User Reviews

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.

Shohei Sugiyama is a dispirited salaryman who has lost his lust for life. Despite having a wife and daughter, a nice house and a steady job, depression grips him. One day, while riding the train home, he spots a beautiful, forlorn looking woman-Mai Kishikawa- gazing out the window of a dance studio. Although not really interested in dance, Sugiyama plucks up enough courage to take lessons in the studio, in order to get to know her. Under the tuition of the elderly Tamako Tamura, however, he begins to fall in love with dancing, finding meaning in his life once more.

Written and directed by Masayuki Suô, 'Shall We Dance?' is a heartwarming comic-drama that works on multiple levels. Funny and sad both, it can be viewed as a critique of rigid, conformist Japanese society, which is contrasted with the expressive, liberating Western dance practiced in the studio. It also shows how one's life can become better and more meaningful by following a dream or goal, and how purpose can be restored by doing so. Conversely, it also illustrates how communication and honesty are vital for relationships to prosper, shown through the clashes and confusions between Sugiyama and his wife Masako, as well as those between Mai and her old dance partner.

Above all else, it is a love letter to ballroom dancing, and those that practice it. Sugiyama's stale existence is given colour and excitement after he joins the studio. Not only does he have something to live for, but he begins meeting people who genuinely affect him. Whether it is his mentor Tamura, or his friend Tomio Aoki, everyone he meets while dancing brings something to his life, not least of which is Mai, who- perhaps inadvertently- teaches him to love again. Suô's screenplay is full of depth, as well as great, witty dialogue, and is compelling and captivating.

Naoki Kayano's cinematography is stylish and evocative, contributing to the mood of the piece. He captures the dance sequences with verve, heightening the emotion with his tracking shots and snappy zooms. He contrasts the dull, dour tones of Sugiyama's office and home with the bright, colourful hues of the dance studio and the ballroom competitions, reflecting the different worlds that Sugiyama inhabits. Lush and memorable, Kayano's work complements the graceful and energetic movements of the dancers, creating a remarkable visual spectacle.

Moreover, the expertly choreographed dancing is incredible to behold. The film makes ballroom dancing- when learnt properly- look like the most beautiful expression of emotion on earth. The soundtrack is stirring, making excellent use of songs by the likes of Rogers and Hammerstein, while Yoshikazu Suo's original score complements the narrative astutely. Furthermore, Kyôko Heya's production design- in conjunction with Kayano's visuals- is full of contrast and realism, bolstering the film's impact.

Koji Yakusho stars as Sugiyama, opposite Tamiyo Kusakari as Mai, Reiko Kusamura as Tamura and Naoto Takenaka as Aoi. Yakusho, as always, makes the character compelling and complex, bringing much humour to the role. We empathise with Sugiyama, and are on his side the whole way through. Kusakiri, a professional dancer in her first acting role, is excellent, displaying Mai's reserve and inner feelings marvellously. Kusamura nearly steals the show as the kind-hearted Tamura, while Takenaka is a source of constant delight as the Salsa-dance loving Aoi. In addition, Hideko Hara does strong work as Sugiyama's wife Masako, sharing a great chemistry with Yakusho.

In conclusion, Masayuki Suô's 'Shall We Dance?' is a delightful, funny film both poignant and powerful. With a strong screenplay full of humorous dialogue and scenes, striking cinematography and production design and a memorable score, it works on many levels. Boasting terrific performances from all in the cast- especially those of Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakiri and Reiko Kusamura- and featuring much expertly choreographed ballroom dancing, if the question is 'Shall We Dance?', the answer must surely be yes.

A good movie with an outstanding story. Many assume that the movie is a love story from the typical Hollywood style: boy meets girl love affair. This is not. It is a story of a man who forgot to love life. His everyday life has become routine and he has no idea where his life is taking him. He has a house and car payment and a family of 3 that he has to provide for. From home, he takes his bicycle to the train and then he takes the train to work. Everyday, same old, same old. Then, one day he sees something that turns his world up-side-down. Dancing? A new way to express himself, a way to communicate with others and show his true colors. The passion he finds is not in a woman or mere lust, but in living life to the fullest. He begins to stop and look around him as he uses dancing to live. A terrific cast of funny and heart filled characters. This is not a movie about Japan or the Japanese, although it does take place in Japan and the cast is made up of Japanese. The setting and the plot of this movie is timeless.

