10Dance

Angel & Grim Reaper

If you’re obsessed with professional dancing, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you will probably be head over heels for this one, way more than I was. Don’t get me wrong, the movie isn’t bad by any stretch. In fact, it’s pretty damn impressive. They dive deep into the nitty-gritty of dance techniques, the ins and outs of the competitive ballroom world and how that high-stakes environment messes with the people caught up in it. I was honestly blown away by how authentic it felt. But if I’m being real, the romance in this was way too slow of a waltz for my taste.

The story centers on two men: Sugiki and Suzuki. These guys are internationally ranked competitive dancers, but they’ve never gone head-to-head because they dominate in different styles. Sugiki is all about Standard Ballroom, while Suzuki slays in Latin Dance. Still, they have got this long-standing rivalry that keeps them hyper-aware of each other. Then, out of nowhere, Sugiki throws a wild proposition: they train each other in their respective styles and take on the 10DANCE. For those not in the know, that’s an event combining all five Standard Ballroom dances and all five Latin Dances. In competition, they dance with their female partners but during practice, it’s mostly just the two of them and that’s where things get interesting. There’s this undercurrent of competitive flirtation that simmers beneath every step and turn they take together. It’s hot, no doubt but it’s also frustratingly understated for a hopeless romantic like me.

I will say, the actors absolutely killed it. Their movements are mesmerizing. When Sugiki and Suzuki train together, you can feel the tension through the screen. Their bodies move with such precision and passion, it’s almost erotic without even trying to be. The way Sugiki’s Standard style clashes with Suzuki’s hip-rolling Latin flair is pure art. I mean the chemistry between them is off the charts. The actors nailed every single detail.

The production quality is also top-notch. The cinematography captures every angle of the dances with such grace and the music has the perfect heartbeat to every scene, whether it’s a slow tango or a fast-paced cha-cha. Honestly, the movie is a feast for the eyes and ears. I can see why so many people would fall in love with it, especially if you’re into the technical side of things or just appreciate a beautifully crafted film.

But here’s where I’m gonna be brutally honest: I wanted more romance, damn it! From the trailer, I got the vibe that this would be a love story but I’d say romance was maybe 20% of the movie. I get it, the title and premise say “dance first,” and they executed that part flawlessly. I’m not saying they did anything wrong; it’s just not what I expected and that’s on me for hyping up the love angle in my head. If dance is your jam, you will probably eat this up and ask for seconds.

And well...the ending...I hate to say it, but it was such a letdown. Without giving spoilers, I’ll just say it felt kind of empty. I wanted a bigger payoff, something to make my heart race or at least leave me satisfied. Instead, it just kinda fizzled out.

So, bottom line: this movie is amazing in its own right. It’s artistic, beautifully made and the actors are phenomenal. If you are into dance or just appreciate a visually stunning film, you have got every reason to love this. I’m just a sucker for romance and I felt a bit shortchanged on that front. Plus, that flat ending didn’t help. Still, I would say give it a shot. It’s worth watching for the talent and passion on display. Just don’t go in expecting a full-blown love story like I did or you might walk away a little disappointed too.

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Expectations unfortunately not met

Dance is neither about technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole

🕺🏻OK. Let's start with the good🕺🏻
The acting - The guys killed it. I have seen Keita before in Cherry Magic & Alice in Borderland and was excited to see him back in the BL realm. I knew he was good and my man; he did not disappoint. No notes
Ryoma is a new face to me, but he was amazing too. He expresses emotions so freaking well. It just grabs you. I could feel how much he hated Sugiki in the beginning, when he started wanting him; I was there with him—in that desire, denial, and confusion. And when Sugiki broke his heart, I felt that too. When he cried, when he made the choice to go back to competing after the heartbreak, when he struggled to walk away from Sugiki's honor dance, when he finally faced him on that floor. I felt it all. Hat's off to the man

The chemistry - My God!! It was palpable. Everyone has mentioned it, but that scene in the train... *fans self*. And the kiss scene towards the end. Also, I was mesmerised every time they danced together

Their type of dance matched their personalities beautifully - Sugiki does ballroom. Idk much about dance, but from what I saw in this, it's a very controlled type of dancing. Beautiful to look at, but rigid in its execution.
On the other hand, Suzuki is a free spirit. He also walks, breaths, moves like sex, and so is his dance style. It's fun and sexy, while Suguki's is very restrained.
Suzuki wants to have fun in his life, but Sugiki is very controlled and by the book. He knows what he wants, sees the goal, and will stick by it, everything else be damned.
How they dance spills into their personalities. Or is it vice versa?

