If you were expecting the 10 Dance competition to feature in the ending of the movie 10 Dance, well… more fool you. Do I really need to remind everyone yet again that we’re in the most cynical age of streaming TV ever? That nothing ever truly ends? That everything must necessarily have a sequel, perhaps several, from now until the end of time? Well… we are.
To be fair, this movie is adapting a BL manga that encompasses several arcs, and it only covers the first few in this two-hour runtime, so it kind of stands to reason that things wouldn’t really end. Sure, it’s a little cynical given the movie’s title, but here we are. If the whole thing proves popular, which it very well might, we’ll get to see Suzuki and Sugiki compete directly against each other in the big tournament at some point.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?
Best Frenemies
10 Dance revolves around the relationship between the similarly-named dancers, Suzuki Shinya and Sugiki Shinya. Suzuki is the national champion of Latin dance, along with his partner Aki, but they’re content to be just that, without aspiring to global stages. Sugiki, on the other hand, is a global ballroom phenomenon, but thus far hasn’t quite managed to achieve the top prize on account of his apparently loveless performances.
Sugiki tries to antagonise Suzuki into a deal that’ll allow them both to compete in the 10 Dance, the one competition – a bit like dancing’s version of an Iron Man triathlon – that allows dancers in all disciplines to compete directly against each other. Sugiki needs Suzuki to train him in Latin dance, and vice versa. Pretty quickly, they realise that they’re very attracted to one another.
As I explained in my review of the movie, the contrasting styles are mostly used as an avenue to explore the different personalities and backgrounds of the two leads. Suzuki is more impulsive and passionate, while Sugiki is extremely buttoned up and intense, which is connected to his backstory.
Control Freaks
Part of Sugiki’s World Championship failures is intimately tied to his personality. He’s terrified of the part of himself that takes pleasure in being in control of Fusako, his partner, which stems back to their first performance when she was a dangerously green amateur. The only way he could get her through the performance was by turning into someone he doesn’t like, and the feeling frightens him.
This fear creates an obstacle in Sugiki’s relationship with Suzuki. He wants to be the perfect gentleman he portrays himself as, and can’t quite reconcile the person he becomes when he’s dancing. However, Suzuki wants to nurture this anger and resentment in order to turn him into the best possible version of himself, both because he wants to defeat the worthiest opponent at the 10 Dance and because he believes that Sugiki beating him might help him get over his guilt. (Oh, and because this is obviously a metaphor for their burgeoning relationship.)
Suzuki’s tough love approach seems to work, and they make their way to the 2025 World Championships and, for Sugiki, a shot at redemption.
Going Separate Ways
While Suzuki’s tutelage helps, Sugiki remains dangerously averse to displaying his emotions outwardly. At the 2025 World Championships, he refuses to be goaded by the reigning champion, Giulio, who is the partner and fiancé of Sugiki’s ex, Liana. When he comes second, he remains even keel, much to Suzuki’s chagrin.
Suzuki pushing Sugiki to wear his anger on his sleeve backfires, and they end up going their separate ways as a result, with Sugiki scared of losing control and turning into the person he doesn’t like. It isn’t until six months later that we finally get to the ending of 10 Dance at the Asian Cup Dance Championship.
Suzuki and Sugiki’s First Dance
The Asian Cup is a bit of a charade, since the winners have already been predetermined to facilitate some kind of business deal, but that’s not really the point. When Sugiki and Fusako are invited to perform during the closing ceremony, Fusako instead partners with Aki, and Sugiki asks Suzuki to dance with him.
In case it hasn’t been clear throughout, the “lovelessness” that characterised Sugiki’s performances is possessed by Suzuki in spades, and it’s really him and his passion that Sugiki needs. Secretly, Sugiki has always envied this about Suzuki, and it’s this that attracted him to a partnership.
So, the movie ends with Sugiki and Suzuki back together, performing together and kissing, but crucially not at the 10 Dance, which will presumably be saved for a sequel. Ultimately, they’re still going to become adversaries, but for now, their relationship has allowed them both to become better versions of themselves and realize what exactly they were lacking in their own lives. Aww!
