What do you think?
Rate this book
ワンダンス [Wondance] #1
Wandance, Vol. 1
A SHY TEENAGER HAPPENS ON A CLASSMATE DANCING ALONE, AND HER JOY TURNS A KEY, UNLOCKING SOMETHING IN HIS HEART…
Kaboku Kotani is starting high school, and he plans to do what he’s always done: go along with his friends, keep quiet, and not draw too much attention to himself. After all, it’s hard enough to get by with a stutter like his— why make things worse by standing out from the crowd? But then he sees another first-year, Hikari Wanda, dancing like no one is watching—or like she doesn’t care who sees her. It makes Kaboku wonder: Could he reach that same freedom? To find his way to Wanda, he does something he never thought he could: He joins the dance club. After all, every routine begins with a single step, right? Join Kaboku and Wanda as they freestyle their way to life and love!
Kaboku Kotani is starting high school, and he plans to do what he’s always done: go along with his friends, keep quiet, and not draw too much attention to himself. After all, it’s hard enough to get by with a stutter like his— why make things worse by standing out from the crowd? But then he sees another first-year, Hikari Wanda, dancing like no one is watching—or like she doesn’t care who sees her. It makes Kaboku wonder: Could he reach that same freedom? To find his way to Wanda, he does something he never thought he could: He joins the dance club. After all, every routine begins with a single step, right? Join Kaboku and Wanda as they freestyle their way to life and love!
212 pages, ebook
First published May 23, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
November 7, 2022
A cool and stylish story about Kaboku, a first-year high school student, and his introduction to street dance via his classmate Hikari. (The title of the manga is a play on her surname Wanda.) The two join the dance club at their school, and Kaboku starts to learn the basics. He is the only boy who's active in the club, and that causes a little consternation and self-consciousness at first. There's a high school dance competition in a couple months, so he'll need to--literally--get his act together soon.
There's honestly not much to the story, here. It's the fairly typical "newbie to an art" type thing, where Kaboku both falls in love with dancing and has a fair amount of natural talent at it. There are a couple things that make it distinctive, though.
Kaboku has a stammer, and both his speech and his dancing are affected when he's self-conscious. The students around him are very understanding of his disability--kinder than I'd expect from high schoolers, to be honest--and Hikari makes no big deal about it from the first time they meet. So things are pretty cozy for Kaboku, all things considered. It's nice that bullying isn't a factor either in the foreground or the background.
The art's really stylized and interesting, and of course that most strongly comes into play in the dance sequences. It's much more about expressing dramatic motion than it is about realistic anatomy. I think this could be incredibly cool as an anime, especially if the studio licensed the songs that were mentioned in the story. It would have to have a staff who loved the music and the manga's style, and could put the art into motion in a way that was true to both.
I like Hikari as a character, but her design is a little odd, to me. Her eyes have that weird glossy look that's pretty common in anime recently, and her mouth is ultra-tiny. She looks kind of like a doll or mannequin, and aside from her kindness to Kaboku, I don't have a good idea of her as a character yet.
Of course I listened to the songs mentioned in the story. :) I haven't listened to pop music for a couple of decades, so they all sounded pretty similar to me, but they did give me a decent idea of what the club was dancing to.
There's honestly not much to the story, here. It's the fairly typical "newbie to an art" type thing, where Kaboku both falls in love with dancing and has a fair amount of natural talent at it. There are a couple things that make it distinctive, though.
Kaboku has a stammer, and both his speech and his dancing are affected when he's self-conscious. The students around him are very understanding of his disability--kinder than I'd expect from high schoolers, to be honest--and Hikari makes no big deal about it from the first time they meet. So things are pretty cozy for Kaboku, all things considered. It's nice that bullying isn't a factor either in the foreground or the background.
The art's really stylized and interesting, and of course that most strongly comes into play in the dance sequences. It's much more about expressing dramatic motion than it is about realistic anatomy. I think this could be incredibly cool as an anime, especially if the studio licensed the songs that were mentioned in the story. It would have to have a staff who loved the music and the manga's style, and could put the art into motion in a way that was true to both.
I like Hikari as a character, but her design is a little odd, to me. Her eyes have that weird glossy look that's pretty common in anime recently, and her mouth is ultra-tiny. She looks kind of like a doll or mannequin, and aside from her kindness to Kaboku, I don't have a good idea of her as a character yet.
Of course I listened to the songs mentioned in the story. :) I haven't listened to pop music for a couple of decades, so they all sounded pretty similar to me, but they did give me a decent idea of what the club was dancing to.
June 5, 2022
Kabu has a very obvious stutter because of this he likes to keep himself as far away from the center of attention as he possibly can, even in basketball he is not the one making the shots but the one passing the ball to those that are little more comfortable being in the limelight. And then one afternoon he stumbles upon his classmate Hikari literally dancing like no one is watching and even though he had a horrific episode with dancing in front of others in middle school he is intrigued by how free Hikari looks when she's dancing. Determined to experience that same sensation Kabu joins the dance team with Hikari not realizing what a large impact on his life it will make!
There is absolutely not one thing I could find about this that I did not like. From the expressive art to Kabu-Kun's struggle with his stutter and expressing himself due to it, Coffee just nails everything!