The cinematography and the grandeur of it all - Are we surprised though? It's a Netflix production. You know the production budget be budgeting

🕺🏻What I didn't like🕺🏻
The title says it all. The movie did not match the expectations set by the trailer
When you watch the trailer, you expect the movie to be very sensual, very sexy. You expect their relationship to be very emotionally charged. A love that stems from hate, passion (for dance and Suzuki's hatred for Sugiki), desire, and an unwitting respect for each other's craft. I was at the edge of my seat waiting for such a story

Unfortunately, when you get to the story, this all kinda... fades away? A lot of the story is told in silence (?). There are a lot of looks to the other person, facial expressions, but very little in the way of actual communication. As the audience, you kinda have to connect the dots and guess what they are feeling and thinking. That removes the 'punch' of what this story could be

Their romance — if you could even call it that — doesn't progress much, and so by the end, everything feels unfinished. They kissed on the train. I thought things would get steamier, but they went their separate ways. Only to meet 2(?) months later in the UK with Suzuki thinking about how he wants Sugiki's eyes on him.... And then they break up

Girl... What?? What happened in the 2 months??? I have read some comments by the Manga readers that allude to what happened after the train, leading up to the breakup, and after, but if you're going to make a movie, shouldn't you include what happens in the source material in the show? I feel like cutting out major details does a disservice not only to the viewers who may not have checked out the book, but also to the readers who may want a better portrayal of a story they love

The ending was also very.... Ugh. It's open-ended. Not a fan of those. I hear it's because the manga isn't complete. Perhaps the manga shall end n we'll get a sequel. Hopefully, a better installation than this one

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Could have been better.

This movie is being carried by its cast. Absolute standout in terms of acting and chemistry, which is to be expected because just look at who they cast. It is very obvious these two actors put in the work to embody their characters. I really, really wanted to love the movie, but I cannot overlook some aspects despite how much I did enjoy it.

Flaws: So many. I think it can be summarized as this movie felt like it did not know whether it wanted to be a Japanese movie or a Hollywood one, so what you get in terms of editing is a very strange mix that ends up appealing to neither audience sometimes.

- There were many times where weird editing choices brought me out of the story completely. One such example is the announcer at the 10Dance section in the end, where he both names the dance, and adds a very unnecessary quip afterwards. Another odd editing choice is to layer conflicting music on top of each other.

- The pacing at the end, absolutely rushed. This story would have benefitted from being a series. An extra 40-80 minutes of content would have fixed a lot.

- The English subtitles are also plain wrong occasionally.

- The music was either a full hit or a miss. Since this is a movie about dance, I would have hoped that they had a better selection for music choice and background tracks.

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10Dance: The Score Card

Takeuchi Ryoma: 9/10
Machida Keita: 7/10
Takeuchi Shirtless: 999999999/10
Machida Suited: 100/10
The Kisses: 9/10
Machida finally agreeing to kiss another man: 999/10

Takeuchi’s Dancing: 9/10
Machida’s Dancing: 7.55/10
Doi & Ishii’s (Underrated) Dancing: 8/10
Choreography: 7.99/10

Chemistry: 7/10
Heat: 8/10
Spice: 5/10
Syrup: 1.5/10

Latin stereotypes (offensive): -100/10
Latin stereotypes (well-meaning): -10/10
Every gratuitous mention of Cuba and Havana: -25/10
Every comparison of those repressed Brits and Japanese to those hot-blooded alcoholic Cubans: -10/10
That particular comparison of the Queen to Fidel Castro as the erstwhile embodiments of Britain and Cuba (wait, I need to throw up): -101/10