Watched this last night and was bowled over by the heartfelt story line, the excellent character development, and the good karmic vibe emanating from the acting and movie as a whole.

Without giving away too much of the plot, it begins with an ordinary joe who commutes to his office job every day who becomes inspired to take dance lessons. Along the way the protagonist and the assorted characters he meets in his quest to be smooth on the dance floor learn lessons about others and about themselves.

The story has a prologue about what dancing in Japan symbolizes sociologically, so it isn't exactly as simple to learn to dance in Japan as it is here in the U.S.

The film is lighthearted; you'll laugh out loud at some of the sight gags. Yet it is also dignified in a way hard to describe. All of the film's characters are taken seriously, as they are, and none are diminished because of their "imperfections."

I've been thinking about taking social dance classes with some friends. It just so happened a friend lent me the video on learning to dance. Is this synchronous or what? I think so because now I'm really geeked to give it a try.

Watch this wonderful family film (small children might not get it, but teens certainly would) and smile at the genuine caring you see shown in it time and again.

Why they would make a remake of Shall We Dance is a mystery, as it is perfect as-is.

I don't like "grade inflation" but I just had to give this a 10. I can't think of anything I didn't like about it. I saw it last night and woke up today thinking about it. I'm sure that the Hollywood remake that someone told me about, with J Lo and Richard Gear, will be excellent, but this original Japanese version from 1996 was so emotional and thought-provoking for me that I am hard-pressed to think of any way that it could be improved, or its setting changed to a different culture.

A story I found worth watching, and with o fist-fight scenes or guns going off or anything of the sort! Imagine that!

All the characters seemed well-developed, ... even non-primary characters had good character-development and enjoyable acting, and the casting seemed very appropriate.

It's always hard to find a good movie-musical in our day and age, and perhaps this doesn't quite qualify (there is plenty of learning how to dance, but no singing) but I really think that Gene Kelly and others who championed a place for dance in our lives would have thought so very highly of this film and the role of dance in helping to tell a story about a middle aged man, successful with a family in Japan, looking for something... he knows not precisely what.

To the team of people in Japan who contributed to this film, thank you for creating and doing it.

This movie opened in Korea four years later than in Japan due to the now-defunct ban on Japanese pop culture in Korea. But the audiences in Korea were just as enthralled and enchanted by the story as the rest of the world was.

Like Japan, there are many salarymen in Korea who are also facing a mid-life crisis. After the movie premiered in Seoul, dance studios were reporting up to a 50-percent increase in the number of new students.

I took two years of jazz dance during college, and have seen Strictly Ballroom and Dance With Me. But this movie was the driving force behind me finally signing up for ballroom dance (called dancesport in Korea) lessons.

Mr. Aoki was hilarious as the employee who led a double life unbeknownst to his colleagues. It was also interesting to find out the reasons why the other students took lessons.

I too would have taken classes just to get close to the sexy dance instructor alone.

This movie is a perfect ten in my book.

"Shall We Dance?", a light-hearted flick from Japan, tells of an overworked accountant and family man who is attracted to a dance studio by a beautiful woman he see's from the train during his daily commute. What he finds in the studio are lessons in dancing and, most of all, himself. Funny, poignant, and utterly charming, "SWD" is an award winning film well worth a look by more mature viewers. (B)

Okay. As you can see this is one of my favorite if not favorite films. This is a character drama which is absolutely hilarious. The main character is a business man who is stuck in a "same thing, different day" mentality. He sees a woman looking melancholy out a window of a dance studio from his train everyday and wonders about her and decides to find out more about her. He decides to join the dance class only to find out she is not the instructor. From there he bonds with four other dancers and learns to enjoy dancing as well as finding out about the mysterious woman.

There is no gratuitous (or any) sex involved, just how a small group of people learn how friendships are formed and developed.

This film was remade with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez and the new one while appealing is nowhere as enjoyable as the original. The movie never made it big in America because it was not eligible for the Oscars since it was broadcast on television in Japan (movies cannot be released on TV or they are disqualified for Oscar nominations). It did win numerous awards in Japan for best film, cast, director etc for their "Oscar" awards.

This movie is among my favorite foreign films, some of the others are Amilee and My Life As a Dog. The similarities with those movies as with so many great foreign films, is that it takes a mundane slice of life and transforms it into a profound heartfelt lesson.

In Japan, a man who is bored with his mundane life and the rut of his married life, sees a beautiful Japanese woman staring out the window of a dance studio. In the instant that it takes his train to pass, he is enthralled by her. But is it only by her beauty, by her faraway glance, or a connection that they will both discover that they share?

