# Welcome to the Ballroom (2017)

> An average middle schooler with no direction stumbles into ballroom dancing and throws himself into its competitive world.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/63096

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 24
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, drama
- Network: TBS, BS11, TOKYO MX, MBS
- Cast: Kentaro Tomita, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Shimba Tsuchiya, Ayane Sakura, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Sumire Morohoshi, Chinatsu Akasaki, Mamiko Noto
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7161104/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: earnest, uplifting, hopeful, energetic, warm

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its energetic depiction of competitive ballroom dance and its earnest coming-of-age story.

## Synopsis

Welcome to the Ballroom (2017) is a Japanese animated sports drama series created for TBS and other Japanese broadcasters, produced by Production I.G and adapted from a manga. Tatara (Shimba Tsuchiya) is an average middle school student with no particular dreams until an unexpected incident pulls him into the world of competitive ballroom dancing. Voiced by a cast that includes Ayane Sakura as Shizuku Hanaoka, Kentaro Tomita as Gaju Akagi, and Toshiyuki Morikawa as Kaname Sengoku, the series follows him as he trains, forms partnerships, and faces rivals in dance competitions. Its engine is simple and personal: a boy who has drifted searching for something worth committing to, and the discipline, nerves, and friendships that come with pursuing it. Each episode builds toward a competition floor, with practice sessions, partner dynamics, and the pressure of performance shaping the rhythm of a single 24-episode season. Presented as a single season of shonen-style anime, it carries a sincere, earnest, uplifting energy and a touch of youthful romance. Its atmosphere is bright and hopeful, close to the school life of its characters. Fans of Yuri!!! on Ice, Haikyu!!, and Nodame Cantabile will find resonance in its sports-driven drama and love of performance.

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