A successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons.A successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons.A successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons.
- Awards
- 55 wins & 7 nominations
Eri Watanabe
- Toyoko Takahashi
- (as Eriko Watanabe)
Yû Tokui
- Tokichi Hattori
- (as Yu Tokui)
Reiko Kusamura
- Tamako Tamura
- (as Raiko Kusamura)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn the first scene, a man's shoe in close-up plunges into a black pool in the street. This symbolizes the world renowned Ballroom Dancing Competition in Blackpool, England, referenced later in the film.
- Quotes
Shohei Sugiyama: At my age, it's embarrassing to say so, but every day I feel so alive.
- Alternate versionsOriginal Japanese version (pre-Miramax) runs 136 minutes and is available on Hong Kong laseridisc with English and Chinese subtitles.
Featured review
Heartwarming film
This film is about a man who has been too caught up with the accepted convention of success, trying to be ever upwardly mobile, working hard so that he could be proud of owning his own home. He assumes this is all there is to life until he accidentally takes up dancing, all because he wanted to get a closer look of a beautiful girl that he sees by the dance studio everyday while riding the subway on his way home.
His was infatuated with her at first, going to the dance class just to idolize her, but he eventually lets himself go and gets himself into the dancing. It eventually becomes apparent to him that there is more to life than working yourself to death. There is a set of oddball characters also learning in the studio, giving the film a lot of laughs and some sense of bonding between the dejected.
There is also revelations of various characters, including the girl he initially admired, giving some depth to them by showing their blemished past and their struggle to overcome it.
The dancing was also engaging, with the big competition at the end, but it is not the usual story where our underdog come out at the top by winning it. Instead, there are downfalls, revelations and redemption.
All these makes it a moving and fun film to watch.
His was infatuated with her at first, going to the dance class just to idolize her, but he eventually lets himself go and gets himself into the dancing. It eventually becomes apparent to him that there is more to life than working yourself to death. There is a set of oddball characters also learning in the studio, giving the film a lot of laughs and some sense of bonding between the dejected.
There is also revelations of various characters, including the girl he initially admired, giving some depth to them by showing their blemished past and their struggle to overcome it.
The dancing was also engaging, with the big competition at the end, but it is not the usual story where our underdog come out at the top by winning it. Instead, there are downfalls, revelations and redemption.
All these makes it a moving and fun film to watch.
helpful•411
- lingmeister
- Dec 25, 2002
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $9,499,091
- Gross worldwide
- $9,499,091
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