01x08 - Dance Battle

[bunniefuu]

[Kabo] I'm kind of looking forward

to dance club today.

Why?

Because today…

I might be a little better

at dancing than I was before.

["Who's next?" playing]

What's going on?

[dancer 1] Oh, Kabo.

U-Um, I thought today was…

Weird, right? We don't really get

what's going on either.

When we got to class, for some reason,

On and Iori were having a dance battle.

[dancer 2] No one knows when it started,

when it's going to end,

or why it's happening in the first place.

[Kabo gasps]

A dance battle.

WANDANCE

[dancers exclaiming, gasping]

["WANDALAND" playing]

ON MIYAO

TEN YEARS OF DANCE EXPERIENCE

IORI ITSUKUSHIMA

FIVE YEARS OF DANCE EXPERIENCE

-[dancer 1] No way!

-[dancer 2] So cool!

[dancer 3]

Iori is seriously good at dancing house.

[Kabo]

Even though he's making it up on the spot,

it's like he knows the music inside out.

You think that's it?

The reason for the battle.

[dancer 3] Iori wants to enter the

Inter-High Dance Battle next month, right?

[dancer 4] Since we don't

take part in the battle events,

maybe he's trying to convince her?

[dancer 5] Or maybe On is trying to

persuade Iori to come back to the club?

What?

No. Maybe it's that rumor that was

flying around last year for a minute.

Actually, there was a vibe that

those two might end up together.

So that means… if Iori wins,

he gets to go out with On!

Something like that. [chuckles]

Crazy! That makes watching this

way more intense!

That's seriously a no-go.

We can't let him have her!

[Kabo] I don't think On is the kind of

person to waste everyone's time

just for her own convenience.

Everyone, let's be serious

and watch this properly, okay?

Maybe they'll ask us to judge

when they're finished.

[dancers cheering]

-Th-That's intense.

-How's she doing that with her body?

It's a technique called a "hit."

By quickly tensing

and then relaxing your muscles,

it looks as if an expl*si*n

is happening from inside the body.

It's the most important skill

in the popping genre.

On dances hip-hop

with everyone in the dance club,

but popping is the genre

she's been dancing the longest.

[Yura] I didn't know that.

[Aoi] I've never seen

On dance like this before.

[Kabo] On's dancing is totally different

from in the club or at the contest.

It's a dance with

an unfiltered, fighting spirit.

There's no way On can lose

with a dance like that.

["I don't wanna feel this way" playing]

Huh?

Is he saying, "Watch carefully"?

[dancer 5] The way he moves

his feet is amazing.

[dancer 4] Hmm.

[dancers exclaim]

[dancer 1]

Iori can do acrobatics like that?

Apparently, Iori learned breaking first.

[dancer 1] He listens to the music so well

even though the moves

are really intense. Crazy!

[Kabo]

Looks like Iori's not losing either.

Whether it's down to skill or passion.

[dancer 3] The song before was

way suited to On's dance style,

but this one is so Iori!

[dancer 1] What's On going to do?

[dancers cheer]

[cheering]

[dancer 1]

What? Now On's breaking? That is so hot!

[dancer 3] She's nailing the beat

just with her footwork.

[Kabo] The things I don't know

just keep on coming.

Incredible.

You can feel how they're both

raising each other's game.

Amazing.

[Kabo] Raising each other's game.

It's like they're being inspired

by each other's moves.

They keep bouncing

fresh ideas off one another.

I didn't realize it was possible

to be this good.

A showdown between two top-level dancers.

Man, that's so cool.

I want to be like that soon.

[song ends]

OPEN UNTIL 9

[customer] I can't believe it.

CHECKOU

What kind of training are they giving you?

KABEYA

I told you so many times

to double up the bags.

[Kabeya] Huh?

[customer] Are you new?

I know the manager here well, by the way.

You should apologize!

I'm extremely sorry.

[customer] Well, that's polite of you.

But I want you to mean it this time.

Try again.

[music playing through phone]

Huh?

Hey, Kabe. Finished work? Nice one.

[Kabe] Heya.

What are you guys watching?

The other day, Iori told me there's

someone crazy good in his dance club.

We're watching the recording

from the contest.

[Kabe] Someone crazy good?