Shall We Dance has memorable wonderful characters who have to deal with painful realities by transcending them through the world of dance. Breaking traditional moulds and stereo types of Japanese society, they risk all for happiness and find that joy is not too far away. It is one of those movies that is so magical and meaningful and, in itself, transcends the mundane by showing the true magic and miracle that life can be.

Dancing: The vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalised by music. This quote may have been in the mind of middle aged salaryman Shohei (Kaji Yakusho) who realises that his life is unfulfilled as he watches dance instructor Mai (Tamiyo Kusakari) every night from his commuter train. In a moment of impulsiveness, he signs up for dance lessons to be near the sphinx like Mai. This might have been a movie about the budding romance between the somewhat improbably beautiful leads. Instead director Masayuki Suo focuses more on the excitement and passion of the ballroom than the attraction between Shohei and Mai, and makes a better, less predictable movie for it. Both the lead and supporting roles are played to near perfection, though Naoto Takenaka as the troll like Latin wannabe Mr. Aoki, shamelessly steals every scene he is in.

Will Shoheis horizontal aspirations be fulfilled? Will his irredeemably dull wife discover his guilty secret? Will he go to the ball? You can be reassured that these questions will be answered to your satisfaction by the end of this endearingly sweet movie.

I was so surprised when I saw this film so much underrated... I understand why some of you dislike this movie. Its pace is slow, a characteristic of Japanese films. Nevertheless, if you are absorbed in the film like me, you will find this not a problem at all.

I must say this is the best comedy I have ever seen. "Shall We Dansu?" is often considered a masterpiece of Japanese comedies. It is very different from Hollywood ones, e.g. Austin Powers or Scary Movies, in which a gag is guaranteed in every couple of minutes. Rather, it is light-hearted, a movie that makes you feel good.

I love the movie because it makes me feel "real". The plot is straightforward yet pleasing. I was so delighted seeing that Sugiyama (the main role) has found the meaning of life in dancing. Before I watched the film I was slightly depressed due to heavy schoolwork. I felt lost. However, this film made me think of the bright side of life. I believed I was in the same boat of Sugiyama; if he could find himself in his hobby, why couldn't I? It reminded me of "exploring my own future" and discovering the happiness in my daily life.

It is important to note that the actors are not professional dancers. While some of you may find the dancing scenes not as perfect as you expect, I kinda like it as it makes me feel that the characters are really "alive", learning to dance as the film goes on.

Over all, this film is encouraging and heart-warming. As a comedy, it does its job perfectly. It definitely deserves 10 stars.

And yes Aoki is funny :-D

This is a pleasant, but overrated, film. I'd wanted to see it for a few years. I got the character and acting performances I'd hoped for, but the writing, and to be more picky, use of sound, leave it a lesser film than it could be.

To be sure, this is a pleasant, mostly clean, and likable film. Its basic plot within the maleness of Japanese culture is a definite hook: the secure, middle-aged nice guy is drawn to a fetching face in a dance studio that his quiet person would never normally consider. He encounters that face, along with a few stereotypical, but fun, "losers." Meanwhile, equally likable Mom and daughter long to see him happier. The movie is photographed well, if paced a bit slowly.

But perhaps a comparison is in order. "Pretty Woman" isn't the likes of "Citizen Kane," but it does well what it's supposed to do: create a light-hearted reality in which we come to care about the characters. Some great acting--and good writing--drive that home. This is what "Shall We Dansu" should do. Instead, it creates some very serious concerns on the viewer's part, taking you away from the fun that should be the film's bottom line. For example, the wife character and the issue of infidelity are treated seriously enough to leave you talking to the screen: "What about this," and, "What about that?!" But the film clearly isn't such a message piece. Also, when certain meeting of the hearts take place, with potentially serious ramifications, there isn't adequate resolution. Finally, the fun that does exist is mostly "hit-and-run," with only momentary giggles that could be fun on a grander scale. Considering the characters and acting involved, that is a shame.

The use of sound is distracting. Though the music in a dance film can certainly be given liberties to roam, some choices here are just odd or undercut the humor and romance that could be achieved. In addition, some of the music and background sound are so low as to take the viewer right out of the atmosphere of a scene--think dance hall with live music at a level that's little more than the hum-drum of an office. Also think of humorous music and sound effects from romantic comedies you've loved--perhaps enhancing a facial expression or an embarrassing moment--and then think about them without those clever twists. That's what you have here.

In the end, this is a movie you want to love with characters and actors you can embrace--and you can, but only to a point. And that's what leaves it frustratingly short of its potential.

If you look up the definition of "tedious" in The Cinematic Unabridged Dictionary, don't be surprised to find the movie poster for Shall We Dance as part of the entry. This Japanese offering from 1996 revolves around a point of Japanese culture, an aversion--a taboo really--to ballroom dancing. Unfortunately, it is no more interesting than watching a movie where the characters enact a plot in a culture that avoids eating mushrooms, or disdains golf. One character, a bewigged runba dancer tries to save the show by stealing it, but falls short. As this two hour (was it four?) hour production dragged on, the female lead often was seen looking longingly out a window. I hoped beyond hope that she would suddenly look horrified and shout, "Look, it's Godzilla!" No such luck.

How many of us wish that we could throw away social and cultural obligations and be free? Most of us, I suspect. Shall we dance? is not a movie about dancing. It is about learning about ourselves, recognising what we are looking for in life and having the courage to go in search of it. Mr Sugiyama is a middle-aged member of a Japanese society where ballroom dancing is viewed as unsuitable behaviour.

One day Mr Sugiyama sees a beautiful girl leaning out of the window of a dancing acadamy. he is fascinated by her and eventually signs up for dancing lessons. He is ashamed of his dancing and afraid of ridicule. He hides the fact that he is attending dancing classes from his colleagues and family.

There is a hilarious scene in the mensroom at the office when Sugiyama and Watanabe, a workmate who also dances, are interrupted practising some dance steps. There are many other funny and warm-hearted scenes.

The ending is not a fairytale, but it leaves the viewer feeling good.

This movie helped me to understand the Japanese people a little better. It is a warm and very worthwhile film to see.

First, there is NO way the remake can be as good, because Japanese society is quite different from ours and plays such a major part in this film, as explained in the opening narration. It adds to the humor as well as warmth of this movie. There is slew of different supporting characters/personalities. Each does there part in making this movie wonderful. This movie is full of comedy that isn't vulgar in anyway like most of today's "gross-out comedies." Yet it can still have you laughing out loud. The reality is, in real life, you don't have a choice of who you work with or go to school with...etc. This movie truly emphasizes that and shows that the natural good in people can overcome petty differences. Not to mention, it makes for a great sub-plot and much of the humor. This is a story about dance that actually has a story, and a good one at that. There are a few back stories that are not out of place, but actually support the main storyline. Truly a well written film. The dancing is great, too. I happen to be a fan of any movie with dancing of any sort, for that aspect. However, this movie goes beyond any other with dance, in the fact that, it is a story First and just happens to be written about dancing in Japanse society. Highly recommended.

10 out of 10.

Subtitles should not deter you from this charmer of a film. Ballroom Dancing, which is seen as risque in Japan, becomes the unlikely passion of an accountant who has gotten everything he thought he wanted and found he missed out on happiness. He begins classes hoping to meet a girl he saw looking as sad as he was himself, but finds that dance has charms of its own. Like Babette's Feast, the insight into another culture, and the elegant structure of the film leave you more than satisfied.

Have you ever danced? For most the simple answer is yes, and then of course we each like to add either our stories or explanations. For women these stories are usually pleasant, either their first dance at school, or they actually had dance training when they were younger. But for men, the tables turn. If they had ever danced, they usually say they were forced into it, that it was "only for a little while" or that they simply hated it. We all know that dancing cannot possibly be that horrendous or painful, then why do so many men find it necessary to cover-up their dancing, especially if it was out of personal interest. Now, imagine yourself in a society where dance is socially forbidden, not in any shape or form, not between husband and wife and most definitely not out of personal interest. It is considered shameful, embarrassing – but it is an escape, a way to enter an alternate universe of your life in a split second, would you do it? What if dancing forced you into secrecy and as hard as you tried to deny it, it became your passion. Would you let dancing go because of society or would you keep it close to your heart forever, if your heart deems it necessary?

Mr. Sugiyama was a successful Japanese businessman, a "salary-man" who stayed late at work and went out with co-workers afterward, a custom necessary for your success within a company. Usually coming home late, he knew that tomorrow was going to be the same as the day before and the 20th day from now; his life has been set for him. On the train on the way back home he notices a young woman looking out a window on the top floor of a building. She catches his attention immediately and after many debates with himself, over several days, he decides to come see her, only to find out it is a dancing establishment. He gives it a chance nonetheless, and once he finds Mr. Aoki, a fellow co-worker, hiding behind a wig at this same establishment, he starts to gain confidence and awareness that maybe it is alright to enjoy dance. He becomes engrossed in it, disciplining every aspect of his dancing whether on the train or even at work, and dance gives life to him, showing in simply the way he rides his bike. Yet Mai, the woman who first caught his attention and an instructor within the school, has seemed to lose this passion that he just found for dance. It takes one dancing competition, in which Mr. Sugiyama participates and Mai instructs him, for both of them to face their fears, define their personal meaning of dance, and determine what is truly important and necessary in their lives.

Maybe not everyone can relate to dancing, but there may be something that each of us has in our hearts to do that we are simply forbidden. Moreover, I believe this picture correctly portrays the passions of humankind, the lack thereof, and the effects of both on the human being. The director allows us to see Mr. Sugiyama's transformation, how Mr. Sugiyama first develops his passion for dance showing no longer just at the dance school, but everywhere else, at work and at home. In contrast, the director shows Mai, an almost stoic woman who has this opportunity to dance and yet it no longer brings life to her. The acting is wonderful and we are left wondering what it is that happened to her and whether Mr. Sugiyama will continue to dance. However, something seems to be missing in this film. I believe the director could have given more life to the picture itself, especially when representing something so expressive as dance. It may be that factor that I have danced before, but other than some short scenes at the beginning or end, this picture lacked an artistic aspect to give life to the passions of those involved. There is only so much that a storyline and acting can provide, and the artistic element fills in the vacancies. For me, the director failed to do so, both within the dance studio and during the competitions.

I simply love this movie. It is a perfect example of the well-rounded surprising stories that come out of Asian cinema. There was a recent Hollywood remake of this movie, with Richard Gere and the simply awful Jennifer Lopez. Please do not confuse the two movies. The original Japanese film is touching, subtle and wonderfully acted. The Hollywood version is the exact opposite. I was aghast when I first saw the trailer for the remade US Version and who was starring in it. It's typical Hollywood unoriginal crass commercialism at it's worst. The remake cements the argument that some foreign films can never be improved upon. The ONLY reason the original film did not become more widely viewed is the US audience's aversion to subtitles.

One of the main reasons this movie would never work in an American telling is that the reserved, ultra socially conservative character of the public Japanese persona is at issue in this movie. Certainly the main character awakens to a more full understanding of living a vivacious life through dance, but half of the movie's tension comes from the stereotypes and ridicule ballroom dancers face in Japan.

Please try to see this movie in it's original form, not the terrible full screen. And please DO skip the US remake....it's a shallow travesty in comparison to the original Japanese movie.

Yes, I know the "original" movie is much older, and this is simply a Japanese take on the story, but the only two people are likely to see any time soon are this one and the new US remake.

Speaking of foreign films, I'll make a few quick recommendations: 1.Monsoon Wedding-I list this first for a reason, outstanding film! 2.Johnny Stechino-Very funny Italian mistaken identity flic! 3.Shiri-A Korean action pic that mixes both Asian flare & US style plot 4.Run Lola Run-A German film that integrates it's techno score ingeniously.

Well, just a quick list anyway :-)

This is such a nice, funny little movie that one forgives it all sorts of flaws. The characters are quirky and amusing, there are many effective scenes, and Naoto Takenaka as Mr. Aoki is incredibly funny. The overall experience is very enjoyable, and I recommend the movie.

What keeps this from being a truly great comedy is a laziness in character development in motivation. Now, some things might make sense in Japanese society that wouldn't make sense here, like actually being able to disappear evenings and weekends without your wife saying anything, so I won't complain about that. But other things in the movie are just lazily sketched out. Mai's attitude change in the movie comes almost out of nowhere, and like a lot of movies Shall We Dance relies on the fact that people have seen certain plot elements so often that they will accept them as valid even if the movie makes no real effort to explore a character. It's a pet peeve of mine.

But it doesn't ruin the movie, because it's funny and likable.

I was pretty surprised to see in the movie that dancing was frowned upon in Japan, since I'd heard swing dancing was quite popular there. I asked my swing dance teacher, who is from Japan, and she tells me some dancing is popular among the young, but it's done more as a sport or physical activity than as a social dance, and people stop when they get older and it's not really proper to dance again until you're old (she said it's fine to dance if you're 75). I'd be curious to know if this movie had any effect on that attitude.

