Thoughts on the CD and Volume 8 of the dance BL manga "10DANCE," which is both a joy to see adapted into live-action and a masterpiece as a BLCD (and what does BL stand for?)

A live-action adaptation starring Ryoma Takeuchi and Keita Machidahas set the world abuzz for the BL manga "10DANCE". I can feel the excitement building daily among actors and the BL drama community for a work that the production team is clearly putting their heart and soul into.

However, since I listened to this work on CD first, I would like to write down my thoughts on the CD, my thoughts on 10DANCE as a whole, and my thoughts on the new volume released in May 2025.

I first encountered this work with the simple motivation that Kazuyuki Okitsu was in it. I initially wondered, "Wait, it's a dance story, but it's a CD?" but once I started listening, I was like, "Whoa~~~~!!!! What is this??" It was so wonderful that I immediately bought the original manga. Up to volume 2. I was driven by the urge to read the original after listening to the CD first. But, sensing there was another CD, I wanted to listen to it before reading. And after listening to the first CD, I listened to the second, and read the manga up to volume 4.
I could have just bought all seven volumes that were out at the time, but being naturally stingy, I didn't want to finish reading it all at once, so I decided on one volume a month and have been reading it slowly until now. I felt that when you truly love something, you go beyond reading it all at once and want to savor it forever...

First, about the CD.
The voices of the characters are a perfect match for their images! Yuki Ono plays Shinya Suzuki, who has a lighthearted, passionate Latino vibe. I thought his voice perfectly captured the character's mischievous, natural, and hot-blooded personality. There's more, but the most impressive part was how realistic the vomiting sound was when they practiced until morning—I thought that was amazing... (Sorry for the strange compliment, fans of Yuki Ono). He was praised for his excellent coughing acting in another work, so perhaps he has a talent for such expressions.
Kazuyuki Okitsu plays Shinya Sugiki. A person who is elegant, stubborn, single-minded, and somewhat broken. I thought he was so well-suited for the role that I suspect he has a reputation in the industry for playing characters who deviate from the norm. Thanks to this CD, I was able to properly hear Okitsu-san's humming, which is my favorite thing—I am truly grateful!! (He calls himself a perverted British gentleman in the free talk, but Kazuyuki Okitsu plays an orthodox British gentleman in the first part of the "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" anime. Actually, it's slowly dawning on me that Yuki Ono is his great-grandson in that series.)

The CD that was released normally is a two-disc set, covering the content up to volume 2 of the manga. Of course, there are parts that have been cut, but it's not such a drastic change that it's hard to understand the story, and it's very easy to listen to. Looking at past BLCD review sites, I've seen opinions from people with competitive dance experience who felt uncomfortable with the choice of music in the CD version, but as an amateur, it didn't bother me at all!!! The original author also wrote in the manga that they omitted technical terms and changed some things... However, I recommend listening while looking at the original art, as you can get excited imagining that Okitsu-san and Ono-san were looking at these drawings while imagining and voicing their lines.

Also, what's wonderful about this work are the two dance partners, Fusako-san and Aki-san. In BL works, female characters can be obstacles, the protagonist's best friend, or background characters, but I think this story only works because these two are here. Of course, they are the ones actually dancing with the two leads, but beyond that, thanks to seeing the human side of the "perfect" Sugiki-san through Fusako-san's eyes, and Aki-san worrying about love like a normal woman while Suzuki-san cares for her like a brother, the world of "10DANCE" gains depth.
I love both Fusako-san, who seems gentle but has strength, and Aki-san, who seems cool but has a delicate side!

Speaking of characters, my favorite is Urashima-san from the dance magazine "Dance With" editorial department. His CV is Yoshinori Fukamachi. I like the "Editor Urashima's Daily Life" track on the CD with his gentle and serious-sounding voice. (Fukamachi-san also co-starred with Okitsu-san in the "Alpha no Hanayome: Kyomei Renjo 1" CD, where he was a handsome guy, which was nice.) The fateful day Urashima-san first met Sugiki-san. I thought Okitsu-san's acting here was properly six years younger!! It's great that you can see in the original manga that Urashima-san has Sugiki-san registered in his phone as "King of Waltz."

