10Dance

The trailer made it seem like it was more than it was

TW: There was a SA scene and not going to lie with such an aggressive character like Latin I was honestly shocked it didn’t come earlier. The Ballroom guy did push him off. Even tho all SA is bad SA it definitely wasn’t graphic or anything. It doesn’t go far besides kissing and Ballroom doesn’t really have a major reaction to it.
I felt like I should mention it cus nobody does.


Review:

Normally BLs make me die of cringe and it takes me like 5 hours to watch a 1 hour film. But I was able to watch it all in one sitting. The trailer is VERY misleading, I thought it was gonna be a raunchy, very high tension film and it really wasn’t. But honestly I could tell it wasn’t going to be half way through so I wasn’t that disappointed.

They really fumbled with the romance aspect. They weren’t lovers or even friends with benefits because they never f*cked. They just gave rivals with a little tension. There’s a scene where Ballroom guy tells him abt how he wasn’t like the nicest guy in the past. And then Latin guy calls him lame and goes to the train. But for some reason Latin calling ballroom lame compelled Ballroom to run to the train to kiss Latin… like there was nice build up on Latin’s part but this was genuinely out of nowhere for Ballroom and it doesn’t even make sense. Also at first I thought the kiss scene was a*s but after watching that part a second time it wasn’t that bad. It’s just the build up (or the lack thereof ) that made it meh to me.

One thing I will applaud it for is the scene at the end. It was nice but then they just kept on dancing and Ik that’s how it works (they explained it a thousand times) but I got a little bored.

Overall:
It feels so empty it’s missing a lot but I lowkey don’t even want a part 2 lmao. Also I wish the side girls got together. It had potential and they fumbled but it was still a nice movie. Latin guys fine ahh makes it worth it.

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Dance in the movie

I love how in 10dance love is shown with a forms of dance. I personaly love to watch people dance in every style possible. Their feelings are expressed throught dancing like touch, connection, emotions and passion. I think the movie shows the real meaning of dance. Both of the mains characters are bonded together with two different styles, but they get a chance to practise dancing together for 10Dance and actually dance at Asian Cup.

While i was watching i thought the directors brought a bit of homophobia into the film by making Sugiki think that two guys cant dance together as because their dancing styles need a gentleman AND a lady.
Also the statement "dance is neither about technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole." could have made Sugiki think that he can and should dance with Suzuki.

Sugiki made viewers feel the emotions he had while dancing, we can see the happiness the excitement or the love he showed while they were in the subway. Lets not forget Suzuki's feelings while they didnt meet (not gonna lie my eyes were wet at one moment), the movie showed us emotions without using words.

Actors build a strong tension between themselves while they were learning from eachother the dancing moves. The film made us more and more believe they got feelings without them having to say it.

The music obviously makes a lot, as in dancing we need to have music. The music was not only in parts when they were dancing, which made the movie in my opinion more calming and understandable.

In the end the music was fire and the tension while dancing oml im obsessed, both with their dancing their relationship their moves, everything. I will definitely rewatch (i literally watched it in one sitting not being able to take my eyes away and after it ended i lit didnt know what now, wanted to watch again..). Im giving it 10/10 loved it very very much ones of my favorite films probably.

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I Don't Know, I Just Wanted it to be better

Basically gay Strictly Ballroom about 2 different competitive dancers who must work together to win a world championship… or something (that bit didn't happen). Despite the fact that this was decently shot and acted, script and director let it down. It felt like it owed a lot to 90s Australian cinema as well as darker JBL (read stylistically old fashioned) but also this was a very self aware movie. Too self aware. I get that the filming style was designed to reflect the respective dancers' attitudes, but also, it kinda beat us over the head with the metonymy of it all. We get it. We got it within the first 10 minutes. Surprise us, please. The dialogue was cliche and online complaints around casually racist stereotypes well earned. The voice over was a bit much MUCH (and I'm not as opposed to VO on principle like many are). In the end, the movie felt as full of itself as the characters. The fact of the matter is, I wanted this to be better. A better story, a better romance, a better resolution, better engagement resulting in better discourse. It was moody and pretty and not a great deal more than that. And I really like dance movies.

