Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Dark_Yagami
Don’t make the mistake of dismissing this as just “a show about ballet.”
Dance Dance Danseur (DDD) is atypical for an anime and certainly for a sports anime, (which DDD is at its core.) DDD is so much more than that and has merit for an audience far beyond fans of the sports anime genre. I think open-minded sports anime fans will certainly have something to enjoy here in Jumpei’s (one of our 3 protagonists) compelling journey to discover and excel in ballet.
For the broader audience we have a love triangle and a heartfelt and introspective drama about familial relationships and how they can define us if we allow them to. The characters in DDD embark on a journey of self-discovery, learning from friends and rivals how to shed those self-imposed limitations and decide for themselves who…
Read at the sourceAlexanderevealed
Dance Dance Danseur completely caught me by surprise. Going in, I expected a solid coming-of-age story centered around ballet. What I didn't expect was one of the most emotionally expressive anime I've watched in a long time.
At its core, this isn't just a story about dance. It's about identity, passion, expectations, and the courage to pursue something that genuinely moves you, even when the people around you don't understand it. Ballet simply becomes the language through which every emotion is communicated.
The animation deserves tremendous praise. Every performance feels alive, capturing not only the technical beauty of ballet but also the emotions behind it. There were moments where entire scenes relied almost entirely on movement, and somehow they said more than dialogue ever could.…
Read at the sourceGamiKhan
What a cruel fate to not be able to see murao and oikawa dance together again.
How could they only give us 11 episodes of this, I dont understand how it is possible that they just stopped it here.
I dont know, I really dont have anything more to say that it is not fair that they arent continuing it and I there is no other praise better than this statement.
It really is the anime stopped midway that I would vote for a continuation over anything else, it is just too good, just show me them dancing again, I just want to experience that fully.
Read at the sourceKazikirin
The Anime is a masterpiece!,i fell in love after watching the 1st episode i believe,it has also made me interested in ballet,and im really hoping that theres a season 2 coming out cause... wow i want more of the anime! Ive also started reading the manga and oh boy was i excited after reading some of it(i didnt read it from the beginning i started reading it where the anime left off,so right now im reading chapter 55 volume 7),i totally recommend this anime its a masterpiece 10 out of 10 you guys SHOULD WATCH IT! And its not like most animes where you predict whats going to happen,sometimes it gets you excited sometimes leaves you in curiosity! And the storyline its...UNIQUE,AMAZING,GOOD theres nothing you cant hate about it coming from my opinion,and i really did enjoy the whole thing,the…
Read at the sourcewhiteflame55
As someone who has never really gotten into dancing or ballet specifically, I found this series pretty engaging throughout.
Of course, a large part of what works is the stellar animation. MAPPA put their all into a project that did not have to go this hard to succeed, but it pulls off nearly every shot flawlessly with excellent sakuga and, perhaps most importantly, just some amazing cinematography. The series really knows how to draw in an audience, often by giving us the perspective of someone or multiple people in the show.
Easy as well to point out that Junpei is just a joy as an MC. The mark of a good MC in any sports show is that they bring you into their world and get you invested in what they're doing, and on that front, Junpei absolutely delivers. But the mark of a great MC is on…
Read at the source5iv3_
Overall, Dance Dance Danseur is great...until the end. It had wonderful themes, the animation was gorgeous, and overall was really really well done, but the ending felt kinda of like a pity party to me. There were complex relationships and plot setups that felt discarded all for the sake of one character and just doesn't sit right with me.
The story itself was beautifully done, and as an ex-ballet dancer myself felt it really conveyed ballet in its truest form in a way that's easy to digest for the audience. It also showcased the harsher sides to the sport and the extremes it harbors which added a great duality to the story. So overall, in this aspect it was great.
Animation was lovely, but i'm not surprised. But for this series to have great animation I feel was essential and it deliv…
Read at the sourcesuperwolfkin
The animation is great. It's just beautiful to look at. I can't imagine how difficult it is to draw ballet that looks so engrossing but they do it. MAPPA did great working making an absolutely gorgeous anime from start to finish. DDD also has a very strong pilot episode. Where as for an anime this length I'd normally give it 2 episodes to get you sucked in. I was instead sucked in like I was 5 episodes deep at the end of the first.
The storyline is strong and emotional and compelling. The characters are interesting. I'm not a fan of the character design. Specifically the eye design because it makes it look like the characters are crying which ordinarily wouldn't be a problem but this is a pretty emotional series and the viewer might tear up at any moment much less the characters.