Script (there was none) : 0/10
Cohesion (there was none): 0/10
Characterisation (thanks mainly to Takeuchi’s acting): 5/10
Story (as it was not told): 2/10

Cinematography (except the Latin parts): 7/10
Cinematography (the Latin parts, aka, the Tropicana filter): 2/10

The Can’t-stop-thinking-about-them Score: 9/10
The Ending (aka, Sequel Baiting, aka, Edging): 5/10
Not having a 10Dance in a movie called 10Dance: -5/10

Reader’s Digest:
DO SAY: Dance is neither about technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole.
DON’T SAY: Then make it whole!

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Two men navigating a delicate waltz of feelings and a fierce tango of longing!

When the trailer was out, I was expecting good things like great chemistry, impressive dance moves, clean aesthetics and a lot of tension. What I didn't expect was to come out this emotionally jumped and honestly, it delivered on almost all the fronts.
The movie thrived, flourished and floored me with tasteful slow burn, discomfort that ate, and proximity that had me holding my breath for no reason. They didn't need dialogue and honestly, no dialogue could convey what their eye contact did.

Who was the hero in the movie? The audacity. The audacity to let silence do the flirting. Audacity to assume that the audience will notice the small change in breathing, posture shifts and corrections that feel too personal and the way no man absolutely refused to blink. They assumed and we proved them right. These two grown men who know exactly what they were doing, risking and the awareness of that just every interaction so much heavier and meaningful.

We have our classic opposite attract set up where both the leads have contrasting personalities. And while I would have been happy with the cliche set-up too, they decided to test every ounce of sanity you have when you are watching it by showing the predictability of the characters in the most unpredictable way.

The best thing about this drama for me was THE HOLY CHEMISTRY! It deserves its own warning label. Everything was felt by the leads, and it translated 100% on the screen. It's not loud or trying to be instantly likeable. It builds through resistance, control, lack of it and two people constantly tests each other's boundaries. If you haven't realised, I am blown away by their chemistry.

Performance-wise, both the leads understood the assignment and stayed in the right ballpark. They didn't do too much or too little. Just perfect to make it swoon worthy. Machida Keita as Sugiki Shinya, all suited up with the tie and that domineering gaze was not on 2025 bingo but I am nothing but thankful. I know he is a great actor with a good range but this is not how I imagined him in any multiverse and I am glad we got it.
This was my first introduction to Takeuchi Ryoma and honestly, colour me impressed. He, as Suzuki Shinya, was wild, passionate and beautiful with that subtle vulnerability as he should have been.

Coming to the dance section, I am no professional, so I won't be judging by techniques but visually, I enjoyed everything. I am sure the actors worked very hard and it definitely deserves a special mention. This was about the dance and we see plenty of it.
Visually, it was rich and sleek. The camera work was amazing. Even a little change in hand gesture or posture was captured perfectly. Kudos to that! Money was not a problem for the production, and it reflected from the cast to the costume to the set design.

The supporting cast also did a great job. The women of 10Dance though, weren't in the limelight, but they did shine through whenever the focus was on them. I liked the friendship between Tajima Aki and Suzuki. In fact, the two ladies had such good chemistry with each other.

Now, after all that praise and positive points, if you ask me why it's not a 10, it comes down to a few things that lowkey bothered me. Not major enough to ruin my watching experience, but enough to not ignore.
- Starting with the background music. When you have such a stellar cast looking like Greek gods in such magnificent sets, why play the most generic music? It wasn't bad but compared to everything, it could have been better. Way better.
- Second was the lighting issue in a few scenes. A few scenes were a little too dark for my liking. Maybe it was more of a me problem.
- Third and the major issue, I was left wanting for more. When you build such delicious tension for 2 hours and somehow skip that in the most important final moments, it kind of stings. Narrative-wise, it did make sense and it was very thematic but it did annoy me. It diluted the character impact and skipped few important inner monologues that could have made this a masterpiece. And you know when the overall vibe is, of a lot what felt is unsaid , sometimes it paves way for miscommunication. And If you are familiar with J dramas, it is the most common trope and in few scene it does make an appearance.

