Shinya Suzuki (Ryoma Takeuchi), a fiery Latin Dancer, trains with Shinya Sugiki (Keita Machida), an icy Ballroom Dancer. The upcoming 10 Dance competition requires they master each other’s techniques. 10 Dance is adapted from the manga by Satoh Inoue. Class differences, and repressed sexuality, provide the conflict. The potential is there. The result is disappointing.

The gents know how to smolder. Their initial encounters are intense. Just know, going in, that the romance is closer to My Fair Lady than Heated Rivalry. Things fizzle out in the third act. The tale ends abruptly, saving the fireworks for a sequel. The screenplays’ lack of closure is unsatisfying. But there’s a larger problem.

There’s a strain of misogyny that the film never reckons with. Sugiki has browbeaten his gentle partner, Fusako (Anna Ishii), into submissive puppet. Suzuki simply ignores his affable partner, Aki (Shiori Doi), even on the dance floor. The women trail behind them like servants. When they are together, they discuss the men in reverent tones. (This film does not pass the Bechdel Test). The writers treat the men’s attitudes as a minor character flaw. It left me despising the pair I was supposed to be rooting for.

The only woman with agency is Sugiki’s estranged mentor (Susie Trayling). She criticizes his selfishness and speaks the film’s thesis: “Dance is about neither technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole.” The men grow to love each other, though they never overcome their narcissism. Everyone else is treated with indifference or contempt. They’re most comfortable when they are rehearsing in the studio, grappling with each other for dominance. These are the only scenes where the film truly works.

You can read more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.