What I really loved was the art. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to draw someone dancing, to really make it clear that this person is not only dancing but with some level of skill and I thought they absolutely nailed it. I was so intrigued I found myself googling these dance moves (I know nothing about dancing) as I was reading it! You really were able to feel the emotion behind each move whether it was Kabu-Kun stumbling because of his fear that everyone was watching or Hikari's absolute freedom of motion, you could honestly hear the music and in turn, the emotion as I went through these panels.
The way Kabu-Kun is depicted as well really brings the reader into the story. He's supposed to be this tall, lanky character, he clearly towers over many of the other characters, but you don't see that because he is standing tall, you see it because of how much he shrinks into himself. This coupled with the few moments when he does speak without stuttering makes his story so real. You may not be Kabu-Kun but you probably know someone who is. Hikari is an excellent character as well, she is a very stereotypical portrayal of someone who expresses themselves through dance, however, I found that I didn't really care if she was a stereotype. She loves dancing it's how she communicates and that's an important point to make.
I also had no idea that Scatman John had a pronounced stutter. So I learned something new from this too!
I think it goes without saying that I truly enjoyed this slice of life manga. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed My Dress-Up Darling or Natsume's Book of Friends.
As always thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for the eArc, this review has been left voluntarily.
There is absolutely not one thing I could find about this that I did not like. From the expressive art to Kabu-Kun's struggle with his stutter and expressing himself due to it, Coffee just nails everything!
What I really loved was the art. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to draw someone dancing, to really make it clear that this person is not only dancing but with some level of skill and I thought they absolutely nailed it. I was so intrigued I found myself googling these dance moves (I know nothing about dancing) as I was reading it! You really were able to feel the emotion behind each move whether it was Kabu-Kun stumbling because of his fear that everyone was watching or Hikari's absolute freedom of motion, you could honestly hear the music and in turn, the emotion as I went through these panels.
The way Kabu-Kun is depicted as well really brings the reader into the story. He's supposed to be this tall, lanky character, he clearly towers over many of the other characters, but you don't see that because he is standing tall, you see it because of how much he shrinks into himself. This coupled with the few moments when he does speak without stuttering makes his story so real. You may not be Kabu-Kun but you probably know someone who is. Hikari is an excellent character as well, she is a very stereotypical portrayal of someone who expresses themselves through dance, however, I found that I didn't really care if she was a stereotype. She loves dancing it's how she communicates and that's an important point to make.
I also had no idea that Scatman John had a pronounced stutter. So I learned something new from this too!
I think it goes without saying that I truly enjoyed this slice of life manga. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed My Dress-Up Darling or Natsume's Book of Friends.
As always thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for the eArc, this review has been left voluntarily.
May 5, 2022
If you've ever been afraid to speak in front of anyone but totally comfortable getting up on a stage in a leotard and tights and just dancing, you will feel this story in your soul. (And feet!)
February 18, 2024
Kaboku Kotani is an anxious high school boy who stutters, but seeing a classmate who dances like nobody's watching inspires him to try out for the school's dance team.
It's one of those stories about an earnest young teen who finds he has a natural talent that just needs to be honed. And there are some romantic possibilities.
Pulling off dance and music on the page can be a tricky thing, but this manga is managing to make it work so far. My main concern at this point is that the hero is going to level up too quickly as the series settles into a boring string of competitions, but I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and try the next volume.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 1. How Wanda-san Dances -- Chapter 2. The Dance Club's Boy/Girl Ration -- Chapter 3. The Audition -- Bonus. Kotani-kun of the Dance Club Stutters -- Author's Afterword -- Translation Notes
It's one of those stories about an earnest young teen who finds he has a natural talent that just needs to be honed. And there are some romantic possibilities.
Pulling off dance and music on the page can be a tricky thing, but this manga is managing to make it work so far. My main concern at this point is that the hero is going to level up too quickly as the series settles into a boring string of competitions, but I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and try the next volume.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 1. How Wanda-san Dances -- Chapter 2. The Dance Club's Boy/Girl Ration -- Chapter 3. The Audition -- Bonus. Kotani-kun of the Dance Club Stutters -- Author's Afterword -- Translation Notes
June 23, 2022
My gratitude to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this series in exchange for an honest review.
I loved how seinen manga is evolving these days. I've read a few series that made me look at this manga category in a different light, of course, with an undeniable smile.
Wandance is a story of self-discovery, freedom of self-expression, coming out of comfort zones, and following one's passion, all tied in a delicate rhythm. The art style is kind of odd but it's one of the elements that built its attractiveness. I'm not a fan of dance or idol-thing in general, and I am not once amused in the premise of this story, but to each his own. Nonetheless, Kaboku's character development is really hooking and at most moving. Also, this series actually pretty wholesome no matter what angle I look at it.
This review is actually long overdue. I couldn't find the right time to write this, anyway, now it's here before the English translation release day on June 28! Phew!
I loved how seinen manga is evolving these days. I've read a few series that made me look at this manga category in a different light, of course, with an undeniable smile.
Wandance is a story of self-discovery, freedom of self-expression, coming out of comfort zones, and following one's passion, all tied in a delicate rhythm. The art style is kind of odd but it's one of the elements that built its attractiveness. I'm not a fan of dance or idol-thing in general, and I am not once amused in the premise of this story, but to each his own. Nonetheless, Kaboku's character development is really hooking and at most moving. Also, this series actually pretty wholesome no matter what angle I look at it.
This review is actually long overdue. I couldn't find the right time to write this, anyway, now it's here before the English translation release day on June 28! Phew!