Like ma…
Read at the sourceLuxuriousHeart
Dance Dance Danseur is an anime that challenges toxic masculinity getting in the way of pursuing dreams. Junpei is a kid that watched his sister's ballet recital, and fell in love with it when a particularly talented dancer came out. Sparks went off for Junpei, and he fell in love. Unfortunately, ballet isn't considered very masculine, so Junpei feels pressured into taking Jeet Kune Do (martial arts) as a way to show off his masculinity. Eventually, he decides that the most masculine thing that a man can do is not give a flying F about what other think, and to follow his dreams.
As I said before, it really puts a light on toxic masculinity and how it affects others. Junpei saw his friends laughing at ballet, and so he decided to follow the pack and join the soccer club and take Jeet Kune…
Read at the sourcebergars
Came in not knowing what the hell ballet is about. Came out after finding a masterpiece in the wild.
One of the best, most hype first episodes I've seen in a long time. After that, nothing could top it, except when episode two came along. Every episode topped the previous one, at every corner there was a moment that made me gasp, almost scream, having to pause and then come back. I could not get enough of this series, and after writing this, I'm going straight to the manga. I need more of this.
Passion. Many stories tend to focus on the perfection of a craft. Art is something that contains many variations in stories. The crazy teachers, the unending pain, constant torture to achieve perfection, and some of them exploring the decline in mental health due to the pursuit. Yet, "Dance Dance…
Read at the sourceThe_Namer
This show caught me off guard in several ways. For starters, the key art made me assume this ballet story was shojo with a female protagonist, but it turns out to be seinen with a male protagonist, essentially making it Billy Elliot: The Anime. While that was a misunderstanding on my part, the story itself continued to confound my expectations.
The setup is a familiar one typical for arts and sports anime, but the execution and development of the story played with the familiar tropes, tilting genre-standard conflicts in subtle ways to ratchet up the tension. It's by turns beautiful and horrifying, hilarious and heart-breaking. By the mid-point I thought I could guess how the rest of the series would play out, but as the later episodes developed I found the balance of conflicts teetering b…
Read at the sourcetenntenn
Dance Dance Danseur is a hidden gem that I stumbled upon, and boy am I glad I did! The anime is a stunning showcase of dance and features some of the most beautiful and emotional choreography I've ever seen.
Ruou is one of the main characters and stole my heart right from the start. He's a complex character with a lot of depth, and his passion for dance is truly inspiring. Watching him dance is a feast for the eyes and the soul - it's so beautiful that it almost brings tears to my eyes.
Overall, Dance Dance Danseur is an anime that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves dance or just wants to be moved by an incredible story. If anyone knows of any other anime like this, please don't hesitate to hit me up!
Read at the sourceKinoEcho
11/10, rewatched with a friend very shortly after I saw it the first time and enjoyed every second of it.
Definitely off the beaten path compared to other anime's, but this anime is gripping!!! You can easily binge this as each episode leaves you hanging and wanting to know more. I truly can't wait for the next season to come out!
It's beautifully written, choregraphed, unique animation style, and has a very poetic nature relating to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. You get really inspired throughout the whole anime going through the clumsiness and awkwardness of learning curves of both being a young teenager and figuring out the path they want to take for their future. Additional icing on the cake is that they weave in all characters' growths, flashbacks and histories, pain points and more ver…
Read at the sourceamiini
This show is complex. It draws you in, puts you on the edge of your seat, as if you're really watching a performance. Swan Lake is a reoccurring theme throughout the show. Just like Swan Lake and most classical ballet stories, it's beautiful and tragic. There are themes of abuse and incest, the viewer is supposed to be horrified. It would be more enjoyable without the incest obviously, but it's supposed to be uncomfortable. It's not all darkness though, there are quite a lot of good moments. The main character goes through major character growth. The story is well written and I could never guess what the next part would be like. This is one of the best dramas I've watched and I hope there is a second season. It's definitely worth a watch.
Read at the sourcerobddoo
"The ability to get lost in the music is a wonderful thing."