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Dance Is Love

“Dance is love”. That pretty much sums up this movie. The dancing and the palpable chemistry between the two male leads take center stage, and their story is told through the waltz, the cha cha, and the tango as they lead each other on a journey of self-discovery, strife, and love. Yes, there is love, though not the tangible kind that some people might expect from a BL movie such as this. This is a tale about two rivals that despise and obsess about each other for years until the moment they hold hands and decide to dance together. These same two men who have never really opened their hearts to another nor probably even considered being with another man, suddenly find themselves gravitating towards each other in a maddening and feverish attraction they cannot explain, but only becomes fathomable when they dance together. It's like poetry, there are underlying meanings to every word spoken, every gesture, every glance.

I didn't read the manga so I had no pre-existing expectations or biases going into this. I just knew that this was adapted by Yoshida Tomoko (My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday) from a popular BL manga, directed by Otomo Keishi (Rurouni Kenshin), and led by two of the brightest stars in Japan right now, so I kinda knew that this was going to be a poignant tale of love and woe as Yoshida is known for that type of writing. While I agree that the writing could've used a bit more work, especially that ambiguous ending, I think this was the best they could do within the limitations of a two-hour run time. This would've worked better as a mini series, to be honest. It would've afforded them more time to flesh out these characters more and give certain plot points room to breathe. An extra 30 minutes could've given the narrative a better flow with more scenes to iron out the kinks in the script. I don't think this was lazy writing, though. I believe the writers were just hindered by the time constraints. If only there was director cut somewhere and that they'd be willing to release it.

But everything else from the production value to the acting was marvelous. Machida Keita and Takeuchi Ryoma certainly delivered and are even dead ringers for their manga counterparts. They slaved for months to perfect their dancing skills for this, and for that, I thank them. I truly enjoyed the dancing parts in this. Their chemistry is undeniable that I could practically taste the sexual tension in the air between them. Their titillating scenes, though few and far between, are executed well. Suffice to say, I bought their growing attraction and fondness for each other. I felt their longing and pain. Sugiki tearing up as he watched Suzuki dance, proud and happy for the latter's accomplishments and also realizing they cannot be together encapsulates his complicated feelings for him.

In a nutshell, this was a great watch. I loved every minute of it and this will probably be even better on a second watch. Is it perfect? No, of course not. It needs a sequel and that is the only reason why I won't give it a rating higher than 9. I hope this does well enough to warrant a sequel.

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When Words Fall Silent, Dance Speaks

10Dance is one of those rare films that feels less like something you simply watch and more like something you experience. I am genuinely astonished by how beautifully this movie was made, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Everything about it is executed with such care and intention, from the cinematography to the acting, from the music to the chemistry, from the tension to the yearning, to absolutely everything in between. It is easily the best thing I’ve seen in a good while, and I am more than happy to have rated it a 9, a number I don’t give lightly these days. Modern entertainment often forgets how to truly entertain, but this film had my full attention for the entire two hours, never once letting go. What made this experience even more special for me was the mention and representation of Cuba. Being born there, it genuinely moved me to see it acknowledged so naturally and respectfully, adding a deeply personal layer to an already powerful film. The elegance of 10Dance is undeniable. It is sophisticated, graceful, and breathtakingly beautiful. Every dance scene felt like poetry in motion, like swans gliding across water or flowers swaying gently in the breeze. Even without words, the dances spoke volumes.
The acting was phenomenal. I felt everything. The chemistry between the leads was intense yet restrained, built almost entirely on silent yearning. Even without overt physicality, the desire between them was loud, conveyed through lingering eye contact, subtle expressions, and, of course, dance itself. Their connection felt raw and genuine, and the tension was exquisite.
And the cinematography, truly outstanding. I haven’t seen lighting and shot composition this good in quite some time. Every scene felt intentional, almost painterly, as if each frame could stand on its own as a work of art. Visually, this film is a feast.
The only reason I didn’t give it a 9.5 or a perfect 10 is the ending. I wanted more. I wanted to see what came next, to explore their future, their relationship, and how love would coexist with their careers. It left me craving a sequel, or even an entire series, just to stay in their world a little longer. Still, that longing almost feels intentional, fitting for a story built on yearning.
At its core, 10Dance is more art piece than conventional film. Some viewers criticize its quiet nature or its lack of dialogue, claiming the dances exist to cover what isn’t said. But that is precisely the point. In this story, words are secondary. Dance is the language. It is how these characters communicate, connect, and reveal themselves. If you can’t understand that, then perhaps this film simply isn’t for you. But I understood it, and I loved it. This movie is a true masterpiece, and it reminds me of "You Make Me Dance", though elevated to an entirely different level. I recommend both wholeheartedly. There isn’t much else to say, because when I say this film is pure gold, I truly mean it. Go watch it.