June 6, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!
I actually liked this way more than expected. I’d recommend it to fans of haikyuu though it’s not nearly as intense, but it still has lovable and interesting characters. You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of dancing to read it, I know virtually nothing about dancing and still enjoyed it.
I actually liked this way more than expected. I’d recommend it to fans of haikyuu though it’s not nearly as intense, but it still has lovable and interesting characters. You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of dancing to read it, I know virtually nothing about dancing and still enjoyed it.
June 12, 2022
[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.]
Kaboku has made it to high school and he just wants to fit in, which isn’t the easiest thing in the world for him, due to his stutter. When he spots Wanda, his classmate, dancing on her own, it awakens both a possibility and a past trauma that he’s not sure how to deal with. But his response is to join the dance club along with Wanda, where he’s the only guy amongst a gaggle of girls. Can just one beat (or several) lead to communication?
This one creeps up on you pretty casually. It starts good, not great, gets better, gets better, and then by the ending it was impossible for me to not to be all in for watching Kabo and Wanda.
Partly this works because our leads learn (and the story expertly gets across) that they can be so expressive through dance, with none of the hang-ups they have normally. Wanda’s got far fewer issues with this, though she’s definitely a little more withdrawn from anybody who isn’t Kabo and isn’t the best verbal communicator.
Kabo has to deal with his stutter and the way that makes him stand out more from everybody else, even with practice, has dealt a sharp blow to his confidence. And, on top of that, while he’s captivated by the freedom Wanda encompasses while she dances, he had a very bad experience when he was in middle school that makes him even more self-conscious than he already is when dancing himself.
That’s a great way to layer problem upon problem and it’s a perfect way to lead into Kabo trying to work himself up to be the person he wants to be. Kabo has a strong friend group of dopey high school bros at the start, they take a video of poor Wanda dancing that has a flash of upskirt, which one of them distributes to cement their icky cred, but Kabo’s definitely adjacent to the group.
So, seeing him fall out of basketball, which he’s not bad at, and back into dancing, which he turns out to have a surprising knack for if he can get out of his own head, is a delight of a journey. And though it’s his own story, I think there’s a universal quality to a person trying to find how they can best express themselves.
And this book nails the dancing. Nails it. It doesn’t hurt that a lot of western music is used and it’s easy enough to hit YouTube to find a relevant video to get the gist of matching movements. It feels pretty spot-on, even if my own sense of rhythm struggles to quite link the two together.
They give a lot of time to instruction, courtesy of the third-year captain, Miyao, who’s a really great character in her own right, encouraging but realistic, and the dance club happily supplies a dollop of fan service, though it’s barely that, but it’s believable and realistic in a way almost no manga ever is with its costuming. I’m calling more attention to it than the book does just by mentioning it.
It knows when to go big and, appropriately for a hip-hop dance manga, it knows when to showboat itself. There’s a multi-page spread of every single member of the dance club, all unique, which is a mic drop from the artist the likes of which I haven’t seen since Negima. Toss in a snobby rival to Wanda in the making, plus the many dance competitions out there to attend, and you’ve got a club that has narrative potential for days.
And make no mistake, this is a story that knows what it means to be passionate about something and I genuinely don’t think it’s overestimating to say that Kabo and Wanda generate more heat just dancing together than most couples do in an entire shojo series. That scene with them at the auditions is electric.
Finally, huge props to the translation notes at the back. These are some of the most robust that I’ve seen in a while and they cover some basic ground like the shoe lockers, but also some much more important stuff as well.
This is like a version of Fame (I’m showing my age again, aren’t I?) with better music and two leads who are great together and look set to explode into further greatness. That much passion is not easy to convey and it speaks to the writing and how important this is to the mangaka.
Yeah, it’s your standard competitions-are-coming and we gotta overcome the things and be better, but the writing elevates this way, way up. It starts at a very solid place and it’s just killing it by the finale. Our leads are absolutely perfect together and the more time they spend dancing the better it gets.
5 stars - more now. Seriously, I want this released weekly until we’ve caught up. It’s this wonderful love letter to expressing yourself and dance and it deserves a huge audience and I’m already crossing fingers it gets an anime (those music rights are gonna sting though).
Kaboku has made it to high school and he just wants to fit in, which isn’t the easiest thing in the world for him, due to his stutter. When he spots Wanda, his classmate, dancing on her own, it awakens both a possibility and a past trauma that he’s not sure how to deal with. But his response is to join the dance club along with Wanda, where he’s the only guy amongst a gaggle of girls. Can just one beat (or several) lead to communication?
This one creeps up on you pretty casually. It starts good, not great, gets better, gets better, and then by the ending it was impossible for me to not to be all in for watching Kabo and Wanda.
Partly this works because our leads learn (and the story expertly gets across) that they can be so expressive through dance, with none of the hang-ups they have normally. Wanda’s got far fewer issues with this, though she’s definitely a little more withdrawn from anybody who isn’t Kabo and isn’t the best verbal communicator.
Kabo has to deal with his stutter and the way that makes him stand out more from everybody else, even with practice, has dealt a sharp blow to his confidence. And, on top of that, while he’s captivated by the freedom Wanda encompasses while she dances, he had a very bad experience when he was in middle school that makes him even more self-conscious than he already is when dancing himself.