And, a must-mention in the CD review is the scene where the characters speak English. It seems they gathered voice actors proficient in English for this CD, and I was surprised that they used a voice-over style with dubbed Japanese over the English lines. I was amazed they did it that way. The two leads, who are not proficient in foreign languages, had the hardest time. Their struggle is evident in the tension during the free talk. It's exciting to think that Takeuchi-san and Machida-san might have scenes where they speak English in the live-action drama too.

In the free talk, you can hear about the struggles of recording and stories about dancing. Since they only provided the voices, the two are looking forward to the finished version with sound effects and background music. And I was very happy to hear that they were expressing their roles while looking closely at the expressions in the original manga. Okitsu-san's favorite expression is on page 194 of volume 2. To begin with, it's hot that it starts with lines where the characters are imitating each other!! I'm the kind of person who gets happy when stories about daily life come up in free talk, so it was a good free talk!

Postscript) I found the recording interview from that time!

And the CD that came with the special edition of volume 5 contains the content of volumes 3 and 4. The previous CD release was in 2014, and this one was in 2019. Even though about five years have passed, the world starts again so naturally that you don't feel the gap. It feels like something only voice actors can do.
You can hear Okitsu-san's humming again here too~!!!
The first half of the second CD is where Sugiki-san and Suzuki-san are dancing while facing the same direction, but are unconsciously falling in love with each other, so my heart races no matter where I listen. I love the casual conversations where they talk about their backgrounds, upbringing, and what they like.
And then, they start moving in earnest toward the 10DANCE competition. Sugiki-san really doesn't want to ask the former British champion Norman siblings to coach Suzuki-san and Aki-san. And the kiss on the train after Suzuki-san confesses about the fateful match where he first saw Sugiki-san. I thought this would definitely be depicted as a climax if it were adapted into live-action. I wonder what will happen...

After the subway kiss, Suzuki-san is awkward, and Sugiki-sensei pretends to be unfazed. I love that a frog appears in the manga when Sugiki-san is acting unfazed. When they practice holding only one hand because they can't get a sense of unity with Aki-san, Sugiki-san finally tells him his true feelings. I'm looking forward to re-reading the latest volume later, but I realized that Sugiki-san was the one who expressed his feelings first. He says he'll hold off on going further because they kiss but can't do more, but the very next day they encounter Latin champion Alberto Bemel and his partner Dolly, and he's taken to receive standard lessons from Sugiki-san, meeting again in the lesson. The frog appears there too.
Being spurred on by Alberto-san and finally vowing to go out into the world, I feel the excitement as a dance manga. And Fusako-san finally realizes their relationship after a hint from Dolly-san. This third-party perspective is interesting. I love that Sugiki-san tells Fusako-san boastfully that he has already mastered the Latin expression!!
Next, the two finally practice the tango. I don't know much about dance, but there's an expression in the manga of them dancing in a trance, and I thought it would be difficult to express that with just voice. But! It's wonderful with subtle breathing and conversation. Just by holding hands, "Good, you still like me, don't you?"—I love that he can tell that~!!! The expressions are beautiful... The part where they "mokki" in the tango leads to the bonus "TABOO -chottodakeyo-" in the special edition.
The final episode of the CD is Aki-san's heartbreak story. When Suzuki-san, Sugiki-san, and Fusako-san tell her to break up with him while she's at the lesson with a swollen face from being hit by Yoshi-kun, I almost cry when I listen to it from Aki-san's perspective. I thought Aki-san had bad luck with men, so I'm very happy with the development in the latest volume. It ends with Suzuki-san's declaration that he'll win the championship at the next Latin competition. Ah, I want to hear the continuation on CD too...

In the bonus track "TABOO -chottodakeyo-" included in the special edition CD, the two don't return to childhood and touch each other, but for now, it's a story about Sugiki-san having a taste. In the acting where Sugiki-san is hit by an upperclassman in his student days, not only can you hear Okitsu-san's child voice, but you can also hear the "scary-erotic" line~. And Suzuki-san's acting, where he gets excited while being cornered, is cute. Throughout the whole thing, Ono-san expresses Suzuki-san, who is cool and occasionally flippant, panicked, or gets carried away when praised, very carefully, so I can listen to it with the feelings of Sugiki-san who is in love with that Suzuki-san.