Overall 9/10

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Ballroom rivalry turned limbo between desire and discipline—who is the true winner?

‘10DANCE’ is so much more than a testament to the grueling process of competing in the world's most anticipated dance-off. It is a movie that captures the slow creation of beauty, priceless far beyond the prestige of any award won: the reunion of two halves and the replenishing of one's soul.

The premise is established seductively, the trailer presenting two tan, sculpted men who hover on the fine line of love that rests between power and surrender. This limbo-reminiscent display grants the movie a face of competition and unexpected attraction, teasing the grounds of rivalry the main leads would soon step foot on. From the outset and throughout, it defies any common preconceptions within the enemies-to-lovers genre, setting the stage for its mature take on love that delivers a powerful performance of sensuality. During the story’s progression, the movie remains unrestrained, and flows unpredictably, its structure much like the free-flowing beauty of dance itself. It is not so much focused on the art’s rigidity—the rules, the formations, the structure of the competitions... Instead of staying true to the string of drama it first teased, as the movie unfolds, dance becomes a vessel of self-expression, an avenue for exploring attraction, and, interestingly, mirrors the two men’s lives and inner conflicts.

Japanese Latin dance champion Suzuki Shinya is fire-spirited, vulgar in the way poets spill raw emotion onto paper. Not so much consumed with the need to release feeling, but ravenous to live it, to feel it seep into every bone. Driven by the body, he graces the dance floor with untamed steps, unearthing a raw sensuality through his unrefined movements. He has grown to embody love, to make it and to live it through his body. On the stages he shares with the dozens of other participants he overshines, his body does not become his frame of eloquence. Instead, it moves to the sound of its own drum: a wild flame of a heart turned into a spell, turning the audience into victims of its quaint power. Raised by his mother, who burned bright as the Cuban sun and fell in love with whomever she met, he inherited that spirit of hers, always loving and bound to the Havanas. Yet to his dismay, that fleeting beauty was overlooked as a lack of restraint in the moments when control was expected of him.

Unlike Suzuki, Japanese standard dance champion Sugiki Shinya is rather professional-comported. His traditional upbringing not only shaped his conservative stature, but also heavily influenced his dance style, clashing with the freeness demanded of him to embody Latin dance. This weakness is ultimately the reason he becomes drawn to Suzuki and asks for his assistance. Though he insists he lacks such skill, one can only wonder if his refined movements are true to his heart... Is he truly the grim reaper of dance? Severe to the point of demanding perfection and cruelly strict in his commands, Sugiki's execution of power over his dance partner sure gives him the allure of one. His speciality, ballroom dance, follows a precise formula that asks for control and rigidity, requiring every posture and step to be measured, every frame precise. What appears as cruelty is merely his embodiment of a role that would fit into this formula. He has long discarded his love for dance and traded it for survival. He led a life masked by grace, ignoring what sizzled beneath his elegance: dangerous passion, hunger for power, authenticity, and love—perhaps his greatest, most sacred desire of all.

Once their two worlds collide, they expose each other in every way that brings them a step closer to their breaking point. Sugiki remembers first being attracted to Suzuki after being drawn to his hands that seemed eager to fight and to pour themselves into passion. However, this illusion of strength broke as soon as they grew closer. Throughout the movie, Sugiki slowly discovers the underlying vulnerability and the desire to surrender hidden beneath a body that dominates the stage and steals attention away. Behind the scenes of the bright lights and competition, this ache to surrender grows, consuming Suzuki, who feels that this desire of his is only fulfilled by experiencing it, however briefly, through the dance practices he shares with Sugiki. Because he is so used to dominating the stage, he yearns to feel this fleeting sense of surrender seep into every part of him—into his body, through dance, and into his soul, through every weakness and through lending his heart and his body to his rival.

