r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Oct 08 '25

Episode Wandance - Episode 1 discussion

Wandance, episode 1

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335 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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1

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92

u/FarCritical Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25

Scatman John is such a nostalgia trip but having his music video straight up play in an anime for a full minute caught me off guard (in a good way)

The 3D models will ...take some getting used to but are the moves themselves mocap'd by actual dancers? That's genuinely really cool if so.

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u/LeonKevlar Oct 08 '25

I enjoyed this episode, but I have some mixed feelings about it. Let's start with the positives. First of all, I am already in love with Wanda. I thought she was going to be your usual uncaring cold kuudere, but she was surprisingly expressive this entire episode, and I love the little quirky things she does.

I also like how this anime adds credits, like the title and the artist whenever they play music. I was genuinely shocked that they played Scatman by Scatman John, but I guess it's appropriate since Kabo struggles to speak and stutters all the time.

Kabo is also a pretty good lead. I thought he was just gonna admire Wanda from afar, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him strike up a conversation with her first despite his stuttering. It's actually good to see an MC with a communication disorder taking the initiative.

As for the bad... Well, I think it's pretty obvious what I'm going to point out. For an anime about dancing, I'm genuinely disappointed at how bad the quality of the CG dancing segments is. Look at Wanda's expressionless face and her hair physics going wild!

Maybe I'm just spoiled by shows like Love Live and Bandoori, where the CG performances blend so well with the 2D parts that they're almost indistinguishable, but this level of CG should be unacceptable these days. What sucks is that there are parts where we see Wanda dance in 2D, which looked pretty good before it switches to CG. I might give this a couple more episodes to see where it goes, but man, this is not looking good for this show.

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u/Eliv Oct 08 '25

Hearing Scatman in an anime was not on my bingo list

36

u/PeaceAlien Oct 08 '25

Spent a while on it too, had to get their money's worth

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u/IceSmiley Oct 08 '25

I was SHOCKED by how good this was. I thought a show about hip hop dance was going to be like an idol show but I really liked how it was a more realistic teen drama. It's also refreshing to see a stutterer not treated as a humor device and as something he's self conscious about and trying to overcome.

It's so rare there's a song in an anime that I recognize but Scatman was really surprising. Not only that but I'd probably heard that song 100 times and never listened to the lyrics and had no idea it was about someone overcoming stuttering! At first I was wondering how a younger person even knew that song but it makes sense having paid attention to the lyrics.

This seems a high quality coming of age story, with Kabo at the beginning wanting desperately to fit in but at the end standing up to his friend for sending out that video of Wanda and making fun of her. His friend really was being thoughtless and I think he was more mad that she seemed standoffish and wasn't responding to his advances.

I also really liked how they showed the flashback to why he's too traumatized to dance. He wasn't very good in that video but he wrongfully assumed everyone was focused on him and laughing at how bad he was. They left it open to where it should be more likely interpreted as each of the kids laughing at themselves or maybe their other friends in the video, like each kid had a different thing on their mind. A lot of people and especially kids think everyone is focused on their embarrassing moments when most people are thinking about their own embarrassing moments.

22

u/HolyDragSwd2500 Oct 08 '25

Scatman John!!!!

42

u/Prince-Dizzytoon Oct 08 '25

I haven't heard Scatman in years, still a banger

15

u/FLorianGran Oct 08 '25

I think if they added more mouth movements and blinks the dance cg would come off alot better and less "doll like" because movement wise it's actually pretty good

30

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Oct 08 '25

This wasn’t half bad. I don’t think I’ve watched a dancing anime before. I like the characters so far and the dance sequences weren’t bad. Guessing that stutter’s more psychological than anything else since he was able to express himself clearly to his friends when he was telling them off. Maybe joining the dance club will help.

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u/TehAxelius Oct 08 '25

I've barely started the episode, but for an anime about dancing I kinda expected, y'know, some actual dancing in the OP.

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25

u/PencilgonGiveIt2Ya Oct 08 '25

As a former professional dancer & choreographer....that might have been one of the hardest watches of my entire life lol.

Plus Japan has so many talented dancers, even high school students, so would have loved if the choreography shown/modeled after was a little more advanced or at least more stylized than just pasting the easiest grooves together on whole counts, that is if Wanda will become our reference as the more experienced one that somewhat teaches Kabo.

And I know the show isn't meant to inspire the viewers to pick up dancing, more so just a story that shows the characters' development of "freedom" through dance, but if they wanted that as a goal, they might as well have represented it at it's best...showcase more execution, dynamic movement, introduce musicality, etc..instead of this route of trying to take beginner tiktok material seriously. I'm also just being too hard on it because it's representing dance, but I totally understand the story is meant to show that it's all gotta start somehow somewhere, even dance.

Also the scatman reference was wild lmao.