It was a shame there was no free talk on the second CD! But once I heard this far, I wanted to read the rest so badly that I bought the continuation.
Postscript) I found a recording report for this CD on X. Thank you... (Please see the thread following the post)

Volume 5.
When I re-read it, I thought this might be my favorite. Because it's the "THE Dance Manga" turn where the state of a so-called dance competition is depicted. This might be off-topic, but for me, "10DANCE" is a story about people obsessed with something, before it's a BL manga. Hmm, is "Ashita no Joe" too old? The one I think is closest is "Glass Mask." (Sorry, the comparison is old. By the way, I don't know how that ended...) I love stories about people who are enchanted by something and pursue that path, so in that sense, volume 5 is my favorite. The god of dance that appears in that darkness. I was incredibly thrilled. I love Sugiki-san's face on page 122 after the match.
And the part where their feelings miss each other. Sugiki-san, who is cute when he video calls Ernie in confusion and gets told the truth, then collapses. (Page 162) There's a story about why Urashima-san is attracted to Sugiki-san there, and I love that part.

Thinking that Sugiki-san is such a brilliant existence to those around him, while at the same time, that Sugiki-san is dedicating his entire life to dance while harboring secret frustrations because he couldn't become a world champion. Thinking that there is a savior-like existence for Sugiki-san, which is Suzuki-san, who is his god, and that the two are dancing secretly as if nurturing their love in the middle of the night, I felt like prostrating myself because of how precious it was.
BL, of course, stands for "Boys' Love." I couldn't help but think that this work is actually a story of "Big Love"!!! The passion that Sugiki-san and Suzuki-san each put into dance. Their feelings for each other. The feelings of the people around them for the two. The feelings that the characters direct toward what is important to them. I felt that each and every one of them is important, and that feelings that are too important to each of them are depicted. And I ended up thinking about the trivial thing that we who watch it can't help but hold "big love" (if you call it that in modern terms, maybe it's "huge emotions") for the two!!!
Sugiki-san's love, which starts from a desire to be so close to the other person that he wants to assimilate body and soul, and Suzuki-san's desire to love the other person as a normal human being—the mismatch starts from here!!!

Volume 6. I love Suzuki-san's expression on page 12, "I should have hugged him properly." Even if the two hold hands, their emotions don't flow. And then, patron Max-san appears. Thanks to him, a story unfolds that I never imagined... First, Saichi-san, who became Suzuki-san's new manager. This chubby-bodied, caring middle-aged man really hit my preferences. And on top of that, he gets hit by a "go home quickly" beam from Sugiki-san's eyes. (Page 106) Actually, I love how angry Sugiki-san was when he first met him. "A manager who looks like he could produce breast milk and has a chubby, easy-birth-type butt!?"—the way he says that is too harsh (I'm complimenting him).
Since Suzuki-san decided to keep a romantic distance, he just works hard to defeat Sugiki-san in dance and save him from his dance life. As for Sugiki-san, he is reluctantly complying with the bad-taste games of Suzuki-san's patron, Max-san, "for Suzuki-san's sake." Rich people's games are nasty. It's heartwarming that the taxi drivers who come to where they are dancing in the park have learned to dance. But that place is also lost to construction, and the two's eight months of time ends. The trajectory of their time together, dancing from the park until morning, is truly like a dream.
With the lessons with Norman-san starting, I felt a new type of dance expression added. Norman-san, an existence that seems like it might break into the two, I thought he was too cool and I was curious... Oh, and in volume 6, there's a part where Sugiki-san dances with his teacher, Martha-san, for the first time in eight years, and that was also very wonderful. Martha-san, who makes Sugiki-san have that expression, is amazing.

Volume 7. Norman-san's strict standard lessons with a smile, and Gabriel-san's Latin lessons. When asked about Suzuki-san's dance by Gabriel-san, Suzuki-san says "I love you even at this very moment"—it's heartbreaking.
Somehow, even re-reading it, I was drawn into the story and couldn't find the words. I felt sorry for Sugiki-san being taken to various places by Max in the middle (lol), but Fusako-san is a great partner for understanding that Sugiki-san gets a little energy by daring to go along with those wild actions. Norman-san, who harbors a forbidden love for his sister, and Suzuki-san, who develops a relationship as a place of escape for each other after the sister Angela-san's wedding. It's helpless, but it's very frustrating. Saichi-san, who seriously punches Suzuki-san because of a scheme Norman-san set up to make him give up on the love from a male student (daring to call them to a lesson studio where they are showing affection), is cool (but he'll probably be killed if Sugiki-san finds out). Why can't they get along even though they like each other? This is drama.
Meanwhile, Ernie-san and Gabriel-san have started seriously analyzing Suzuki-san's dance. I don't think I, as an outsider, can properly understand the explanation or mechanism of Suzuki-san's dance, but I felt again while watching the competition scene that there is something unfathomable about Suzuki-san's dance, and that Sugiki-san's dance is also beautiful even though he is in bad shape. It was truly a volume that made me want to pray for something.
(I love the scene where a group of older female students from Sugiki's classroom are chatting while reading a dance magazine that is full of Suzuki-san. They are shooting X-ray beams from their eyes, thinking that their teacher's butt is also nice!)