That’s a great way to layer problem upon problem and it’s a perfect way to lead into Kabo trying to work himself up to be the person he wants to be. Kabo has a strong friend group of dopey high school bros at the start, they take a video of poor Wanda dancing that has a flash of upskirt, which one of them distributes to cement their icky cred, but Kabo’s definitely adjacent to the group.
So, seeing him fall out of basketball, which he’s not bad at, and back into dancing, which he turns out to have a surprising knack for if he can get out of his own head, is a delight of a journey. And though it’s his own story, I think there’s a universal quality to a person trying to find how they can best express themselves.
And this book nails the dancing. Nails it. It doesn’t hurt that a lot of western music is used and it’s easy enough to hit YouTube to find a relevant video to get the gist of matching movements. It feels pretty spot-on, even if my own sense of rhythm struggles to quite link the two together.
They give a lot of time to instruction, courtesy of the third-year captain, Miyao, who’s a really great character in her own right, encouraging but realistic, and the dance club happily supplies a dollop of fan service, though it’s barely that, but it’s believable and realistic in a way almost no manga ever is with its costuming. I’m calling more attention to it than the book does just by mentioning it.
It knows when to go big and, appropriately for a hip-hop dance manga, it knows when to showboat itself. There’s a multi-page spread of every single member of the dance club, all unique, which is a mic drop from the artist the likes of which I haven’t seen since Negima. Toss in a snobby rival to Wanda in the making, plus the many dance competitions out there to attend, and you’ve got a club that has narrative potential for days.
And make no mistake, this is a story that knows what it means to be passionate about something and I genuinely don’t think it’s overestimating to say that Kabo and Wanda generate more heat just dancing together than most couples do in an entire shojo series. That scene with them at the auditions is electric.
Finally, huge props to the translation notes at the back. These are some of the most robust that I’ve seen in a while and they cover some basic ground like the shoe lockers, but also some much more important stuff as well.
This is like a version of Fame (I’m showing my age again, aren’t I?) with better music and two leads who are great together and look set to explode into further greatness. That much passion is not easy to convey and it speaks to the writing and how important this is to the mangaka.
Yeah, it’s your standard competitions-are-coming and we gotta overcome the things and be better, but the writing elevates this way, way up. It starts at a very solid place and it’s just killing it by the finale. Our leads are absolutely perfect together and the more time they spend dancing the better it gets.
5 stars - more now. Seriously, I want this released weekly until we’ve caught up. It’s this wonderful love letter to expressing yourself and dance and it deserves a huge audience and I’m already crossing fingers it gets an anime (those music rights are gonna sting though).
June 17, 2022
This manga is one of the most artistically stunning titles I've seen in a long time. Wow. The way you feel the movement of the dance through the art is amazing. I can't even put into words how amazing it is.
Not only that, we have a young man who understands music differently than others, and got teased in middle school. When he sees Wanda dance, it brings back the love of dance for him. This story is about learning who you are, how to express yourself, and how to dance. I cannot wait until Vol 2 comes out!
Not only that, we have a young man who understands music differently than others, and got teased in middle school. When he sees Wanda dance, it brings back the love of dance for him. This story is about learning who you are, how to express yourself, and how to dance. I cannot wait until Vol 2 comes out!
June 8, 2022
Kaboku is a shy high schooler who avoids being in the limelight because of an incident that happened to him in middle school, but when he watches a fellow classmate Wanda dance, he finds himself pulled toward dance and joins the school's dance club. I thought this first volume did everything right. We have a good intro to our MC, Kaboku, and the dance club is threatening but exciting, and also not too too heavy on the explanations. It ends at the perfect spot too, which makes me so compelled to read the next one! The art style reminds me a little of Asuka Konishi.
June 15, 2023
I enjoyed this book very much. Adding the footwork to the graphics so if someone wanted to learn the moves was very smart of the authors behalf. I can understand how the main character feels about being embarrassed to dance in front of other people because I am the same way.
Adding the stutter was also a smart move for the author because a lot of authors don't do that.
Adding the stutter was also a smart move for the author because a lot of authors don't do that.
May 25, 2023
This is one that I think would make a fantastic anime. Personally, I struggle with manga that involves a lot of movement - like Puella Magi Madoka Magica (battles/combat) or Harukana Receive (sports) - because while the flowing lines and the dynamic art style are really visually appealing, I often can’t figure out what they’re meant to represent. I love that the mangaka tags what songs are being played (I probably should have gone and listened to the songs during those sections to get the full experience).
I really like that Kobu is so enraptured by dancing despite his propensity for embarrassment. I’m a little torn by just how long it took for me to figure out that he has a stutter, though, because I feel like it came up almost like a “twist” later in the story rather than just as a fact of his life. But most of all I really like the way that Kobu and Wanda see each other - Wanda sees Kobu as someone who wants something desperately but who keeps stopping himself from reaching for it, and Kobu sees Wanda as someone who is simply free.
I’m definitely interested in continuing this series once the next volume is released!
{Thank you Kodansha Comics for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
I really like that Kobu is so enraptured by dancing despite his propensity for embarrassment. I’m a little torn by just how long it took for me to figure out that he has a stutter, though, because I feel like it came up almost like a “twist” later in the story rather than just as a fact of his life. But most of all I really like the way that Kobu and Wanda see each other - Wanda sees Kobu as someone who wants something desperately but who keeps stopping himself from reaching for it, and Kobu sees Wanda as someone who is simply free.