This strange attraction soon evolves into a complex connection. In Suzuki’s touch, Sugiki finds his own self and recognizes the familiar way of living as if enslaved. Suzuki’s soul was stuck in a moving body that wouldn't let him rest, always moving on its own to the beat of a forever-drumming heart. The qualities that had drawn Sugiki to him were exactly what had been slowly pulling the life out of him. In reverse, Suzuki, too, saw right through him…he sensed a yearning for power inhabiting Sugiki’s moves. Hidden beneath his eloquent and elegant demeanor, there burned a dangerous, insatiable urge to possess and command. He loves keeping Suzuki on edge, using him as a vessel through which he can exercise his domineering hunger for power. The same factors that bind them to each other expose the fact that their roles are almost reversed. Their dances are mere shields, practiced to hide their vulnerabilities and to conceal their true selves, their bodies speaking different languages than their souls. Yet the very reasons that draw them together are also what threaten to pull them apart, raising the question: which one of them dares break first?

Falling into each other means surrendering, giving up their pride as rivals. Every interaction holds a dangerous weight like that of a dance, of a waltz stepped too close. The poignant acting captures each of these small, deliberate moments where the definite rupture is an outcome breathing down their necks. Even the ending scene stands on this edge between dominance and surrender, love and restraint, of breaking apart only to come back together again, everything that pulls them further only bringing them back together again. In Suzuki’s own words, their severed bond bathes them in the everlasting feeling that taints their dangerous romance: “So close, and yet so far.” The climax of this tension risks them crumbling and unraveling when they have roles to play and their careers depend on it, their rivalry creating chemistry that is both irresistible and dangerous.

The cinematic train scene, textured with a luscious tone of forbidden romance, becomes the moment when the sensuality between them shifts into something greater: a ledge that leaves them teetering on the edge of falling apart. It especially poses a risk for Sugiki, a rigid dancer who has always separated his vulnerability from his art. The climactic scene begins with Sugiki and Suzuki role-playing as puppers of dance. ”I could be the beauty and you can be the beast”, Suzuki teases. But the ending of this shared interaction shatters the illusion just like how every facet of themselves can't help but break when they are in each other's presence. By pouring intimacy into their every word, touch and kiss, they become men revealing themselves beyond the masks that cloak them behind their assigned archetypes. This pivotal moment perfectly encapsulates the show’s essence: a hollow rivalry turned into something greater, transforming from a fight of egos to a relationship characterized by authenticity, trust, and vulnerability. Now, what they share is more dangerous, because even dance cannot contain it.

Their final performance represents the peak of this chemistry. They finally let their emotions be the strings to their bodies, their love ripping through them so fiercely it overcomes any other sense of rationality. Together, on stage, they combine every emotion ever tended to each other and finally become a language that tells the story of their romance. Both become the grim reaper and the angel at once, alternating roles in sizzling chemistry that refuses to be left unseen. Their steps tread the fine line between tender grace and fiery, vulgar strength, hanging on the verge of eroticism. The very same dance rituals they had practiced so many times before became thickened with love, offering a stellar performance—dance turned mating, sexual yet emotionally intimate and fragile. Two flames in one, tying back to the movie's opening line that love is the reunion of two halves of one soul. “Dance is neither about technique or stamina. Love is what makes it whole” is a reoccurring quote throughout the movie, words that guide them back to each other even after the cruelest of departures. In the end, they finally embody this mindset, letting love dictate the rhythm, uniting them in a shared devotion that surpasses rivalry, pretense, and performance.

After dancing to love on stage and bending the rigid frames set around them, they separate once more. Not as men who refuse to acknowledge what lies between them, but as dancers who choose to continue their love, their dancing a love language pushing them back and forth, in and out. Their last kiss during their departure from one another doesn’t seal the romance they shared into a tragedy of loving but having to leave. It is a token of anticipation for their next encounter, for the next time their masks would crack and their dancing would not be a mere spectacle, but instead a language, a play of an angel and a grim reaper. An embodiment of the duality of holding on: powerful, yet surrendered. Again, they will lend their hearts to their bodies, waiting to be found again, through the one thing they allow themselves to share: dance. The open ending stays truthful to this complex dynamic. Their romance allowed them to rediscover their passion for their art, reigniting their chemistry...and their rivalry. In the end, they both leave the stage like true winners, finally letting their rivalry and romance breathe as one.

