suzuki, and
Standard Ballroom training from himself. For Suzuki, this offer is not just
about practice, but also about confronting a rival he has long seen as an
obstacle.
What
begins as a tense relationship slowly transforms through intense training.
Between steps, rhythms, and exhaustion, they begin to understand that dance is
shaped not only by technique, but also by feeling and trust. As the line
between competition and intimacy starts to blur, they must choose: pursue
victory alone, or allow the dance to live in ways they never imagined before.
Will
they be able to achieve the dream they’ve chased for so long—and what must they
sacrifice to get there?
Review:
Love
that is poured wholeheartedly into every movement and life choice carries a
meaning far beyond visible results. This idea becomes the core breath of 10
Dance, a film adapted from the manga by Satoh Inoue, which shows that dance
is not merely about visual beauty, but about the emotions flowing beneath it.
Through the journeys of the two Shinya, dance becomes a medium of searching—for
emptiness, ambition, and the need to connect.
The
story’s foundation is built through two contrasting characters. Sugiki appears
cold, controlled, and elegant, mirroring the Standard Ballroom he masters. In
contrast, Suzuki comes across as wilder and more emotional, reflecting the
passion-filled Latin Dance. The film subtly questions whether dance shapes
their personalities, or if their personalities were what led them to those
dance styles in the first place.
The
narrative of uniting two dance disciplines within the 10 Dance competition
becomes the strong base for their meeting and collaboration. At this point, the
story seems to emphasize that Sugiki and Suzuki can only approach perfection
when they complement each other—both technically and emotionally. However, that
perfection does not come without a cost.
Conflict
develops gradually, not only from the ambition to be the best, but also from
feelings that grow beyond appropriate boundaries. A relationship that was
initially built on rivalry begins to waver, affecting focus, ego, and even the
meaning of dance itself. This emotional unrest becomes an essential part of
each character’s search for identity.
The
ending offers fairly clear character development. Suzuki chooses to stop
running from his failures, while Sugiki finally realizes the emptiness in his
dancing and attempts to fill it. Even so, the film’s conclusion feels
emotionally underwhelming, as if it stops one step short of reaching a truly
lasting moment.
Unfortunately,
despite its strong core idea, several overlooked details create confusion. The
setting feels ambiguous—the sense of Japan never fully comes through, whether
in location, social interaction, or atmosphere—making the film feel forced into
a “global” identity without a clear sense of place. The acting also feels
stiff; while the chemistry is fairly established, the characters lack emotional
depth. The same applies to the dance scenes, which should have been mesmerizing
but fail to fully convince at the level of champion dancers.
Some
scene choices also disrupt the story’s logic, such as Sugiki’s obsession being
portrayed through dancing anywhere without spatial or temporal context, or
sudden decisions in international competitions that seem to ignore established
rules. Intimate scenes in public spaces also pass without any reaction from the
surrounding environment, making the film’s world feel less alive and
inconsistent with its own actions.
Even
so, 10 Dance is not without its strengths. The narrative flows neatly
and is easy to follow, emotional conflicts are built quite effectively, and
technical aspects such as cinematography, lighting, and camera movement align
well with the tempo of the music. The generally slow rhythm remains engaging
thanks to the variety of music accompanying the story’s journey.
In
the end, 10 Dance is a film with the right heart, but steps that are not
yet fully steady. It carries mature themes about love, the body, and emptiness,
yet often stumbles over neglected details and emotions that are not explored
deeply enough. A work that is interesting to reflect on, even if it has not
fully learned to dance freely in the way it wants to express.
Memorable Scene:
After
hearing Sugiki’s confession about his life and the secrets he has tightly kept,
Suzuki chooses not to judge him. He says that Sugiki does not need to change,
that he is allowed to remain cold and dark like the Grim Reaper. Calmly, Suzuki
adds one more thing: he will be the angel who protects him.
This
scene shows that genuine love is not born from demands to change, but from the
willingness to accept. To love means to be present without forcing, to protect
without controlling. Even so, acceptance is not an excuse to stop growing. The
effort to become better must still exist—not to meet someone else’s
expectations, but as a responsibility to oneself.
Memorable Dialogue:
“Dance is neither about technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole.”
Ending:
CliffhangerRecommendation:
Worth to Watch(Aluna)
 – When Dance Is No Longer Just Movement, but Feeling){kind=link}
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