Welcome to the Ballroom

"Welcome to the Ballroom" (Japanese: ボールルームへようこそ, Bōrurūmu e Yōkoso) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tomo Takeuchi. It follows Tatara Fujita, an aimless middle school student who gets drawn into the world of competitive ballroom dancing after a chance encounter. He is saved from bullies by the mysterious dance instructor Kaname Sengoku and is brought into the Ogasawara Dance Studio. Captivated by the dancing of his classmate Shizuku Hanaoka, Tatara discovers his passion for dance. The story depicts Tatara's journey through the competitive dance world, his interactions with various dancers, and his personal growth. The manga began serialization in 2011 and was adapted into a 24-episode anime television series by Production I.G in 2017, directed by Yoshimi Itazu. The music was composed by Yuuki Hayashi, with character designs by Takahiro Kishida. The anime was streamed on Amazon Prime Video, and its theme songs were performed by Unison Square Garden and Mikako Komatsu. Despite several hiatuses due to the author's health issues, the manga has gained popularity and been nominated for several awards, including the Manga Taisho.