The question of "Why?" is an infinitely deep or dismally shallow one that could be applied to almost any aspect in your life: "Why am I still working this job?", "Why am I friends with these people?", or "Why am I doing this?", and it's the central question of the series Dance Dance Danseur, another animated gem from MAPPA that follows Murai Junpei, an energetic teenage boy grappling with the modern concept of what it means to be "manly", equating manliness with being cool and popular, taking up Jeet Kune Do and soccer in his pursuit of the answer, all the while harboring a secret love of ballet and a painful longing to take the stage, yet apprehensiveness to take the plunge out of fear of judgment, but when given the chance, he…
Read at the source_coffee_jelly_
Has your heart ever been moved by something? Perhaps it has been moved by a singer's soulful singing or an artist's heartful painting. Expression of such emotions or expression of a message, that is art. And in this anime, we shall explore the art of ballet.
Dance Dance Danseur mainly follows Junpei in the start of his journey to become a top class ballet dancer. In doing so, it tackles themes such as gender norms and expectations like the misconception that ballet is meant for girls. The anime adaptation also reveals the harsh realities of seriously pursuing ballet, a performing arts that is heavily dependent on physical build and talent. The anime does a beautiful job of getting these points across to viewers, but I'd argue that the pacing as well as the character development in the lat…
Read at the sourcetooape
1 minute and 57 seconds. 1 minute and 57 seconds were all it took for me to get completely immersed in the slender, graceful, and birdlike men created by studio MAPPA. I've never been interested in men. I only ever see youtube videos of them in YouTube Ads or Ads at my school for the football team but ignored them all, assuming I wouldn't be interested. I came in with pretty low expectations, but not 2 minutes later I found myself to be sucked into this command of homoeroticism. I was sucked in and couldn't get out, well, not that I wanted to. I don't know why this animated performance fascinated me, but it just did. "You know, maybe men aren't as unattractive as I thought they were," I thought to myself. If you looked at my search history all you'd find are men-related things. Give this a…
Read at the sourceCielIsAWeeb
(No Spoilers)
Story: 10
The level of depth that this anime contains amazes me; every step, every breath. I’m not one for ballet yet I felt so emotional watching this. The way they portrayed the main antagonists at the start and how they ended the anime was perfect.
Art: 8 (I do not base my opinion on how an anime looks)
I love how the mood changes and so does the scenery and I’m a simp for close up eye shots, their eyes sparkle so much I feel like I was getting blinded by a ray of light. Also loved the added theatrics when they danced and how they showed us what they were trying to portray (as non ballet experts)
Sound: 9
I do feel as if at times I would’ve rather not have a certain song play as it disturbed the focus I was giving to the story but overall the song choices were great, an…
Read at the sourcemakotoplz
I wish I had watched this straight rather than broken up, but as it was a seasonal anime and I was infinitely curious, I couldn't help myself and started with barely any episodes aired. Bearing that in mind, Dance Dance Danseur was charming, emotional and thought-provoking.
It is not without its negatives, especially when considering other people's reviews/comments on it. But as a whole, it is a solid 9/10.
Without going too in-depth, this sport anime tackles many different themes following well... sport, specifically ballet. Expectations, family, support, talent, disappointment, friends, individuality, abuse, so, so many different themes and things goes on throughout the 11 episodes, I'm actually surprised thinking about it. Most short running anime don't tend to excel at telling a st…
Read at the sourceGimmeAnime
This series is a solid 9 up until episode 10, but good god, that ending is an incredibly frustrating, disappointing, and depressing 2, so I will grudgingly, GRUDGINGLY give this a 5 overall.
No lie, the characters are very good, with solid development for the MC, but I wouldn't have minded more than the last-minute exposition for the 2 main side characters. The overall story is great; it certainly pulled me in and got me invested.
The music is fantastic, especially if you enjoy classical. And the ending, man, the ending ruined the entire thing for me completely. Felt like getting emotionally beaten with a nail bat. I'd call the overall feel of the ending maybe something between "bittersweet" and "what the f* is this?".
Read at the sourceHail_Lelouch
Another MAPPA winner, Dance Dance Danseur is a hidden gem of this year. It's is a ballet anime that absolutely exudes passion. From the voice acting, to the animation, to the choreography, everything felt meant to be.
Dance Dance Danseur is consistently gorgeous, especially when it features any kind of dance sequence. The movements are exceptionally fluid in what may often be rotoscoped animation for the ballet sequences.
Ballet in Dance Dance Danseur is a tool used to accurately display the harmful effects of toxic masculinity on boys, push the characters towards each other, and develop their personalities through their changing styles. Just like Paripi Koumei, Dance Dance Danseur is another hidden gem of this year that emphasize on the internal conflict pf the characters and the motiv…
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