Volume 8. I've been waiting for this. I was reading it slowly after I started, but since it's the first volume released in real-time, I was really excited. The two, who met at a competition for the first time in a while, argue about the pain of not being able to see each other and kiss. Suzuki-san prostrates himself at Sugiki-san's feet and begs. It's like a religious painting. Mukai-san from Dance With witnesses it. Thank you for keeping quiet. Even if they keep their distance, their feelings for each other don't disappear and only grow, and Sugiki-san stands still during the honor dance because he can't do anything about it. After the competition, Max-san scolds Sugiki-san, but they have a conversation that shows he was actually properly worried about Sugiki-san. I was relieved that Sugiki-san returned to his usual self halfway through. And is Max-san's loved one Norman-san...? This story really stirs the heart, doesn't it!! Nino-san, who has the most influence in the Latin world, finally says he will help Suzuki-san. He says he can become a superstar who transcends dance genres. (Personally, I used to support a dance vocal group that came out of Nico Nico Douga, so I was excited about this part too.) Meanwhile, Max-san proposes that he become the successor to the power he holds. I thought he wouldn't give a clear answer, but the way Sugiki-san calls him "Papa" at the end is a charmer—it's irresistible. In other words, the stage has been set for the two to decide their fate in 10DANCE.
There's a glimpse of the future after 10DANCE in this story, and I was looking forward to seeing how Suzuki-san and Aki-san will be in the future. It's a complicated feeling, like I don't want it to end forever, but I want to see the end of the story. Behind the scenes of the shoot for Fabio-san's brand, there's talk of Aki-san's new crush. It's Urashima-san, right!!!! That's it!!!! I feel like cheering for Urashima-san!!!! Aki-san feels Suzuki-san's feelings by hugging him, feels that his current feelings are unusually deep, and pushes him, saying, "It's a waste if no one is happy!"
The place he ran out to was Norman-san's house. When he says goodbye, saying he won't come again, Norman-san gives him a watch that is probably incredibly expensive as a thank you for everything so far. Norman-san sheds tears when he is alone. Max-san appears suddenly here, so Norman-san's tears are held back, and I was saved from being dragged into the bottomless Norman swamp. (I have a tendency to be attracted to pitiful characters) Anyway, why can rich people come at such a nice timing...?
When he finally came to Sugiki's classroom, it was wonderful that Fusako-san could understand his feelings just by holding his hand. It felt like remembering that dance, or rather expression and communication, was originally done without linguistic things. They decided to meet during the breaks in lessons, and what Sugiki-san thought about while going to meet him was, "Have I changed for the other person?" and "Can I see the other person's true self?" I thought that Sugiki-san, for whom it was natural to be masculine and dominate the other person, had changed significantly from the point where he thought, "I yearn for the other person as a god, and I want to assimilate even more." Similarly, Suzuki-san begs, saying he will fulfill the other person's wishes, not his own desires. I thought it was like the pose where the male role in standard dance asks the partner to dance. Saying that they can't breathe without each other—
And, just when I thought they would kiss, Suzuki-san comes out here. "I had a relationship with another man"(Saichi-san is misunderstood here too) The idea of doing it himself immediately after knowing it was Norman-san, Inoue Sato-sensei is just too amazing... The crying face of the hurt Sugiki-san when he turned around after being held back is...!!! "Please make me your possession only"—the line and Suzuki-san's expression are...!!! I want to be reborn as a background character who witnesses the two kissing in the city...!!! And when the CD comes out, I want to hear the lines of the two here with the voices of Okitsu-san and Ono-san...!!! Ah, if there is a Mulder family in the BL world, please make it an anime or a drama CD.