2026-02-16

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He was the reason

It's been a day since I finished this movie, and I am not over it, so yeah, this review is a necessity. I still have this physical ache in my chest—that specific "book hangover" feeling, but for film. There are some movies you watch to pass the time, and then there are movies like *10DANCE* that you carry around in your head for days. You can’t just watch this and forget it. The way the cameras capture the sweat, the friction, and the sheer desperation between Suzuki and Sugiki… it just stays with you.

The part that hurts the most—the part I can't stop thinking about is everything that was left unsaid. My heart literally broke for Suzuki. I spent the whole movie wishing, just worshipping the idea that Suzuki could finally understand his own impact.

I wanted Suzuki to know that when Sugiki was at his lowest, when he was ready to give up dancing entirely after the breakup with his girlfriend, it was Suzuki who saved him. Suzuki thinks he’s just a messy Latin dancer trying to keep up, but he doesn't realise that his small, raw performance was the exact moment of enlightenment for Sugiki.

Suzuki is the only reason this man kept trying. He is the only reason Sugiki didn't walk away from the floor forever. Knowing that Sugiki carries that realisation alone while they leave separately at the end. It’s a beautiful, quiet tragedy.

The ending feels like a beginning and an ending all at once. "See you in the 10-Dance final" isn't just a promise of a competition; it’s a lifeline. But god, I need more. I need the closure of them standing on that same floor, not as rivals, but as two halves of one soul.

Please, Netflix, we need a sequel. We need Suzuki to finally see himself through Sugiki’s eyes. Until then, I’ll just be here, living with this ache.

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Bom, o que posso falar sobre 10Dance é que foi uma obra na qual coloquei muita expectativa.

Mesmo já a conhecendo na adolescência, eu não me lembrava de quase nada. Os atores são maravilhosos, não poderia escolher outros, mas algo acabou pecando para mim. Talvez pela falta de diálogo entre os personagens. Mesmo tendo muita química, acredito que deveriam existir mais cenas focadas no desenvolvimento desses relacionamentos.
A obra deu bastante destaque à dança, o que achei lindo. Mesmo sem ter conhecimento nessa área, achei tudo maravilhoso e fiquei impressionada.
Enfim, o romance acabou ficando um pouco cru, mas não dá para negar que fizeram um bom trabalho ao desenvolver o drama em diversos cenários, mostrando culturas e estilos de dança diferentes. Amei ver o povo latino sendo representado.

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Needs a sequel immediately.

If you're a chronic BL watcher for NC alone, this is not for you.

Holy shit?
I had high hopes because of the tiktok edits, and guess what? IT DIDN'T DISAPPOINT AT ALL!!!!!!!

The acting was exceptional—nothing was cringey or unbelievable.
The dancing? Amazing+++++
The romance? No words.

This was honestly the first movie I've enjoyed to the point of rating it 10/10 in YEARS. In fact, i'd rate it 100/10, if I could.

The script writers, production team, and producers have shown me two things with this film.
1) They love dance.
2) They love GAY. ~And what I mean by that is, the care, respect, and detail put into this movie, the scenes, the acting, the dialogue—I couldn't have asked for a more perfect end product.

And with that semi-open ending, GIVE ME THE SECOND MOVIE, IMMEDIATELY.

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10 Dance needed to be 11

10 Dance is a fantastic movie about dance with a side dish of erotic tension between our two male leads -- but lets be fair if this movie wasn't featuring Takeuchi Ryoma as the Latin Dance Pro & Machida Keita as the Ballroom Dance Pro the story wouldn't have been very impactful. Two Japanese men Tantalizingly Beautiful seemingly madly intoxicated with each other They teach the other in terms of dance 1st then life 2nd how to be different & maybe better -- There are a couple of scenes where they put their attraction into action but mostly it is Machida playing the aloof perfectionist and Takeuchi playing the uncontrolled bad boy -- I have no idea whether the movie is true to the Manga it is based upon or not. If it is there is a clear lacking in the unimaginative ending. You don't feel these characters will ride off into the sunset together but the fact that the Machida character sees having a romantic relationship with Takeuchi as life ending is worrysome -- as a bl watcher having them dance in front of their dance community isn't that a coming out of sorts and if it is why the ambigious ending They walk away it leaves you deflated and kind of misused. I mean all that sexual attraction for naught I will watch it again because the acting is superb the scenes the filming all fantastic It needs to be 11 because they need a sequel to finish the unfinished story

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