Man, I’m late to the party, BUT I’ve joined it, so that’s something. I guess? Anyways, the first anime I’ve seen in months, because I’m a sucker for sports stories. The last previous being SK∞, which was more on the “meh” side of things, I had my hopes high for DDD with a more classic sports story approach.
And I kind of started reading the manga a while back, but there wasn’t much scanlated yet, so I stopped somewhere in episode 2 or 3 or so? That was all the content there was and I really REALLY need to check out, if there’s more available now. I binged the entire 11 epsiodes. I wouldn’t say it was a 10/10 by a long shot, but it was very enjoyable and seriously left me wanting more.
The story was kind of predictable and pretty standart, nothing outstanding, but even though Junpei only started with ballet at the age of 13 (I think, it was?), which is way too late, if you want to become good enough to be a pro, it’s not entirely unbelievable, that he’s actually going to make it. It’s not like he’s a total beginner, even though he just started with proper lessons. He’s been involved into the sport since he was a small child and he’s been teaching himself theory and practical dance ever since. Also, he’s been doing marial arts which massively helped him to be athletic and very flexible. He’s got everything you need for ballet that you can’t achieve via hard work, the perfect feet, the aura, the long limbs. He’s crazy talanted and gifted, but even though he’s a prodigy he’s still very likable.
And boy I didn’t thought he would be. It honestly starts out with him being kinda pervy and joining for the cute girl with ulterior motives. It helps the anime very clearly showed us his childhood before all of that, so we know he’s been genuinly loving ballet for a long time. He’s nowhere near perfect, he’s flawed and he struggels, but that makes him so likeable. Ballet comes easy to him, but he still struggles so much, even if he’s doing good and he’s getting applause, he’s still a bad dancer – as to be expected with his level of professional training. He also never parades around that he’s a prodigy. He acknowledges his mistakes and flaws. He knows where he stands and if he doesn’t, his surroundings make sure to tell him. He grows as a character A LOT. He’s a very beautifully handled prodigy type, wonderfully flawed and likable.
I honestly thought it was kind of weird when he and Miyako just became a couple in episode 8. Like… what? It was very clear that Miyako likes Luou, even though Junpei liked her. Also, the moment Junpei noticed she liked Luou, he immediately withdrew and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have made any more moves, if his summerclass mates didn’t set them up. Heads up to you, Junpei. Instead of “fighting for his love” he chose to accept and not interfere, you don’t see that often. I was just really surprised she immediately went along with it, but hormones at that age, I guess? I mean, she clearly liked both of them, just Luou more. She probably would’ve been happy in a relationship with Junpei, but it wouldn’t have lasted. Luou would’ve loomed over their relatonship the entire time and it wouldn’t have worked out. I think it was honestly better to end it as quickly as it happend. What brings me to the next question: why was it even necessary?
The entire relationship thing with Junpei and Miyko was really sudden, super quick and over in a heartbeat. Everything they realized and learned from it, they didn’t need the relationship for. Luou didn’t nessecarily need to see that kiss to become pissed and run to his grandma. It added another layer to his tragic self, also loosing his only friend/love interest, but other than throwing Junpei in a quicky relationship with Miyako that could’ve been done better.
Even more so, after Oikawa Natsuki was introduced. I ain’t gonn lie, but I’m team Natsuki all the way. The two of them kind of clicked immediately. They’re so nicely different, but have so much in common at the same time. I think she really appreciates him looking beyond her stoic face and they share the same love for ballet. Like, exactly the same. They were paired up once for one lesson and ticked off better than Junpei and Miyko did the entire season. I know she’s 2 years younger than him and still a bit too young for a relationship, but they’re not dating yet. They don’t really know each other yet. In, like, 2 years, it’s not going to matter anymore. Junpei, my boy, thats your girl right there. You guys will make each other sparkle and shine when the time is right and I’m all here for it.
Which brings be to the rest of the cast. I really liked the other top dancers in the ballet class. Just like Luou, I thought they were set out to be enemies, but they all became friends, even though they were competing for the same thing. And this is so wonderful! We don’t have a real antagonist for Junpei. If anything, he’s Luous antagonist. Junpei has very good social skills and we see them in action when he manages to befriend all of his fellow competitors. I think this is a very real situation at the summer class, because they’re all in the same boat and they’re all aiming for the same thing, so they have a lot in common. You can absolutely compete against each other, but still be friends. That was surprisingly wholesome.
The one real “bad guy” was the grandma, I guess? But she’s already ancient and has severe Alzheimers, so it’s more like picking up the pieces she left behind, rather than actively fighting her. Luou needed to realize he can start healing the wounds she created and there’s loving people around him, who’ll help him.
Another thing I want to point out is how well this story shows what toxic words can do to a child. And no, I’m not talking about the grandma. She was downright abusing Luou, that’s very much a big fat HELL NO. I’m talking about Junpei’s uncle. He meant it well, but his words caused Junpei to change his entire life in a direction he never wanted to. “You’re the man of the family. You need to protect your mom and sister. You need to be strong and manly.” That’s just so toxic, that poor child didn’t know what he was supposed to do with that advice. He only knew he had to do something, because his uncle said so and because he didn’t know any better, we wanted to become like his male rolemodel – his father. His obsession with being cool, just to look strong, that’s so unhealthy. The good things that came out of it were his really good social skills, but that poor child lived in fear for years and had to hide his passion and danced in secret. All that just because of a single comment by his uncle. Words can do so much damage and these ones sure did.
Overall, I ended up giving DDD 8/10. The animation was so beautiful, the characters were very well done, but the story was lacking. The super quick relationship with Miyko wasn’t sitting well with me at all. Junpei knew that taking the scholarship was the right decision for him, but there Miyako comes and BAM I want to stay with Goudai! Sure, that’s a very hormonal teenager like decision, but it tried to create unessacary suspension. We, the audience, were told very clearly that he has to choose Oikawa, Junpei knew immediately that he had to and there was just no way he was going to throw this opportunity away. That relationship quicky really bothered me on all ends and the rest of the story is your classic prodigy sports story kind of thing, so yeah.
It still deserves it’s 8/10 very much, because even though the story is on the weaker side, it left me wanting for more and for that I’m very mad and very happy at the same time, because now I’ve got to pray the manga is getting regular translations. Besides, I gave SK∞ 7/10 (which, in retrospect, is way too high and I should totally change it to a 5/10) and DDD is a lot better.
A Glass of Manga 