I’m definitely interested in continuing this series once the next volume is released!
{Thank you Kodansha Comics for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
September 4, 2022
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
A manga about self-confidence and identity disguised as a manga about dance.
This manga was nothing if not mixed messages. At first it seemed as though it was trying to fight back against the stereotype that dance is a sexualised activity and the ratio of girls to boys in the dance club was simply a fact to be disgarded. But there were times when it really heavily leaned into the sexualised aspect of it with some questionably angled panels of Wanda whenever she started dancing.
Moreover, it was confusing to try to discern whether the protagonist was in love with Wanda herself or Wanda’s ideologies and confidence and whether the focus was on the dance or on the music.
Yet, perhaps that constant dual focus showcased a more complex manga rather than one with a splintered essence. Whilst it felt a little muddled it also tried to do something different by having many underlying themes that all link to each other in indecipherable ways.
What was impressive was the clear level of research that had gone into this. The deep dive into the technicalities of dancing, the exploration of dancers’ relationship with music, accurate representation and explanation of stutters, and fantastically detailed translation notes that managed to pick up on a lot of nuances.
And above all, the art was fantastic. Dance is a very visual medium and trying to replicate movement and express fluidity in illustrations is considerably hard to do. This manga perfectly captured the essence of dance, much like the characters did by the end.
A manga about self-confidence and identity disguised as a manga about dance.
This manga was nothing if not mixed messages. At first it seemed as though it was trying to fight back against the stereotype that dance is a sexualised activity and the ratio of girls to boys in the dance club was simply a fact to be disgarded. But there were times when it really heavily leaned into the sexualised aspect of it with some questionably angled panels of Wanda whenever she started dancing.
Moreover, it was confusing to try to discern whether the protagonist was in love with Wanda herself or Wanda’s ideologies and confidence and whether the focus was on the dance or on the music.
Yet, perhaps that constant dual focus showcased a more complex manga rather than one with a splintered essence. Whilst it felt a little muddled it also tried to do something different by having many underlying themes that all link to each other in indecipherable ways.
What was impressive was the clear level of research that had gone into this. The deep dive into the technicalities of dancing, the exploration of dancers’ relationship with music, accurate representation and explanation of stutters, and fantastically detailed translation notes that managed to pick up on a lot of nuances.
And above all, the art was fantastic. Dance is a very visual medium and trying to replicate movement and express fluidity in illustrations is considerably hard to do. This manga perfectly captured the essence of dance, much like the characters did by the end.
July 1, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for providing me this ARC.
Entertaining and experimental new manga. I haven't seen before a manga that tries to portray this much movement, as the story revolves around dancing, and I have quite mixed feelings about it. Aesthetically, the drawings look so pretty, however I feel like in many moments, if you don't know beforehand the movements that the author is trying to show...you'll have no idea what's happening.
Not only that, I had a very big problem with some drawing that were done from weird angles that made me very uncomfortable. I believe these could have been avoided or replaced and drawn from other angles.
The connection between the characters is pretty cute, and I really liked many of the moments they had together. Both of them have problems and they help each other getting through them. I'm excited to see how their feelings and friendship starts to develop.
Not my favorite of the year, but it was a really quick and fresh read and I enjoyed it.
Entertaining and experimental new manga. I haven't seen before a manga that tries to portray this much movement, as the story revolves around dancing, and I have quite mixed feelings about it. Aesthetically, the drawings look so pretty, however I feel like in many moments, if you don't know beforehand the movements that the author is trying to show...you'll have no idea what's happening.
Not only that, I had a very big problem with some drawing that were done from weird angles that made me very uncomfortable. I believe these could have been avoided or replaced and drawn from other angles.
The connection between the characters is pretty cute, and I really liked many of the moments they had together. Both of them have problems and they help each other getting through them. I'm excited to see how their feelings and friendship starts to develop.
Not my favorite of the year, but it was a really quick and fresh read and I enjoyed it.
June 8, 2022
This was cute. It had the tendency of this sort of manga to get a but overly descriptive of dance moves and such, but there was enough character interaction that I enjoyed it. I was especially happy that Wanda was more approachable than many of the female leads I have read lately, being neither spasticly bombastic or mysterious to the point of blandness. She was down to earth and personable.
June 16, 2022
more a 3.5, it's a slow manga with not much happening but I like the way they explain dance and how it works in a different way to different people. also, the MC representation is amazing really liked that but so far nothing big happen just a build-up maybe for the next volumes which makes this one a bit slow. let's see how it continues
November 16, 2022
I love this series so far! The characters are cool and unique, and Kabo's inner monologue as he sorts through his feelings and realizations is touching. I'm cheering for his journey toward higher confidence. I wasn't sure how dance would translate into manga, but it worked pretty well here. I'd love to see this get an anime adaptation.
I made a playlist on youtube for what they dance to!
I made a playlist on youtube for what they dance to!
June 7, 2022
There is always a special place in my heart for stories about taking one brave step to something you've always wanted to do, and finding out that you've fallen in love and having fun with it along the way. Wandance is exactly that type of story and kicks off a great start towards Kaboku navigating his newfound passion in dance.
I was hooked from the story right from the get-go: we get 1st year Kaboku, who for most of his life up until now has only decided to go with the flow, sticking to his comfort zone and not stepping out of his predictable routine, content to let the others take the limelight. That is until one day, he encounters fellow freshman Hikari Wanda, dancing her heart out like nobody is watching. He yearns for the freedom that she experiences in dancing, and decides to finally sign up for the dance club, determined to finally taking a giant leap out of his comfort zone and doing something that nakes him feel free.
