Dancing is my favorite sports genre in manga. I've not a single ounce of interest in the performative art/sport but I've always been drawn to its aesthetic in phenomenal series like Welcome to the Ballroom, Nabillera and Straighten Up! Welcome to Shika High's Competitive Dance Club (Writing a review on this one soon!). Even though dancing is such an anomaly to me, I've yet to see a dancing manga that hasn't incorporated it in such a way that makes it exciting to even those who aren't remotely interested in it. And Wondance isn't an exception. This is a breathtakingly beautiful series, in both its aesthetic, messaging and story; incorporating both simplicity and complexity.
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Story
Kotani Kaboku trudges through his life hanging his head low, quietly and matching his surrounding's pacing. One day, he meets Wanda Hikari. Immersed in her own world and unconcerned with how she's perceived, Kaboku is mesmerized by her, his polar opposite. Taking up dancing with Wanda, Kaboku discovers a whole new world. One where he can properly communicate himself like never before.
- Fairly straight-forward and simple premise. No outlandish plot points or anything. Wondance is a coming-of-age story, revolving around Kaboku discovering himself through the magnificence of dancing. We witness him better communicating himself with others and going at his own pace by dancing more.
- The story currently focuses on Kaboku gaining more dance experience through battles and tournaments. It's fine pacing wise, not really sure how the story will develop.
- Wondance is slightly unorthodox from the other dancing manga I've read, in that it focuses on street dancing. Which I'm a huge fan of, in its modern and youthful aesthetic/culture. It's also slightly unorthodox in its technical explanations. Whereas other sports manga generally straight-forwardly explain the sports mechanics through simple diagrams and illustrations, Wondance moreso conveys the mechanics. While it does give small tidbits of explanations of certain dance styles and jargon, I love that the series "explains" dancing through its art and vague know-hows that conveys "Dancing isn't about knowing, it's about feeling".
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Characters
The series primarily focuses on our two main characters, Kabo and Wanda.
- Kabo's a rather awkward guy. Contrasting his tall build and large presence, he tends to not speak up and to just get swallowed up by his friends' pacing. Having an initial fear of dancing from a middle school experience, Kabo grows to view it as a communication medium, thanks to Wanda. True to his nature, Kabo tries to keep up and be with Wanda but realizes he can go at his own pace. He becomes enraptured by the sport and steadily grows up, though he's still quite an awkward guy.
- Wanda's a bit ... quirky. She goes at her own pace, tending to befuddle others. It's a bit hard to tell exactly what she's thinking, she doesn't have concrete emotional expressions and has strange habits. But she's absolutely lovable. Her carefree nature nurtures Kabo's growth, acting as a doorway to the world of dancing. Her intense love for dancing is obvious and infectious, often sucking in everyone into her pacing. In short, Wanda's a mesmerizing, charismatic person, though she herself is unaware.
- The two have a heart-warming relationship. Though hints of romance are shown, they have a platonic relationship. They strangely appear close and distant. They show each other the strongest of dance support, yet they know very little about each other's lives. Kabo strongly admires Wanda, who reciprocates his gratitude. Wanda, with her straight-forward nature, can tell what's troubling Kabo at first glance and helps him. I can't slap a concrete label on their lovable relationship, other than vaguely calling them friends.
Other characters related to the dance battles/competitions are introduced and teach Kabo and Wanda more about dancing. They're all likable and help nurture their growth, as characters and dancers.
Art
God, finally I can suck off the art. Wondance easily has one of the best, stylish art right now. First, the art style. It's sleek and very nice to look at. The characters designs are great, perfectly fitting the urban, street feel of this series. Extra points for the street-wear fashion aspect. And Wanda's facial expressions are dangerously moe. Second, the actual art. Super dynamic, experimental and striking. The dance battles are elevated to Olympus thanks to the intense, raw illustrations. A perfect demonstration of Show, Not Tell. The vectors, use of black-and-white, wonderful paneling, everything is used so wildly, vividly and explodes with emotion. Wondance stands at the peak of unique art for me. The art quality is just phenomenal and the highlight of the series.
Enjoyment
One of my favorite on-going series and my favorite on-going sports series. The art is seriously too much of a treat on my eyes. Kabo and Wanda's relationship is too cute. And I love seeing the two grow up in their dance endeavors. It's still fairly early on, but I predict this to continue being the phenomenal series it is.
Final Words
Wondance demonstrates that a story can be phenomenally interesting and awesome despite a lack of interest in its core subject, dancing in this case. It incorporates dancing in its story, art and characters tremendously well and will ensnare you with its spectacular art. With its simple, yet well-done aspects, Wondance is surely a gem worth giving a chance.