Overall, desipte everything, this was an EXPERIENCE. From start to finish, I was entertained with good quality drama, acting and visuals. Will I recommend it? Hell yes! You will definitely not regret it.
Also, this is a Netflix-backed production, and one should ask the question, will it milk its golden goose yet again? Everyone knows the answer. And this time I really want them to.

Thank you for reading my review! <3

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style, elegance, tension, passion, love...

First, I have to say, I can't imagine how much training the actors had to do to get to this level of dancing. Watching them dance is mesmerizing. Two humans meet through passion. Two humans contrary to each other share a bond which grows over time.

"Dance is neither about technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole" - "So close and yet so far" are the two sentences describing the story in a heartbeat.

This being a Netflix production, I don't have to tell you that the cinematography, lighting, music, atmosphere are top notch. Both MLs are just incredible. Even in the slow scenes there is not a moment I was bored... The story has a rhythm just as dancing does. And for most things you see, I can't express how it moved me. Suffice to say, it's something different, something not seen yet, something incredible and something we should be happy to experience. This movie is a "must watch" in my book!

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Dance is just a cover for watching hot men make out... and am I happy about it?

No, I am not.

Oh my god. I was so excited for this one.

When I saw the trailer, I immediately subscribed to the notification bell.

We have to start from somewhere so why not with the title. Why this title? The title was referring to the competition and it becomes increasingly irrelevant as the movie progresses. Not to miss pointing out that this competition does not take place by the end of the movie (is it spoiler? what am I spoiling exactly? we don't even know why the competition is not in the movie after which movie was named).

My frustration about evident laziness is reaching a boiling point

....what will take it there is not weakly developed main characters, female dancers portrayed as useless and expendable nor randomly placed blond plot twist which was not twisting...

it is that the trailer gave off this impression that dancing is their world and they manoeuver this intrinsic mystique, sensuality and dominance that dance possesses the best.... and that would lead to explosion when the two bests meet each other.

I ate it up and couldn't wait to see this clash. Because the only special thing about this movie is the DANCE aspect. That they are dancers. We have seen BLs with rivalry, bad upbringing etc. etc. but professional dancers from different sides falling in love? Not that I know of!

They instead exploited this intrinsic sensuality of professional dancing to hide lack of plot and cliche' characterisation. First of all, the dancing does not look clean or professional. I can tell you I was not convinced by their dancing at all.

Secondly, male leads are developed weirdly chauvinistic, both of them. Sugiki really was not likeable character at all. And all of his motivations scream chauvinism to me, that does not make sense that they serve dance narrative. Dance is sport with two parties that are essential to the other. The whole movie is portrayed in a bit of hmm discriminatory manner? It is paradoxical cos it is supposed to be breaking traditional role of couple in dance and life.

Then, I understand Suzuki is supposed to be polar opposite from Sugiki, but what is with this representation of hot/wild latinoamerican dancer? Too obvious my man, there is subtlety to everything. Like what is with those reactions in every dance and then literally wielding the female dancer as a tool? I am kind of also slightly offended that they used the concept of dancing in service of what? audience seeing hot men making out?

I thought the dance was the igniter to the fire, not the burned down object..which it ended up being.

I would still put it as a recommend to try out, but it is not a rewatch for me. It has a nice cinematography. Actors are okay. A lot of thirst traps. And some cringy plot wrapped in dance.

Thanks for reading. Bon appetit! :')

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All dance lacking dialogue and story

A lot of work has gone into this,the dancing is superb and highly choreographed showing the training leading up to the big event.

There is chemistry between the leads however there is very minimal dialogue and quite a flat story. The dance elements are the main focus. It is a stretch to call this a romance as those elements seem quite disjointed from the choreography. There are only a couple of decent conversations between the leads and the rest is dance with some backstory.

If you came here for the BL elements you will be disappointed, if you came for the dance then you will love this.