When they became a couple, I also shed tears from my eyes at the sudden change from the development so far, like sending smartphone messages and selfies to each other like high school students who just started dating. I like that both of them regret breaking up immediately after the kiss on page 170. It was to the point that the people around them noticed immediately. Saichi-san, who initially had a bad impression of Norman-san, also changes his mind, thinking, "He's actually a meddlesome and kind person." There is a part where Norman-san is worried about the student who was in love with Suzuki-san, and I thought that way of depicting it was good. (There is also a part where Saichi-san is taking care of that student.)
They go out to eat together, flirt, talk about not having sex until 10DANCE (this is also on hold!!!), and end by dancing together for the first time in a while. No, I want to read the continuation soon.

So, I have stated my thoughts at length.
Reaching volume 8, I felt that the theme was what "love" is. (Is that too late?) Both are like each other's possessions. Both want to give each other what they want. Therefore, I want to look forward to the relationship and dance of the two from now on.
I hope that the magic words Aki-san learned from Suzuki-san's mother can also be felt in the scene where the two dance.

I am still a complete beginner to this story, ignorant about ballroom dancing, and I really wanted to talk about Ernie-san and Fabio-san, and I couldn't even touch upon Giulio-san and Liana-san... it would just become too long.... Truly, I am grateful to Inoue Sato-sensei for creating this wonderful story. I look forward to the live-action adaptation, which I think will cause an even bigger stir in many ways. Thank you for reading this far!!!!

So, the main story is over, but since I went to the trouble of buying the special edition, here are some quick thoughts on the bonus content as well. (The detailed bonus pages are also interesting, but I'll leave those for you to read yourself and focus on the short manga.) First, the special edition of volume 4. "TABOO -chottodakeyo-" is included on the CD, but you really need to see the

"scary-sexy"young Sugiki. And the various panels of nipples that bewilder Suzuki-san. Followed by the sexy scene. For now, I'll be curious for the rest of my life about what happened to the stuff that flew onto his lips. And color bonus number two, "Habanera -L'amour est un oiseau rebelle-". I looked it up, and this is the title of an aria from the opera 'Carmen'. In translation, it seems to mean 'Love is a rebellious bird'. It makes so much sense. It shows what the two of them are doing on their day off, with the top and bottom panels showing them simultaneously, and finally, their two worlds intersect over the phone. Sugiki-san is watching a DVD that came with Dance Magazine (the one Suzuki-san is in, of course), and Suzuki-san is taking the opportunity to watch an erotic DVD. Inoue Sato-sensei is a genius!!!The special edition of volume 6 is "and ALL that Jazz". I wonder if it's okay to assume this is from that famous musical. It's a school story where they "swapped places". Here, I couldn't tell who was the uke or the seme anymore, and it's one of those things where you inevitably end up re-reading the first page once you finish. Genius. The little short manga included is also interesting.The special edition of volume 7. First, the short manga where Fusako-san "verifies the Japanese language ability" of the two was the best. Thank you, Inoue Sato-sensei!! And "A Spoonful of Sugar". Oh, is this from 'Mary Poppins'? I see.... It's interesting to imagine the story from the song title each time, as it broadens my knowledge since I'm not that familiar with music. And I love this story so, so, so, so much. Um, when you release the CD, please make this story a bonus track. I will definitely buy it!!!! There is nothing better than hearing a story about going to a chiropractor and making moaning sounds (in the correct sense) with your own ears (I insist). Of course, seeing the two of them in such a disheveled state (mostly text) in the art was really great.
The short manga in volume 8 features Mukai-san. It was good that his plain face became distinct. And "Ti★co Ti★co". Sorry, this shouldn't be a song title.... Inoue Sato-sensei wrote in the 50 questions and 50 answers that she drew eroticism that hadn't been depicted in the main story, and it was very erotic. Where on earth did the idea for Goldie come from.... Ah, I started drooling with anticipation, wondering if I might be able to read such uninhibited eroticism with Sugiki-san and Suzuki-san from the main story (without ears and tails) as a bonus in the final volume of the story?????. I like children too, so I was very satisfied.

So, although it's rough, I've written out all my thoughts. I hope '10DANCE' spreads even further, and I want to be captivated by those two's dancing together with many other people!

(That's why I highly recommend the CD as well) (I'm always looking for comrades) (I'm fine with reversible, but I'm too interested in Sugiki-san's voice when he's the uke) (I'd rather have an anime adaptation) (I'm also praying for the success of the live-action adaptation!!!)