In Japan, DANCE became a compulsory class subject in 2012. Everyone was surprised when the government announced it, but as time has passed, we have grown accustomed to this situation.
In the world, breakdancing has become an official sport for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and following this trend, the professional dance league “D.LEAGUE” has started in Japan. Dance is attracting more attention and excitement in Japan than ever before.
We’d like to introduce a manga that is read by many people in Japan. It is “WON DANCE”, currently serialized in the monthly magazine “Afternoon” published by Kodansha.
The main character, “Hikari Wanda”, is devoted to dance. The other main character, “Kaboku Kotani(he’s called Kabo)”, is fascinated by her. “Kabo” is a quiet high school student who suppresses his feelings and lives his life according to his surroundings. He is attracted to “Wanda Hikari”, who is devoted to dancing without worrying about being seen. To dance with her, he takes on the challenge of dancing something he has never done before!
OTANIACS has introduced manga about sports and dance, such as figure skating and Noh drama, but I strongly recommend “WON DANCE” not only because of its fascinating characters but also because it will make you realize that the heights of dance they aspire to are so demanding and beautiful.
I mentioned earlier that “Breakdancing” became an official event at the Paris Olympics, and dance is now a competition and sport. In this manga, the expression “riding the sound” is used, and at first “Kabo”, a beginner suffers from a lack of understanding of this. However, he had always had a knowledge of music and a unique sense of rhythm that he had developed playing basketball. As he practiced with “Wanda”, he began to enjoy “riding on the sound” of dance.
On the other hand, dance is a competition that tests not only the technical aspect but also the mental aspect. As a stutterer, he is excessively afraid of doing anything in front of others. We can only imagine how courageous it must be for him to dance and express himself in public. We want to cheer him on as he not only overcomes the technical obstacles but also gradually overcomes his fear of dancing in front of others as he discovers the joy of dancing.
I can’t wait to see how they grow up. You will want to start dancing immediately after reading this comic. I highly recommend reading it.
