My Manga Journal (Retrospective #128): Welcome to the Ballroom

Welcome to the Ballroom, Vol. 1 Cover Art (from MyAnimeList)

Written & Illustrated by Tomo Takeuchi

Score: 8

It’s always fun how the strangest things can be turned into something genuinely exhilarating. If you asked the general anime or manga fan what they’d find more exciting, super-powered fights or ballroom dancing, they’d almost certainly answer the former. It wouldn’t even be something to consider for them; the answer’d probably come out before you finished asking the question.

If there’s any series that would turn that fan’s opinion around on its head, it’s probably Welcome to the Ballroom, a story about a young boy who happens onto the world of competitive ballroom dance. It’s not the most original premise, but it doesn’t need to be; it’s simply a platform for the concept to jump off of, and where it goes is someplace truly fantastic.

The one thing that can truly make an action scene feel animated even in manga is speed, and that’s what Welcome to the Ballroom leverages to make its dance scenes so vibrant. Every move feels like it’s full of energy, and the force with which the characters are drawn dancing makes you feel like you’re sweating just watching them. The choreography is nothing to sneeze at as well; I’m no dance expert, but I can tell that the dances featured in the series are complex, incredibly technical, and dazzlingly fun to watch.

Welcome to the Ballroom ‘s appeal is fairly simple, and it’s to bump up your energy level in the time you’ve been reading it. It’s got decent characters, and the drama they go through is compelling, but the main draw of the series is the force of its energy. It’s one of the most exhilarating and exciting non-action manga I’ve ever read, and I easily recommend it to anyone, especially those who don’t see a point of stories that aren’t about fighting.

Originally published at http://talesfromsquareone.wordpress.com on June 18, 2026.