Shall We Dansu?
Review by: Lauren
Country: Japan
Shall We Dansu? is the original film which produced the American remake, Shall We Dance?, starring Jennifer Lopez. Shall We Dansu? chronicles a man named Sugiyama, who is not at all happy with his everyday life as an accountant. He has a wife, a daughter, and a nice house, but deep inside, he’s hoping for more. On his way home from work one evening, he sees a young girl gazing out the window of a dance studio. From then on, he’s mesmerized, and soon finds himself signing up for dance classes.
At first, his wife is pleased that he’s getting out, having fun, and being a lot less serious, but as he begins spending more and more time away from home-without revealing the dancing-she soon begins to worry. Thus, she goes to a private detective to find out the true meaning behind her husband’s mood change and sudden disappearances.
I’d seen the American version when it first came out and definitely enjoyed it, but I must say that the original is a lot better. Now, if you see the Japanese version, you might realize that it’s a lot similar to the American one and the language is pretty much the main difference. However, this is the original and I feel it’s worth a watch for simply that, especially if you liked Lopez’ version. You’ll find yourself with many emotions throughout this film: happiness, laughter, anger, sadness, understanding, and more.
Naoto Takenaka did a great job as Aoki, a man who loves to dance, yet can’t bring himself to do so without wearing one ridiculous wig! Aoki is definitely a light and fun character that brings a lot of humor to this film, yet he also shows his own pain and sadness, making you feel for him just as much as Sugiyama and the rest.
This is a simple film, yet is filled with a lot of emotion, and is sure to capture the heart of a lot of viewers. Forget about the subtitles, and simply give this one a chance!
If you’ve seen the American one, now is the time to see the original and if you haven’t seen either, then most definitely start with this one.
11 comments:
Funny, it's like Mostly Martha that got turned into No Reservations!
Alea: I haven't heard of Mostly Martha, but I do believe I know what No Reservations is. So Mostly Martha was the original?
-Lauren
Yup it was! I can't remember which country it was made it but I liked it and it's pretty much a carbon copy of the other movie as far as i can remember!
Alea: That's how this one is, but I really loved the Japanese version, so even if you've seen the other one, it's worth checking out.
And i'm not a huge fan of Jennifer Lopez, so it was cool to see someone else in "her" role. haha
-Lauren
You know, I don't think I've even seen Shall We Dance!
I loved this film, the Japanese one. I haven't seen the other one and I don't think I need to. This is a wonderful story and well done. Thanks for the good memories this review brought back to me.
Alea: Well, if you want to see one of them, I'd recommend this version at least first!
Sandra: It definitely is a great story and I think it's just fine to only view this one, since the American one is simply the same story/different language and actors.
You're quite welcome. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!!!
-Lauren
Thankfully with Netflix it's probably an option, they have everything!
Alea: So I've heard! If you see it, let me know what you think. :)
That movie was great! I saw it back in high school. The American remake wasn't as good as the original though.
SolShine7: I think they both have differences and similarities, but I really did love the Japanese version. It was awesome!!
-Lauren
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