From the synopsis and upon finishing this first volume, I was immediately sold. I really love reading mangas about dance, like Welcome to the Ballroom (tackling ballroom dance) and Danse Danse Danseur (tackling ballet), Wandance shone a light on hiphop and the art style translates the movements of the fundamentals of this particular genre,
Kaboku is also a very endearing MC, and watching him overcome his struggles step by step and finally gaining that confidence to step into the light by doing one thing he's always wanted to do made me root for him. Wanda was also very refreshing and you can tell that she really takes dance seriousl.y and her passion for it is brimming off the pages. I loved the chemistry and dynamics of these two and I can't wait to read more about these two in future volumes.
All in all, I really enjoyed this series and I am definitely on the lookout for its next volumes! If you loved Blue Period or Welcome to the Ballroom, then please give Wandance a read.
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for approving me for this eARC. All views and opinions are my own.
I was hooked from the story right from the get-go: we get 1st year Kaboku, who for most of his life up until now has only decided to go with the flow, sticking to his comfort zone and not stepping out of his predictable routine, content to let the others take the limelight. That is until one day, he encounters fellow freshman Hikari Wanda, dancing her heart out like nobody is watching. He yearns for the freedom that she experiences in dancing, and decides to finally sign up for the dance club, determined to finally taking a giant leap out of his comfort zone and doing something that nakes him feel free.
From the synopsis and upon finishing this first volume, I was immediately sold. I really love reading mangas about dance, like Welcome to the Ballroom (tackling ballroom dance) and Danse Danse Danseur (tackling ballet), Wandance shone a light on hiphop and the art style translates the movements of the fundamentals of this particular genre,
Kaboku is also a very endearing MC, and watching him overcome his struggles step by step and finally gaining that confidence to step into the light by doing one thing he's always wanted to do made me root for him. Wanda was also very refreshing and you can tell that she really takes dance seriousl.y and her passion for it is brimming off the pages. I loved the chemistry and dynamics of these two and I can't wait to read more about these two in future volumes.
All in all, I really enjoyed this series and I am definitely on the lookout for its next volumes! If you loved Blue Period or Welcome to the Ballroom, then please give Wandance a read.
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for approving me for this eARC. All views and opinions are my own.
July 2, 2022
**ARC provided by NetGalley & Kodansha for honest review**
Wandance by Coffee is a promising first volume to the continuing series. The protagonist is Kaboku Kotani, who doesn't like being different from his peers due to his speech impediment and desperately tries to fit in. All of a sudden he comes across Hikari Wanda dancing in the hallway. In awe, Kotani joins the dancing club and finally begins to understand the freedom that comes with dancing hip-hop.
The title was very interesting and I thought this book was going to be about ballet or ballroom dancing as I've seen that type before so I was surprised to find out it was hip-hop. The introductions of Kotani and Wanda were great as the two contrast each other, Kotani being the shy guy and Wanda is the bold, carefree type.
I also really enjoyed the introduction into hip-hop. Coffee did a good job at expressing how this type of dance is more about feeling than techquie which is why hip-hop is so unique. Not to mention the art was amazing to look at and I can only hope this manga gets an anime as I would love to see some of the dancing scenes animated, especially Wanda's introduction scene.
Overall, this was a great first volume for the manga series and I can't wait to see what comes next.
Final Rating: 5/5
Wandance by Coffee is a promising first volume to the continuing series. The protagonist is Kaboku Kotani, who doesn't like being different from his peers due to his speech impediment and desperately tries to fit in. All of a sudden he comes across Hikari Wanda dancing in the hallway. In awe, Kotani joins the dancing club and finally begins to understand the freedom that comes with dancing hip-hop.
The title was very interesting and I thought this book was going to be about ballet or ballroom dancing as I've seen that type before so I was surprised to find out it was hip-hop. The introductions of Kotani and Wanda were great as the two contrast each other, Kotani being the shy guy and Wanda is the bold, carefree type.
I also really enjoyed the introduction into hip-hop. Coffee did a good job at expressing how this type of dance is more about feeling than techquie which is why hip-hop is so unique. Not to mention the art was amazing to look at and I can only hope this manga gets an anime as I would love to see some of the dancing scenes animated, especially Wanda's introduction scene.
Overall, this was a great first volume for the manga series and I can't wait to see what comes next.
Final Rating: 5/5
June 18, 2022
Kaboku decides to join his high school dance club when he meets a girl named Wanda who is a dance enthusiast. He has always played basketball but he wants to do something different, something where he can be free and something where he doesn’t have to speak because he has a stutter.
He joins the dance club and little by little finds his rhythm and his groove. He also finds a friendship with Wanda as he steps out of his shyness and allows the music take him. This is a story of courage, friendship and finding love, but it is also about finding yourself and being who you truly are. The artwork is good and the story manages to portray the dances without detracting from the flow of the story.
This first volume was very enjoyable, with a great build up and has definitely left me feeling intrigued about what is to follow. Definitely a series to follow.
Copy provided by Kodansha Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
He joins the dance club and little by little finds his rhythm and his groove. He also finds a friendship with Wanda as he steps out of his shyness and allows the music take him. This is a story of courage, friendship and finding love, but it is also about finding yourself and being who you truly are. The artwork is good and the story manages to portray the dances without detracting from the flow of the story.
