I was very, very impressed with this episode of Dance Dance Danseur. The season has kicked into high gear and I very much fear this series is being overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. This was a great episode, a term I don’t use without reservations all that often, but it applies here. It nailed pretty much everything it tried – and it tried a lot. Ambition and execution are a powerful pairing on those rare occasions when you find it. But every season seems to have a “best series that almost no one knows exists” and I think it’s clear what that will be for spring.
I’ve seen some complaints about Junpei being bratty or annoying, but TBH I have to wonder of those viewers have ever been around 14 year-old boys. Yes, Junpei can be those things – because most boys his age are annoying brats. He’s also emotional and complicated and misunderstood by the adults in his life, which is likewise true to life. This same praise can be applied to Miyako’s characterization as well – I think DDD is really nailing the middle school experience in a way we rarely see in anime. And that prominently includes their interactions with each other.
Take, for example, the way Junpei totally botches the “date” to see Swan Lake (starting with showing up in his ubiquitous T-shirt and jeans). The irony of course is that he sees it as a date and Miyako doesn’t, but it’s Junpei who falls asleep during the first act and checks his messages (woof) and belittles the production (inadvertently) during the intermission. He also blows her off afterwards instead of walking her home when he gets jazzed by the appearance of the stars in the second act and wants to emulate them in the park. Mind you he has no idea that he’s blowing it – he just blows it because he’s 14. That’s realism right there.
Junpei is like a pinball in the machine of life. He pings from emotional highs to lows. He’s dizzy with infatuation over Miyako only to bounce to infatuation with a danseur the next, to a rock CD the next. He wants to do everything and he wants to do it now, and nothing is more frustrating than the reality that he can’t. For example, trying to lift Miyako with hilariously (and heartbreakingly) disastrous results. I described Junpei as one of those middle-school boys that looks like he went through a pasta roller – he’d need to run around in the shower to get wet. He’s shorter than Miyako, too – a fact her mother Chizuru (Asano Mayumi) points out with surprise, noting his “big attitude”.
There are some interesting dynamics going on with Mom, starting with Miyako’s aside that her mother has “half given up on her”. But she clearly thinks Junepi has potential (it has something to do with his feet, though I don’t understand ballet enough to know what). She gifts him some ballet clothes (he puts the belt on outside the tights and leaves out his shirt), and insists that he’s the prince in Swan Lake. And being Miyako’s prince is clearly what Junepi wants, even if he can’t do the lifts yet. Fortunately Chizuru isn’t about to let Junpei chase that dream so fast when he hasn’t even hit his growth spurt yet, especially given the importance of height for a danseur.
In theory it’s the mystery boy from the premiere who should be the prince – he sure thinks so. That would be Luou (Uchiyama Kouki), and he is indeed Miyako’s cousin. He apparently has a bad history with a former ballet teacher and has become something of a hikikomori, but Miyako things very highly of him and he can certainly dance. He’s also 1/4 gaikokujin which in Japan means he must be exotic-looking. But Godai-san sees him as the villain, Rothbart. After Junpei spies on him dancing alone in the studio at night (and almost gets arrested), it seems the sap is rising with Luou. For whatever reason (enter speculation here) Junpei’s arrival has stirred him competitively and he joins the next lesson. In fact, he’s eventually going to show up at school for the first time in what’s obviously a very long time.
The awkwardness between the two leads in the studio is so charmingly true to life. Of course it’s going to be embarrassing as hell for Junpei to touch Miyako – which he has to do for any shared moves, never mind lifts. It’s not played for ecchi or cheap laughs, it’s just matter-of-factly presented for what it is. The difficulties for a boy Junpei’s age in pursuing this path are myriad and varied but this is certainly part of it – embarrassment generally to be sure but specifically this interaction. And the ease with which Miyako and Luou are able to pair dance is just salt in the wound for Junpei, who feels very much like a little kid (and I speak from experience, boys that age hate that). This ends in a very Shinkai-esque train scene (beautifully shot) which illustrates the distance this opens between Junpei and Miyako.
There’s a moment here I absolutely love, as it shows how Miyako is as cluelessly 14 as Junpei is. She says absolutely the worst thing to him – that she invited him to the studio because she was hoping he and Luou could be friends. She keeps digging deeper and deeper (as does the knife) without realizing the damage she’s doing until too late (and her reaction when she does catch on is priceless). It’s hinted she’s in love with Luou – as we know, cousin romance is dead common in manga and anime – but she’s oblivious (until now) of Junpei’s feelings for her.
