{"id":2211,"date":"2017-05-12T10:00:09","date_gmt":"2017-05-12T02:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.punkednoodle.com\/champloo\/?p=2211"},"modified":"2017-05-10T18:38:44","modified_gmt":"2017-05-10T10:38:44","slug":"welcome-to-the-ballroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.punkednoodle.com\/champloo\/2017\/05\/12\/welcome-to-the-ballroom\/","title":{"rendered":"46. Welcome to the Ballroom by Takeuchi Tomo"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Welcome to the Ballroom<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gonna be an anime<\/a>, and I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but feel excited. At a time when lesser known sports, such as figure skating and rugby, are getting some love, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m happy that dancesport is joining the party. <\/p>\n

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The best feeling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No words can explain my joy in seeing Tomo Takeuchi’s series finally swing in full motion. Not that it ever really needed to be animated to convince people that dancesport is one of the most dynamic and vibrant sports out there. Takeuchi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s manages to capture complex movement and rhythm in Welcome to the Ballroom<\/em>.<\/p>\n

First Heat: A Sweeping Rhythm<\/h3>\n
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Tatara sees Kiyoharu dance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I first picked up Welcome to the Ballroom<\/em>, I expected the story to be similar to Kyoko Ariyoshi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Swan. Given that ballroom dancing relies on grace and finesse, I thought Takeuchi would take me to a dance studio where our young hero, Tatara Fujita, falls in love with the beauty of dance. Instead, Takeuchi shows an unbridled energy sweeps my attention with his dancers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rhythm and grace. Like Tatara, I was swept away.<\/p>\n

My brain caught the motion of Takeuchi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lines, and I can sense the movement of his dancers. I can feel their rhythm as though the music is seeping out of Takeuchi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s panels. For some magical reason, Takeuchi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s panels are so alive that my heart feels the excitement from such a 2D medium. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a surreal experience especially when I remember that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m reading a comic.<\/p>\n

Second Heat: Quick Step<\/h3>\n

A friend recently started reading Welcome to the Ballroom<\/em> after I pitched her the series to help her tide the wait for the next Yuri on Ice film. Like YOI, Welcome to the Ballroom<\/em> features a sport that challenges normative notions of masculinity. At the same time, Welcome to the Ballroom<\/em> gives so much respect to dancesport and its athletes. It took a while before she caved in and her enthusiasm for the series inspired me to catch up. This time round, I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but notice how Takeuchi captured the rhythm of the different dances in dancesport.<\/p>\n

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Tatara’s Waltz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The early part of the series introduced readers to the waltz. Takeuchi showed grace and finesse as dresses swirled on the dance floor. He also draws this beautiful arch that makes you think less of how painful it is to maintain such a position and just remember how Mako blooms in Tatara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arms. You could almost hear the orchestra as they glide across the ballroom. This graceful pace changes as Tatara meets the other dancers. To be honest, I felt that Takeuchi could get away by showing a dance\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s form, but I am at a loss at how he continues to match the intensity and the rhythm of his dancers.  <\/p>\n

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