This first volume was very enjoyable, with a great build up and has definitely left me feeling intrigued about what is to follow. Definitely a series to follow.
Copy provided by Kodansha Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
June 6, 2022
Wandance is a love letter to dance and following your passions even if you have anxiety. Inspired by his new friend Wanda, Kaboku sets out to conquer his fear of being noticed by anyone ever to join the school dance club and chase his newfound love for hip-hop dance. Dance allows Kaboku a chance to express himself without his stutter causing trouble, and it slowly brings out his confidence. Will he be ready in time to score a spot in the upcoming dance contest?
Wanda and Kaboku are both awkward, cute, and devoted to practicing the things they love. They are sweet characters I’m happy to root for. Kaboku also has friends that support his new dream and I like seeing positive friendships represented. I also adored the scenes of dance in motion. This is a hard thing to accomplish in a still medium, but Coffee does a great job showing movement through the panels. Can’t wait for the next volume to be translated! Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an early read of Vol 1!
Wanda and Kaboku are both awkward, cute, and devoted to practicing the things they love. They are sweet characters I’m happy to root for. Kaboku also has friends that support his new dream and I like seeing positive friendships represented. I also adored the scenes of dance in motion. This is a hard thing to accomplish in a still medium, but Coffee does a great job showing movement through the panels. Can’t wait for the next volume to be translated! Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an early read of Vol 1!
June 9, 2022
Thank you so much for the ARC... I am really in love with this.
The best thing in this manga is how Kabo is the only first year male student in the dance club' but, the other members didn't do any stereotype things to him. At first, I hate Kaboku's friend, the one who took video of Wanda and started commenting about her body and then just shared the video because he felt annoyed. But, I like him a little bit, when he started to accept Kaboku and support Kaboku in dance club.
I hope Indonesian publisher Will transleted this manga, cause I want this manga to be read by Indonesian manga reader
The best thing in this manga is how Kabo is the only first year male student in the dance club' but, the other members didn't do any stereotype things to him. At first, I hate Kaboku's friend, the one who took video of Wanda and started commenting about her body and then just shared the video because he felt annoyed. But, I like him a little bit, when he started to accept Kaboku and support Kaboku in dance club.
I hope Indonesian publisher Will transleted this manga, cause I want this manga to be read by Indonesian manga reader
June 8, 2022
I did really enjoy this. As a trained dancer, it was very cute, a little simplistic, but the main characters are beginners, so that's fine. I hope that as this progresses it gets into more technical things in dance, but I think how it's written currently will appeal to readers without a dance background.
The characters are cute, and it's nice to see a disability in the main character and have it be very present. The art style is nice. I wish it was an anime instead of a manga, because I think the dance scenes would look super cool, but for the most part I think how it's drawn and written conveys what's happening well enough.
The characters are cute, and it's nice to see a disability in the main character and have it be very present. The art style is nice. I wish it was an anime instead of a manga, because I think the dance scenes would look super cool, but for the most part I think how it's drawn and written conveys what's happening well enough.
June 29, 2022
Rating: 3.63 leaves out of 5
Characters: 3.5/5
Cover: 3/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Sports
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yeah
Hated|Disliked|Liked|Loved|Favorited
First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. The are was def not my cup of tea and I found it hard to concentrate some of the time. The main characters were kind of adorable but I totally get the fright of doing something when your group of friends think it is dumb.
Characters: 3.5/5
Cover: 3/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Sports
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yeah
Hated|Disliked|Liked|Loved|Favorited
First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. The are was def not my cup of tea and I found it hard to concentrate some of the time. The main characters were kind of adorable but I totally get the fright of doing something when your group of friends think it is dumb.
November 20, 2022
3.5
J'ai eu du mal à bien comprendre les différents mouvements de danse. Pourtant, le coup de crayon est incroyable et l'autrice se donne un mal fou pour nous rendre cette passion et cette beauté.
L'atout de cette histoire est sans conteste Kabo, un personnage touchant et attachant.
J'ai eu du mal à bien comprendre les différents mouvements de danse. Pourtant, le coup de crayon est incroyable et l'autrice se donne un mal fou pour nous rendre cette passion et cette beauté.
L'atout de cette histoire est sans conteste Kabo, un personnage touchant et attachant.
July 26, 2023
pretty good intro volume, this definitely has the potential to be a great story. also, the covers for this manga are great, i love the art
January 27, 2023
Un premier tome si bon qu’on en déguste chaque page. Un vrai coup de coeur !
June 13, 2022
I enjoyed this manga, especially because of the storyline. I’m not a dancer myself but I have always felt like I can express myself the best through movement, so it was nice to see the characters, mainly Kaboku, develop that relationship with dance.
I was a bit worried at the start about the pictures of Wanda one of the boys took without her consent, so I was pleasantly surprised when the others openly stated it’s not okay. I hope this plot won’t be mentioned in the next volumes and that the pictures( or video, I’m sorry I forgot) were actually deleted by the boy.
I will definitely read the next volumes!
Thank you Net Galley for giving me an opportunity to read this arc.
I was a bit worried at the start about the pictures of Wanda one of the boys took without her consent, so I was pleasantly surprised when the others openly stated it’s not okay. I hope this plot won’t be mentioned in the next volumes and that the pictures( or video, I’m sorry I forgot) were actually deleted by the boy.
