I’m not going to lie, as a woman, I do enjoy boy love, falling into the trap of the perfect target demographic that can enjoy this kind of romance with no consequences. From the Heartstoppers to the Young Royals, I’ve seen them all (yes, I’m about to get on the Heated Rivalry bandwagon as well). So when I heard of 10 Dance, I was quite intrigued by the idea of a film about dance and queerness, something that can go hand in hand very well. But as soon as I hit play, the only feeling I felt was confusion. 10 Dance is a film about two dancers, one who does Latin dances and the other who is a ballroom expert. They need each other to become proficient enough in the other dance form to participate in the 10 Dance world championship. A competition where you have to perform 10 different forms of dance in one go. Look, I know; this premise alone sounds so fantastic, you immediately want to get into it. Never mind the romantic angle at all. But unfortunately, this film doesn’t give you any context, doesn’t go in any particular direction with its plot, and has the most hollow ending that leaves you scratching your head, and not in the “oh so ambiguous” kind of way.
Upon doing a little bit of research, you immediately find out that this is a film adapted from a popular manga. This is red flag number one, because oftentimes when manga are adapted by OTT platforms, they’re aiming for an already existing audience who know what the heck is going on, which means the film doesn’t feel any need to explain itself. This is exactly what happens with 10 Dance. To feel the same way these characters do, or at least empathize with them, you have to get why they’re behaving the way they do. We literally have no context for this. And when the context does come, it makes zero sense.
I don’t want to be that person, but we know how the Japanese treat their women, like dolls that the men manhandle and fool around with. This story doesn’t shy away from this depiction either. There’s a level of rage one can feel while watching something, but at this point, I don’t even feel anything, because it’s just so bad. Anyway, you’d imagine the partners of Suzuki and Sugiki would have at least some sort of role in this plot. Whether it be to push the two male leads together or to act as a barrier that they have to overcome. In this case, the women just exist and are used as puppets whenever the men see fit. Without giving away any spoilers, Sugiki’s partner is literally unsafe with him. He likes to control her!
Sure, the thing you’re eager to know about is the chemistry, and I would be lying if I said there wasn’t any, but that’s specifically because of Ryoma Takeuchi, who steals the whole show, and not just because of his blonde hair and tan body. Even stoicism can come across as demanding and attention-seeking, but Keita Machida’s Sugiki has nothing going for him. Even when he’s doing the ballroom, I’m looking at everyone else dancing with him but him. And this is no fault of his own, because this means the actor is doing a good job in playing the role of a controlling man who has an ego bigger than the world. I was honestly blown away by how boring he is as a character and how, even in 2025, we’re supposed to accept this type of character as a “sad boy” over the fact that he needs help.
Also, let me just start the conversation that gay men can be misogynistic, because this movie is living proof of it, and everyone will be blinded by the bling of hot bodies and apparent yearning (sorry, I only felt it in the first half of the film when there was some good dancing too). Neither Suzuki nor Sugiki have any respect for women, and use their partners as rag dolls. Sugiki especially has a whole arc about this, which is terrible and shouldn’t exist. Honestly, the women are more interesting, and it would’ve been more exciting to see them secretly have a thing going than this loud and abusive kind of yearning between the two male leads.
Yes, the bits where there is dancing—it’s beautiful. They’re both excellent, but as I said, Suzuki just steals the show. The film is also quite racist to the Latino community, and maybe that’s why every time Suzuki is on screen, there’s a warm yellow vignette to make us feel like we’re in a dusty landfill. To be fair, the aesthetic of the film is pretty, and I will admit there were moments that really shone. It definitely didn’t feel like a modern-day film, either. This same aesthetic makes it look almost like it’s set in a different time, and visually, there are some scenes that are truly enchanting. For example, the scene in the bedroom, and of course, I can’t not talk about the scene on the train, which is arguably the best part of the film.
Ultimately, I don’t really have anything good to say about 10 Dance, especially because it leaves you hanging right from the start. No, literally, the ending feels so incomplete that you feel like you’ve wasted 2 hours for nothing. Whatever little is enjoyable about the film is left behind when you actually start thinking about it. Additionally, I must emphasize that I do not know anything about the source material, but from the discourse I’ve seen online, it is both racist and not great, so I think I’ll stick to the opinion that it’s completely skippable. You can watch the dancing on YouTube or something. I give 10 Dance 1.5 out of 5 stars.