As a chronicle of the travails of a 14 year-old boy generally, and specifically one pursuing ballet, Dance Dance Danseur is absolutely stellar thus far. Junpei is being pulled in so many directions – soccer, Jeet Kune do, his social circle vs. his dance circle. His best friend Hyouta (is he into Junpei?) even wants to form a band. The social pressures are intense, and Junpei is confused as hell. But director Sakai Munehisa ends with a spectacular (and way too short) scene of Junpei dancing under the streetlights (to the tune of “Rosie” by legendary J-rockers The Roosters) – showing us that it’s in dance where all that confusion falls away and he feels like his truest self. Damn, that’s good stuff – may there be much more of it.
leongsh
April 16, 2022 at 8:21 pmLove this description of Junpei. His attention is also pinging all over the place. His social circle, his close friend who wants to start a band, his school’s football club/team, his late father’s colleague and Jeet Kune Do, and his renewed flame in ballet. It’s that dance under the streetlights that informs us what his true interest is. His fear of losing all of his current social status is holding him back from fully embracing what he truly wants to do.
Cue the next episode’s title in the preview, “What does it mean to be manly?” From the little that we have been shown, each episode’s title would be a snippet of his thoughts that occurs in that episode. A nice little touch.
leongsh
April 16, 2022 at 8:32 pmForgot to mention this scene…
https://lostinanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Dance-Dance-Danseur-02-11.jpg
Where he feels the gulf between himself and Miyako and her friends from the Oikawa Ballet School. It’s also a gulf between high society and low society as well with Junpei being in low society with his lack of social graces. The scene conveys in shorthand this gulf.
Guardian Enzo
April 16, 2022 at 8:43 pmIsn’t the Jeet dude his uncle?
The cap you mention is great, but the entire episode is full of really interesting imagery – the direction here is top notch. I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to mention and didn’t because I just had to stop myself – I was over 1000 words as is.
leongsh
April 16, 2022 at 9:37 pmYes. He is also Junpei’s uncle.
This show has packed more characterisation and development of story and plot into its first 2 episodes than most anime manage to do in 5-6 episodes.
Why the choice of Junpei as Siegfried and Luou as Rothbart by Chizuru is shown unfolding in this very same episode (and built on previous episode too – Chizuru has already primped Luou at the end of the first episode that Junpei is a greater talent than he is). Junpei is flighty, impulsive and innocent like Prince Siegfried. While what we have been shown of Luou is that he is a bit more calculating, pensive, aloof and possessive, just like Rothbart. That short demonstration of pas de duex ended with a move that was Luou showing Junpei that “This is MY territory and Miyako is mine”. Miyako/Odette finds herself unable to stop from responding to Luou/Rothbart’s moves. Then the acknowledgement post-lesson from Junpei that Luou showing how much more advanced he is in ballet. Luou is strutting it top show Junpei his place.
Hahahaha.. You will probably need another 1,000 or two to cover and unpack.
Tony
April 16, 2022 at 9:05 pmIt should surprise noone a ballet anime being a lot less popular than a football one, but was Yuri!!! On Ice a success? (This is not a retorical question. I really don’t know.)
DDD could atract the same audience if it keeps the quality of these two episodes.
Guardian Enzo
April 16, 2022 at 9:08 pmYoI was a monster success. I would say it was mostly a success because it found a huge audience among BL fans (one of the biggest doujin franchises in years), and thus far I don’t see anything indicating DDD is going down that same path.
Collectr
April 16, 2022 at 9:16 pmThere’s a focal question for me. With his natural athleticism, his awed reaction to the solo dancer in the first episode, and his boredom with the bulk of classical ballet (in both episodes), why isn’t Junpei pursuing modern dance? Classical ballet is about precision. While I admire it, I don’t find it engaging. Modern dance is about movement; Junpei’s solo to Rosie is in the sweet spot. Like the young hoofer in “Singing in the Rain,” Junpei’s just “gotta dance.” He’d certainly enjoy the choreography of Alvin Ailey more than Maurice Petipa. Maybe dance in general wouldn’t supply enough plot armor for the story…
Guardian Enzo
April 16, 2022 at 9:38 pmMaybe it’ll cover that eventually. But I think it’s a pretty safe bet Junpei has never seen modern dance and in fact, it seems very likely to me he’d never even have heard of it. Ballet is what he saw and what entranced him. His passion for it is reflective of his limited experience.
leongsh
April 16, 2022 at 9:47 pmBallet provides the foundation of skills and techniques that are required for modern dance. Junpei still doesn’t have those. Within ballet, there are different ways of approaching the dance. All that will unfold in due course. For now, Junpei does not have the skill, technique, the discipline, and the methodical approach that ballet and modern dance requires of their exponents. He needs those before he can really dance freely and expressively (cue *sparkles, tingles, and boom*) like he wants to.
Jen
April 17, 2022 at 4:27 amWas really impressed with the way this show presented everything without feeling rushed. When Junpei ran off without walking Miyako home, I internally shouted: At least walk her home! But he’s true to his age and sprinted off without regard because his excitement to dance had taken over. It was more Miyako motivated for Junpei(which I don’t mind since she seems to have her own story going on) but the ending really capped it off that despite everything, Junpei’s real passion is still all for ballet.