If the focus was more on the relationship development and romance then this would have been perfect. It's a shame some areas are just hollow.

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i will be the odd one out... this much ado about nothing

will start off with a basic fact, i think ballroom dancing is repetitive & boring. when u 1st see a competition it's glamorous cause of how they r dressed (especially the women) & the moves r cool, but the more u watch - it's basically the same moves in each dance, performed the same by all the couples on the floor. yeah others might enjoy this, to me this not entertaing after the novelty wears off.
& ironically or not, i found this BL to be much the same. i aint faulting the actors (that brought their A game) - but the plot - where did it take us?!? the culmination wasn't even the 10 dance competition - which this freakin movies is titled after & the illusion of an open end, was a farce.

1st off my favorite character here was Tajima Aki (Suzuki Shinya's dance partner) i liked her personality & even though she & Yagami Fusako were treated like a prop - like marionette's to use when needed & then tossed aside, cause they weren't the mains, Tajima was still very visible to me. Yagami just made me feel sad.

the mains, was this even a love story?!? & NO i don't need sex or even a kiss (mentioning the kisses OMG but it felt like they weren't insync even there) for it to indicate this a romance. yeah Suzuki fell hard & fast, even showed signs of jealously, frustration & yearning. while Sugiki had eyes only for the dance, even if he ran after Suzuki, kissed him & then offered him the last dance. what he really offer of himself?!?
when Suzuki wanted to get closer he pushed him, saying they were enemies. after every woman Sugiki encountered, told him that the one thing he lacked was 'love'. so when he finally had a chance to open up & give of himself - he put up a wall & pushed Suzuki away.
so the end, where he came to Suzuki & requested he accompany him on the dance floor, to me that was his way of getting Suzuki back into the 10 dance competition (which he had no intention of being a part off) after the way Sugiki rejected him. the fact Suzuki smiled, means he is as deluded as some of the comments i read - thinking Sugiki is now ready for them to be together. heck from what we had in this movie, was there even a grand anything or just intense psychical attraction that could amount to nothing more, then a one night stand?!??? the writer's gave us nothing to draw from IMO.

2 plus hrs & i didn't see any growth in Sugiki, not one that would indicate he is ready to put another human above his ambition's to win or above the dance. maybe i am being to harsh, but i don't get the hype, yeah great looking guys & they had good chemistry, but does that amount to a great movie? meeh - this was just ok...

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10 DANCE: When Rivalry Becomes Romance

I came to this film as a manga reader, and honestly, I was nervous. The source material is one of those rare BL stories that takes both the sport and the romance seriously: two professional dancers at the peak of their careers, forced to master each other’s specialties to survive the brutal 10 Dance format. The tension between Suzuki and Sugiki works because they are genuine equals, clashing on and off the floor. Translating that to live action felt like a huge risk, especially for the dancing, which is the backbone of the story.

I went in as a Keita Machida fan and came out obsessed with Ryoma Takeuchi too. Machida’s Sugiki is all control and precision, the Standard champion who keeps everything ruthlessly locked down. Takeuchi’s Suzuki has the swagger and physicality you expect from a Latin dancer, but there is real emotional fragility underneath the bravado. What sells it is how fully committed they both are to the actual dancing. This is not actors faking it with doubles; you can see the work in their bodies in every movement.

The dance sequences are where everything clicks. There is an early rehearsal where Suzuki teaches Sugiki a rumba walk, and you catch every tiny adjustment in posture, every weight shift, every moment where Sugiki’s stiffness starts to melt. The camera stays close enough that you see the hand placements, the tension in their frames, and the way their bodies have to negotiate through touch. Later, when Sugiki has to follow instead of lead in the Viennese waltz, the frustration in his face and body says everything about his terror of surrender. By the final performance, they are pulling together everything they have taken from each other: Suzuki’s fire braided with Standard discipline, Sugiki’s control flooded with Latin heat. It is technically impressive, but it hits hardest because these two people who have been orbiting each other finally move as one.