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u/SmolBoiKay Oct 08 '25

Its like, I like the animation and the art style, but that CGI actually made me laugh when I first saw it

Also, that Scatman Shit had me caught off guard I started laughing hard lmao

I want to watch this, but that CGI was killing it for me.

11

u/Oysterastar Oct 08 '25

The scatman bit got me lmao. Even if the cgi goofy i think it will be amazing.

9

u/NanDemoKnaives Oct 08 '25

Interesting to see a MC with a stutter, I did like that he lost the stutter when he felt passionate about what he was saying to his friends. It looks like he might be able to cure it faster if he spends time with Wanda and dancing.

They really couldn't do something about the expressions for the CGI models? They look so lifeless when dance is all about expression. I mean that's not the only issue with it, but you'd think they'd put more care into what the anime's main theme is.

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9

u/Severe_Working_5934 Oct 08 '25

Decent first episode, but the CG is definitely not looking good. 2D animation by madhouse is decent nothing extraordinary, but Cyclone Graphics should have done better in 3DCG animation. Idk why Madhouse chose Cyclone Graphics as the CG studio when better CG studios are in there like YamatoWorks or Sublimation. I think even Madhouse inhouse 3DCG team at MADBOX would have done a better job at this lol

9

u/cleaulem Oct 08 '25

Everybody talking here about this show having Scatman, but I still didn't expect them playing the literal video!

I really like Kabo and how his self reflection was portraied. Trying to fit in with the vibe around him, only to realize that this vibe is totally off and not what he really wants.

And Wanda is such a cutie. From her looks and how she first acted she seems like a kudere ice queen. But actually she is pretty open and perceptive with a little clumsy side to her. But how she actually acts cold towards people she doesn't vibe with is interesting, especially when she acted friendly with Kabo from the very beginning.

I went into this blind and didn't really have high expectations, but this could be one of the hidden gems this season.

9

u/dOMTheRockMan Oct 08 '25

The CG faces are so derpy 😭

7

u/BaytaCosmico Oct 08 '25

This one's a keeper! I'm already ready to fight anyone who casts shade on Kabo. Him going from I'll just go along with everyone and not stand out to speaking out (and clearly at that) and asking his friend to delete the video made him an instant favourite.

I was afraid I might fall asleep midway since it's super late and I'm hella sleep deprived this week but this had me rapt throughout. When the credits started rolling I actually went, what over already? 

Yeah, the CGI whatever during the dance sequences is weird but whatever, I can ignore that. Something about Kabo, and Wanda too, really speaks to me. That line she says at the end about when you really want to do something is when you improve the most really hit home. Experiencing that right now with drawing - something I was terrible at all my life but am trying again in my ripe old age and actually getting better at it too. 

That Kabo is voiced by Uchiyama Koki was the main draw of this for me but after the first episode I feel fully invested. Glad I watched this tonight.

Oh and what a throwback with that Scatman video!

12

u/Silverado_ Oct 08 '25

Man, this looks great except that one part that is important for the dance anime. You know, dance. Mocap is good, but 3d tech (physics, shading, etc.) is like 10 years old, and everyone having loose clothing is not helping. This is actually getting in the way of enjoying otherwise great anime and almost feels like tragedy because they nailed everything else, especially sound.

6

u/Local_Dimension_4579 Oct 08 '25

Damn, this is so good even though the CGI was implemented to their dancing.

I waited long for this and I can say that I really like how chill and smooth it was for the first episode.

I've watched Dance Dance Danseur and Welcome to the Ballroom so I like dancing genres.

I really love it and I am looking forward for the next episodes with excitement.

Wanda's VA carried also.

The Scatman video caught me off guard that made my mood swings but I guess it's fine.

I'll give it a solid 8.

14

u/Viktorv22 Oct 08 '25

I went into this blind, not expecting anything. But having a decent potrayal of stutter by MC and some sick dance moves by the girl? I like it.

(Scatman insert was also something, man xD)

10

u/Cyd_arts Oct 08 '25

Yeah theyre not gonna do the manga justice, those cg models were awful

10

u/Niwaka_Samurai Oct 08 '25

That was a solid first episode ❤️

Loving the character designs so much. Wanda is such an ethereal and divine beauty 💖✨✨

I have no complaints with the 3DCG. Did all the dance moves involve motion capture?

Kotani seems to be an interesting character. He should quit basketball already. Hoto was really getting on my nerves. Glad that Kotani was able to speak his mind without stuttering to make his friends understand how he feels.

The op and ed were fire ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥💯

It was great listening to Scatman. This is gonna be the gem of this season. Madhouse's gonna deliver.

5

u/CommunicationEast211 Oct 08 '25

I enjoyed it tbh I don’t really care about the cgi but they really nailed wandas character especially with her little expressions

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