Funny. Sad. Charming. These are all words that floated through my head while I was watching this beautiful, simple film.

It is rare that a movie truly moves me, but "Shall We Dance?" accomplished that with grace to spare. Gentle humor mixed in with occasional subtle agony made this easily one of the best experiences of my movie-viewing history. It left me with a quiet sense of exultation, but with a small touch of sadness mixed in.

And the dancing, oh yes, the dancing. Even if you are not a lover of the art, or can't put one foot in front of another, the steps displayed here will take your breath away, and make you want to sign up for classes as fast as you can. It was absolutely enchanting, even the parts that show Sugiyama's (touchingly portrayed by Koji Yakusho) stilted steps when he was first learning to dance were lovely in a humorous, child-like way. And yet, this film was not entirely about dancing, but more about the subtleties of human behavior and feelings. We witness a shy man learning to express his repressed feelings through dance, a beautiful dance instructor rediscovering her love for the art, and the personal growth of every member of the wonderful supporting cast.

Beauty. Pain. Emotion. All the love and little agonies of life are here, expressed with the delicate feeling of a fine Japanese watercolor painting combined with the emotional strength and grace of the culture.

"Shall we dance?" has the same title as the Astaire / Rogers film from 1937. The contrast however is big. With Astaire / Rogers we have two professionals in a glamorous setting. In this Japanese production we have a couple of clumsy men trying to escape the routine of daily life at the office. The setting is not glamorous because the men that are taking part in the dance class are doing so secretly. In the introduction to the (international edition of) this film a voice over tells us that in Japan ballroom dancing is frowned upon. It is seen as too intimate, even as immoral.

The fun of the film for me were the apparent contradictions that creep into the film.

The family of the main character (Mr Sugiyama) keeps pushing him to relax a bit more after his long hours at the office. When he finally revives his wife looks at this development with suspicion (which of course is attributable to the secrecy with which the man surrounds his dancing activities).

Mr Sugiyama starts dancing not because the dancing itself but because the beautiful instructor (Mai) he sees in front of the window when he passes by with the train. Only later he starts appreciating dancing in its own right.

These images of Mai in front of the window are fascinating because she is not only beautiful but seems melancholical as well. In a Western movie she probably would have turned out to be a "femme fatale". In "Shall we dance?" we learn about the story of her life during the course of the film. Just as Mr Sugiyama, but beginning from a very different starting point, she has te learn appreciating dancing in its own right.

In 2004 an American remake was made with Richard Gere as the clerk and Jennifer Lopez as the dance teacher. This film had the difficulty that the storyline is much less plausible outside the Japanese culture. Why should you keep your dancing activities secret as they are not frowned upon? Is it probable that a Western housewife accepts for a longer period of time that her husband comes home late without an explanation?

Absolutely stunning, warmth for the head and the heart. The kind of movie western movie makers are too rushed, too frenetic to even attempt. My kids watched it, and they loved it too. What real people--goes to show you how cultural differences (the Japanese setting) is less important than the human similarities. Go see it, whether you like dancing or not.

I liked the first 30 minutes or so because it accurately paints the drab life of the typical business man in Japan. There is hardly any dialogue at all. This guy obviously hates his life even though he is pretty set for life. One day he is drawn into dancing. It brings new life to his otherwise boring one.

Sadly after that I lost interest. There just wasn't enough to keep me hooked. It just sort of follows the similar format I've seen before of these kinds of sport/comedy Japanese films. I didn't even laugh a whole lot either. I did find the camerawork is pretty good. It doesn't give the film that "made for TV" feel I often get when watching a Japanese film.

If you want to watch a better comedy/sports Japanese film. I recommend Waterboys, Swing Girls, or even Oppai Volleyball.

I lived in Tokyo for 7 months. Knowing the reality of long train commutes, bike rides from the train station, soup stands, and other typical scenes depicted so well, certainly added to my own appreciation for this film which I really, really liked. There are aspects of Japanese life in this film painted with vivid colors but you don't have to speak Japanese to enjoy this movie. Director Suo's tricks were subtle for the most part; I found his highlighting the character called Tamako Tamura with a soft filter, making her sublime, a tiny bit contrived but most of the directors tricks were so gentle that I was fully pulled in and just danced with his characters. Or cried. Or laughed aloud. Wonderful. A+.