What grounds all of this is the specific reality of competitive ballroom. This world is rigid and hierarchical, built on traditional gender roles, fixed lead and follow dynamics, and heteronormative partnerships. When two men dance together as equals, swapping lead and follow and treating each other as true partners instead of rivals, that is not just romantic. It is disruptive. Choosing connection in a space designed around comparison and ranking reads as its own quiet act of defiance.

The chemistry between Takeuchi and Machida is ridiculous. Every charged look, every lingering touch during practice, every moment where competition blurs into something else feels inevitable but never cheap. The restraint makes it sharper. You are leaning forward, waiting for them to close the distance, and when they finally dance together in that last sequence, the intimacy lands like a confession even though the film stays relatively chaste. That is how you do slow burn in BL: the choreography carries the confession the script never verbalizes.

And yes, this should have been a series. The ending is both satisfying and maddening. You get emotional payoff, but it is very clearly only a midpoint in their story. There is so much more to explore, professionally, romantically, and psychologically, that you can practically feel the missing episodes. It plays less like closure and more like a pilot still waiting for its next season.
I have read the critics calling it too cautious, joking that it needed a chastity coordinator, and faulting it for not fully committing as a queer romance. As an exercise in pure film criticism, you can argue the caution. But as a BL viewer who knows what this genre usually delivers on screen, this is still the standout BL film of the year. The bar for BL cinema is often pretty, tropey, and thin, especially on the big screen. 10 DANCE aims higher, even if it does not swing for the fences in every area.

Most BL gives you surface romance with minimal character work and sports as aesthetic wallpaper. This gives you complicated adults with real ambitions and vulnerabilities, a romance built on mutual respect and earned connection, and dance sequences that actually move the story forward. The restraint reads as maturity, not timidity. The slow burn feels compelling rather than withholding because the film trusts you to read the subtext: to understand what a lingering touch means, to catch the shifts in frame and footwork, and to feel the weight of what never gets said out loud. That is sophisticated storytelling, and it is exactly what this genre needs more of.

If you loved the manga, this respects the core while making smart, medium specific adaptation choices. If you are new to 10 DANCE, it is a gorgeous entry point. And if you care about BL that is ambitious, technically crafted, and emotionally literate, this is essential viewing. Just be ready for that final stretch to leave you desperate for a sequel, and probably already drafting your comment to Netflix asking for one.

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This movie left me astonished!

All I can say is that this was just a fantastic movie. I have watched hundreds of Asian dramas and BL"s but I have never written a review for a single one. This movie literally made me just now create an account on kisskh just so I can tell everyone just how amazing this movie really is.

PLEASE READ IF PLANNING ON WATCHING:
Reading other people reviews was rather frustrating because of how they were rating the movie lower solely because of the fact it lacked a whole bunch of NC scenes. That is insane to me and saying things like "this movie isn't a real BL movie because they didn't focus on the romance aspect" is insane to me. The chemistry and romance was there, you felt all the emotions and could feel the yearning for each other. Yes, there were few kissing scenes, but the ones that they did have left a lasting impact and had purpose which made the impact of the kiss much more effective. The issue nowadays is people aren't looking for plot and story in relation to BL, they just want to see two guys all over each other, kissing and having sex. If that's the case go watch one of the many GMMTV shows where that's a good portion of the plot.

This was a beautifully produced movie with insanely good music and acting that is out of this world. And the male leads were the perfect mix of beautiful and handsome. If you are actually looking to see love blossom over a shared love for dance then this is 100% the movie for you. If you are looking for a movie where it's 70% sex and only 30% plot then I HIGHLY recommend for you to go find something else to watch.

I hope that people will get over their concerning need for sexually explicit content in BL dramas so they will be able to give this movie the rating to truly deserves which is a 10/10.

I will say that the ending did bother me a bit. Im glad it ended on a happy note but it felt as if that shouldn't have been the end and there's way more to their story that as a viewer I would love to see. So if they are planning on producing another movie then that was a great ending and if not then it could have been better. Still I would recommend this movie over and over again and will be rewatching it many times to come.

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