I will definitely read the next volumes!
Thank you Net Galley for giving me an opportunity to read this arc.
March 1, 2024
A manga about finding yourself, about dancing, about having fun!
I got this one for sale on the Google Play store and I am happy I found out about this one because this one was so fun! Even more fun than I had expected, haha. That is the problem with manga about one topic, sometimes it can get a bit much even if it is your favourite topic. But in this one it is a good blend of lots of dance, but also finding courage, finding yourself, standing up for yourself, making friends.
I really enjoyed both the characters in this one. We got our MC, Kaboku. He is a guy who mostly just went with the flow. Whatever people expected he did. He is good at basketball but he doesn’t really enjoy it. When his friends make comments about girls he is not too happy but mostly keeps quiet. But despite that he was a bit eh in the beginning I did see he had the potential to become something bigger, something better. And so I was delighted when he met Wanda and found out about dance. About finding your rhythm, about moving your body to the beat, and I loved that he tried it out. Yes, it was a bit magical to see him get so good so fast, but I didn’t mind it that much, I was just happy to see him smile and find something he loves doing, feeling less empty about his life. Dancing really brought him to life. And I loved seeing him try to get better, often with the help of Wanda who loved to dance with him.
I also liked that Kaboku stuttered, and no not in a negative way, more in the we need more representation in manga (and other media).
Plus, I am happy that Kaboku spoke up against his best friend when he found that things went too far in regards to how his friend treated girls. It wasn’t the easiest for him, but I am happy he did. His friend needs to learn ASAP that girls aren’t objects.
Wanda was such a sweet and fun character and I just love her facial expressions. They made me laugh so much! I also loved seeing her dance and love how good she was at it. How she embraced dance and wasn’t afraid to show herself. She went with it and exploded on the dance floor.
I loved the club and wished with all I could wish that I could be part of a club like that! I love dancing (probably not good at it though some people say I am good) and I would love to learn new moves. Well, thanks to this manga I learned some new moves and do want to practice them when I have time. Especially that crab move as it is so versatile! I also loved the dance club because of how the president of the club was. She is eager to learn people new moves, eager to make the club bigger and better, and I loved how she helped people out individually when needed.
Oh, and the dancing was A-plus! It just made me want to get up and dance along! The artstyle really works well with the motions of dancing and I love that~
All in all, I definitely would like to continue with this manga! Learn more moves! See Wanda and Kaboku get closer (still not sure if I would ship them or if it is better if they stay friends) and get better at dance. Yes! If you like dancing/great character growth then be sure to check this one out.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I got this one for sale on the Google Play store and I am happy I found out about this one because this one was so fun! Even more fun than I had expected, haha. That is the problem with manga about one topic, sometimes it can get a bit much even if it is your favourite topic. But in this one it is a good blend of lots of dance, but also finding courage, finding yourself, standing up for yourself, making friends.
I really enjoyed both the characters in this one. We got our MC, Kaboku. He is a guy who mostly just went with the flow. Whatever people expected he did. He is good at basketball but he doesn’t really enjoy it. When his friends make comments about girls he is not too happy but mostly keeps quiet. But despite that he was a bit eh in the beginning I did see he had the potential to become something bigger, something better. And so I was delighted when he met Wanda and found out about dance. About finding your rhythm, about moving your body to the beat, and I loved that he tried it out. Yes, it was a bit magical to see him get so good so fast, but I didn’t mind it that much, I was just happy to see him smile and find something he loves doing, feeling less empty about his life. Dancing really brought him to life. And I loved seeing him try to get better, often with the help of Wanda who loved to dance with him.
I also liked that Kaboku stuttered, and no not in a negative way, more in the we need more representation in manga (and other media).
Plus, I am happy that Kaboku spoke up against his best friend when he found that things went too far in regards to how his friend treated girls. It wasn’t the easiest for him, but I am happy he did. His friend needs to learn ASAP that girls aren’t objects.
Wanda was such a sweet and fun character and I just love her facial expressions. They made me laugh so much! I also loved seeing her dance and love how good she was at it. How she embraced dance and wasn’t afraid to show herself. She went with it and exploded on the dance floor.
I loved the club and wished with all I could wish that I could be part of a club like that! I love dancing (probably not good at it though some people say I am good) and I would love to learn new moves. Well, thanks to this manga I learned some new moves and do want to practice them when I have time. Especially that crab move as it is so versatile! I also loved the dance club because of how the president of the club was. She is eager to learn people new moves, eager to make the club bigger and better, and I loved how she helped people out individually when needed.
Oh, and the dancing was A-plus! It just made me want to get up and dance along! The artstyle really works well with the motions of dancing and I love that~
All in all, I definitely would like to continue with this manga! Learn more moves! See Wanda and Kaboku get closer (still not sure if I would ship them or if it is better if they stay friends) and get better at dance. Yes! If you like dancing/great character growth then be sure to check this one out.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 15, 2022
I really like the art style of this manga - it's a little edgy, just like their (I assume hip-hop?) dancing. As someone who wanted to try out for the dance team in high school but never went back after the first practice because I was too intimidated, I admire Kaboku's determination and passion to learn to dance. He just wants to feel FREE, and it's just a relatable feeling I was all in my feels reading this entire volume.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
Like this review?
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Elley the Book Otter
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
Like this review?
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Elley the Book Otter
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews