Wondance
Wandance

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"To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak."

Where to begin... well, lets take a classic approach here. Wondance, it's a manga about, well, dancing. Right... dancing? Lets be real, how many of us are really even interested in dancing? Honestly, it wouldn't be wrong to think like this. After all, it's only natural to put your time into something that you're interested in. Very well, so ask yourself this, what is it that draws you to manga? Just what is it that allows you to call yourself a fan of the medium?

The story is obviously centered around dancing, but to leave it at ... that would be unfair. There's much more to this than just dancing. Throughout life, people often change. They change to fit in, to more closely resemble their ideal, or the ideal of their authority, or for any other reason. It's normal to live like this, it's human desire to fit in, to not be an outcast and have a place to belong, simply because companionship is something we naturally seek. But what about when one finds their passion? Do they devote everything to it in order to attain their dreams, or do they simply continue living as they have been in fear of losing a part of themselves? This story isn't complex, it's nothing pretentious, in fact it's very much on the simple side. However, this story is meaningful.

I want to keep discussion about the art here brief, as in the end it's all a matter of perspective, so I'll describe the art itself in just three words. Simple, yet beautiful. It does a fantastic job at capturing the emotion of characters, and conveying the feelings of those within the story. Countless times while reading this have I stared in awe at pages, and many times have I teared up, feeling a rush of emotion flow through. The art here is masterfully crafted, and I can not praise it enough, so I will leave it at that.

When reading a series, especially one focused on a sport, you want to see characters that are unique. Characters that make you feel some sort of emotion for them, whether it be the ability to relate deeply to them on some level, or a hatred fueled by distaste of their actions. Whatever it may be, the ability to make a reader deeply feel just anything about a character is something necessary for building a series. This, to me, is one of the core strengths of Wondance. I find myself being able to relate to situations in this series, deeply respecting certain characters, and continuously wanting to know more about them. The most important thing here is that the characters feel real.

I enjoyed this series to an unfathomable degree. Why do I consider it unfathomable? Simply because, never once in my life have I been interested in dancing. I've never thought about it before. But, that's why this medium, and Wondance in particular, is so fantastic. You do not have to be interested in something to enjoy a story focused on it. The core fundamentals of manga, this series is able to take them and stretch them to their utmost potential. If you find yourself doubting this series because you have never once had an interest in dancing, then you're not necessarily wrong for doing so. However, I believe the main reason this manga is so good is because of how purely enjoyable it is to read.

Wondance is wonderful. It's a series in which I've enjoyed every moment of my time reading, albeit only fourteen chapters in. It is able to do something that many manga attempt and fail it, and that is presenting something you have no interest in, and almost forcing you to become interested in it through its fantastic level of storytelling elements. I write this review to inspire you, as this series has done for me. If you are hesitant, I implore that you give this a chance.

Normally I only write reviews for good series that have been under-represented, but so far a huge part of this series has not been addressed in the other reviews.

Wondance understands anxiety, jealousy, and competition.
Yes, the visuals, characters and character interactions, and ability to get you interested in a sport you previously didn't care about, are all very impressive. And I'm not just breezing past those. It's a very impressive sports manga that does these all pretty well.

That said, what really stood out to me was how realistic and relatable the main character's thoughts and emotions are. Intrusive and racing thought bubbles flood the screen when ... he begins to doubt himself or worry about others' opinions. Posture, speech habits, and facial expressions change multiple times within the span of a single exchange to reflect how a single word or perceived response can change a million things in his head. There was one scene specifically that had me applauding the author for prioritizing a home-hitting relatable and realistic response over an impactful or entertaining one.

Because the protagonist is so understandable, his growth and others' perceptions of his growth are that much more impactful. This is the ultimate version of the "He is my child and he deserves the world" relationship I'm sure you've felt towards a character before.

This manga is by far one of my favorites. I feel as if writing a review of it can't possibly convey how truly great it is.

I've personally never been good at dancing or have ever been interested in it, that is until I read this manga. Every time I finish reading a chapter, a little voice in my mind pops up to say: "Hey this looks really fun, maybe I should give dancing a shot." The way that dancing is portrayed in this manga is very dynamic, the art feels akin to that of a sports manga, with panels flowing into one another while immersing ... even those that know nothing of dancing and have little to no sense of rhythm such as myself. However, that isn't what truly makes this manga standout. Listening to music while reading this manga is how I believe it is meant to be read, not just any music however, but the one suggested during the dance routines. Each dance sequence seems to be written for a particular song, with the timing and cues hitting key places. The music adds a layer of intensity and feeling to the story, which never fails to get me into a dancing mood.

I thoroughly enjoy the thought put behind the character of Kotani Kabuto, the protagonist. He stands out from the average typical protagonist. Seeing trying to navigate the world of dancing while simultaneous growing as a person is something is really inspiring and motivating.

While it doesn't have many chapters yet, I'm kind of mad at how supremely underrated this manga is.

Story: 9/10
From the outset, Wondance may seem like a conventional shounen-style sports manga, but at its root is a wholesome story about a quiet insecure kid who finds a way of self-expression and sense of belonging through dance.

Characters: 9.5/10
Perhaps what distinguishes Kabo the most from your typical sports manga protagonist is his debilitating stutter which makes him feel inferior and insecure and unable to express himself properly. In the beginning he wanted nothing more than to fit in and be normal among his peers but this ... changes when he realizes he could express himself without words through dance. Kabo's weaknesses and insecurities make him such a relatable and understandable character that really resonated with me which makes it all the more satisfying and inspirational when he grows into his own skin and finds confidence.
Aside from Kabo, Wanda is another great character who you can't not love, a cute, free-spirited girl who's not afraid to be different. And while we don't really understand her character as much as Kabo at this point, I'm looking forward to her as well as other characters' development.

Art: 10/10
The art is phenomenal. The way the author draws movement in a dynamic and expressive way is just breathtaking and still manages to capture your imagination despite the lack of actual movement and music in its manga format. The character designs are good-looking, sleek and stylish. There are a lot of cute girls but major props to the author for not over-sexualizing them and not including any gratuitous ecchi fan service.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I enjoy this one quite a lot as I enjoy most sports manga. But even if you're not interested in hip hop dance, you won't be bored by the dance scenes because they are a feast for the eyes.

I can't recommend this series enough. It's a cool stylish manga and with a lot of pop-cultural references relevant to today's younger generation, but at its heart is a story about finding your identity and self-acceptance and that's what makes it so special.

A manga that excels at showing the "energy" of dancing, and the emotions that is mixed in a whole different way of reading a manga.

Story: 7.5
It's simplistic and you could get the whole gist of the manga by the synopsis. It's good enough for you to understand, and is more focused on other things. It does well with world-building and explaining different parts of dancing.
But by being "simple", the story feels comprehensible in the way it's structured, making you follow along easily with not only the simple plot points but the explanations and exposition, able to focus on different parts to what makes this manga ... so special.

As an example of what they do, when the characters dance, they recommend a song to play for the readers. This is actually really cool, they don't always pick the most popular or any random songs; they pick the ones the characters or the world would fit into. It feels almost interactive, and for in a world of manga, that's something completely new, at least to me. It's so much fun just looking at the dance moves, and adding the music makes it feel like your mind is dancing along.
It's very similar to what Webtoons do, which I entirely welcome.


Characters: 9
This is one of the reasons why I rate this manga so highly, Wondance isn't too plot or story-driven, it's mostly driven by the characters and art, and the story feels secondary. Not to downplay the story, it's just that the characters are what drives the story along - it's a character-driven manga.
Our protagonist I feel plays his role that befits his personality incredibly well. His "tone" never really changes drastically; as in how he speaks, how he acts, even the way he arches his back or averts eyes from eye contact. I'm not saying he doesn't change as a character, that's completely wrong. It's that in his own nature, being unable to properly speak without at least taking time. Even so, he is still willing to try and change in his own way, and I can see how relatable he is to the readers. He doesn't become a whole new character, he stays true to himself.
While he seems completely "innocent", you get into his intrusive thoughts, his ego, and so much more; changing ever so slightly depending on who he speaks to and how he interacts, exploring himself as a character whom you follow along. I don't want to spoil his whole character, but him as a protagonist, whom I thought would be boring to read, is actually extremely interesting. The author did great with how he writes the protagonist throughout.

The other characters shine in their own ways completely; and you can see that either through personality or dance, sometimes both. There are also a decent variety of characters as well. There's one that is the complete opposite of our protagonist; shining brightly with personality and expressions, yet so mysterious, is one of them. There are many more, but I don't want to explain every single one, since it'd be a spoiler.


Art: 10
What this manga truly excels at is art. While the artstyle for characters isn't too amazing, the thing that pulls you into their world. It very much reminds me of Tokyo Ghoul:re, presenting so much with art and being the vocal point, but what differentiates between them so much, is that Tokyo Ghoul:re does very well with facial expressions and is mainly focused on expressing the characters with art.
Wondance focuses on something else - the characters' movements. The "free-flowing" feeling you get as you read fits completely with the characters, especially when they dance, it all feels so mesmerizing to read, as if you're actually in their world, watching the characters move. It feels so expressive, and you can truly understand how each character moves, and the artstyle feels so "freeing", you'd fill out the spots in your own head of the movements. It feels like animation, just with manga panels.
Not just that, each character has their own way of dancing, their personalities shine so much when the art expresses their dance moves or the moves in general.


Overall: 9
Wondance I think is the closest so far that makes my imagination go wild unwillingly, very much so when the characters dance. There are a few mangas I think do similar, and adding one more to that list is entirely welcomed. While the story and world aren't something grand and mysterious to look at at first glance, you appreciate what it does to help you follow along. The characters aren't exactly groundbreaking or anything to the extreme but benefit from that greatly. All of them have such personalities, and the artstyle helps that so much. I can't complement enough the artstyle and decision of using it in a dancing manga.


On a random tangent, I almost got a heart attack when I started picking up this manga a long while ago, hearing the whispers of it getting axed. I'm so glad it didn't and is even getting an English translation.

Aside from sounding like a Drake song, Wondance is a criminally underrated series that I didn't expect to be so "not popular", per se.

(Yes there is a TL;DR)

The premise is essentially about a guy with anxiety and stuttering who becomes invested in dancing because as the book states "you don't need words to express yourself" (or something along those lines). Story progresses about how you would expect.

The book itself handles these issues and traits of the main character very well--as someone with social anxiety (and I'm sure a lot of you guys as well), seeing an MC in any entertainment medium with anxiety usually results ... in enough second-hand embarassment I want to crawl in a hole and die. But I don't get that. So that's good.

That being said, it's not flawless--it has the shounen/isekai issue of an MC that develops too hard, too fast, and the scapegoat of "paying attention to small details because of anxiety" can only be used so much. I don't know too much about dancing, but I've practiced a plethora of musical instruments and it did not take 3 months to play Csardas or Clair de Lune. Mostly ignorable, but it is noticeable.

The art is very well drawn, seriously 9/10 art, which was one of the most surprising things to me (given how unknown it is), and while no character SUPER stood out it's not like we had any unlikable/dull characters either. Overall, enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would've on a manga focused on dancing.

TL;DR (I don't think it's THAT long...): Underrated manga about dancing that tackles anxiety and stuttering, great art, perfectly fine characters, will probably enjoy it more than u think u will.

8-9/10 (so far)

Dude this is so good! It’s about a highschooler who at first doubted that he would dance again until he meets FL dancing out of nowhere. The two get to know each other and he basically joins the dance club with him being the only guy participating. I really like the fact the author added in modern music that most people would know so that we are able to play the songs in our heads without waiting for an anime adaptation to do it for us later on. I mean my god, the art involving our main characters is just so detailed and pretty slick ... if you ask me! I even tried doing it while in secondary school and lemme tell ya, I would put Kabu and Hikari both in first place xD

Yeah I definitely liked this dance style manga, it’s very cute and it does make you wanna actually jam to the songs included in the manga!

Thanks Netgalley and Publisher!

10/10 in terms of how this conveys the emotions and cool factor of dancing. Other reviewers have talked about this a lot already, and this effect is even greater if you can relate to the main character.
I came back to dancing after a year long hiatus from injury just because this series reminds me of the body control and techniques I always aimed to achieve in such an in-your-face, dynamic style it's hard not to get moved. Whether you have danced or not I believe the composition that Coffee chose for this series is just unique and outstanding - very easy to visualize the ... characters' moves. The popping, waacking, floorwork, power moves and much more are exceptionally animated, give it a try!
(I'm obviously biased bc of my dance background lol.)

I wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone with even a hint of interest in dance or those simply seeking an engaging way to pass the time. Despite being a manga, it breathes freshness into the genre with its unique portrayal of dance. The artist's meticulous attention to detail is evident in every line, effectively capturing the essence and emotion of dance movements. Whether you're a seasoned dancer or a curious observer, this series promises to captivate and inspire with its artistry and storytelling, offering a delightful escape into the world of rhythm and passion.

It emerges as a captivating narrative journey, intricately threading the world of ... dance into its compelling storyline. Set within the esteemed halls of a prestigious dance academy, the series centers on Mia, a young and talented dancer grappling with her aspirations and uncertainties. Mia's pursuit of excellence becomes the focal point of the story, as she navigates the competitive landscape of the dance world, forging friendships, confronting rivals, and ultimately discovering her own inner strength.

At its core, It is a tale of self-discovery and perseverance. Kabo's character arc is a relatable odyssey, marked by moments of self-doubt, determination, and growth. As she confronts the challenges and setbacks that accompany her journey, readers are drawn into her world, rooting for her triumphs and empathizing with her struggles. Through Kabo's experiences, the series explores themes of ambition, resilience, and the transformative power of passion.

The manga's artwork serves as a visual symphony, capturing the essence and emotion of dance with breathtaking precision. Every panel is a testament to the artist's skill, depicting the fluidity and grace of movement in vivid detail. Whether it's the elegant lines of a ballet routine or the dynamic energy of a hip-hop performance, the artwork immerses readers in the captivating world of dance, evoking a sense of awe and admiration.

Beyond its stunning visuals, It shines in its portrayal of diverse characters and relationships. Kabo's journey is enriched by a colorful cast of characters, each with their own dreams, motivations, and complexities. From his loyal friends to his formidable rival like Wanda, every character adds depth and dimension to the narrative, illuminating different facets of Kabo's world. Through their interactions and conflicts, the series delves into themes of camaraderie, competition, and the bonds that unite dancers on and off the stage.

Moreover, It deftly balances its dramatic narrative with moments of warmth and humor, ensuring that the story remains engaging and relatable throughout. From lighthearted banter to heartfelt conversations, the manga captures the nuances of human emotion with sensitivity and authenticity. These moments of levity serve to deepen the connection between readers and characters, fostering a sense of investment in their fates and fortunes.

In summary, It is a captivating manga series that celebrates the beauty, passion, and complexity of dance. Through its compelling storyline, stunning artwork, and richly developed characters, it offers readers a mesmerizing journey into the world of rhythm and motion. Whether you're a seasoned dancer or simply someone who appreciates a good story, It is sure to leave a lasting impression, inspiring and uplifting readers with its heartfelt message of perseverance and self-discovery.