I was, like,

it's just a show dance, right?

But it turns out they pull off a dance

that's really something else.

[Kabe] For real?

[music on phone continues]

Which one?

Oh, her?

Nah, that's the club president, On Miyao.

Her skills are way out there,

but she doesn't look

like the dance battle type.

[friend] It's probably her with

the super bright hair, Hikari Wanda.

[Kabe] Hmm. She's unique.

But if we're talking about a battle,

this guy's mad.

[friend 2] Huh? This massive guy?

[Kabe] I wanna see him in a battle.

I'd love to go up against

someone that talented.

[panting]

[dancer 3 gasps]

Looks like they're finally finished.

Were they seriously dancing

almost an hour?

[On] Shall we ask the judges?

It's obvious, but sure.

Sorry for not explaining anything.

Time for the verdict.

Clap for whoever you think was good.

Huh? She's actually asking us?

I have absolutely no clue who did better.

They're both way too good.

[Kabo] To be honest, up until recently,

I didn't even know

how to watch a dance battle.

But now I kind of get it.

But even so, both of them

were really about equal today.

How am I supposed to choose?

Since he's the only other guy,

I feel like I wanna support Iori.

The worst thing is, everyone's

gonna see exactly who I vote for.

Kinda rough.

Ugh. What do I do?

Okay, first it's me, in the red corner.

Who thinks I did well?

[gasps]

Phew.

I went with my gut and voted for On,

and seems like everyone else did too.

Okay, and next, in the blue corner,

Iori Itsukushima.

Who thinks Iori was good?

[dancers] Uh…

[gasps]

After considering it from various angles,

most people are either clapping

for both of them or not clapping at all.

But Wanda is the only one

who's only clapping for Iori.

She voted the opposite to me.

That's kind of a surprise,

but more importantly,

the only two people who are able to

express their own opinion

clearly in this room right now

are me and Wanda.

You beat me. You're incredible, On,

like I already knew.

But Iori was seriously good too.

Yep.

Well, who's up next? Who's gonna beat On?

What? Now we're doing that?

Let's see.

What about you, Kabo?

Wanna come up and dance?

-Um…

-[gasps]

Is he serious?

[Kabo sighs]

THREE MONTHS OF DANCE EXPERIENCE

-Kabo.

-[gasps]

Right now, trying to beat On

with technique alone would be tough.

But there's one way for you to win.

It's by truly believing that

you love dancing more than On.

-[gasps]

-Okay.

Ugh, I'm wiped. Anyone got some water?

-Here.

-Thanks.

Iori, why were you battling On?

Since I lost, the club won't compete

in any more battle events.

I've gotta rejoin the dance club,

and I'll be a candidate

for club president next year.

[both] What? We were pretty much dead-on?

[Iori]

Plus, I don't get to date On either.

I'm seriously about to die,

so let's make it two rounds, okay?

But show me what you've got.

[Kabo] This feels weird.

I was just watching Iori a second ago,

and now it's me in the spotlight.

I feel like the main character.

I've never been the main character before.

[Wanda] You'll be able to create

a type of dance that only you can do,

one that no one can copy.

["Red Mind" playing]

[Iori] This is a fun song.

A melody that shakes up your mind,

with a recurring phrase on the steel pans.

A pure female voice

that lingers on the eardrums.

Never mind about On.

I wonder how a beginner like Kabo

is going to approach this.

[Yura] Oh, On's going first.

[dancers cheer]

[dancers cheer]

-[cheering]

-She… She's amazing!

On's waacking!

[Iori] Man, I really wanna try this song.

Come on, what are you gonna do, Kabo?

[dancers cheer]

[Kabo] Since the contest, I've been

watching videos of battles with Iori.

I've practiced over and over,

visualizing them each time.

Then one day,

my sense of rhythm just shifted.

It feels like the music is pounding

deep inside my body.

Faint, subtle sounds

expressed through ticking.

I was certain of it

after watching their battle.

There's one simple way

to win a dance battle.

Whoever connects more with the music wins.

Today, I don't need anyone

to get excited about my dancing.

Just you.

[gasps]

[Kabo] I want you to feel my dancing!

Is that really Kabo?

He's really going for it.

Kabo actually wants to win.

["TRASHURE" playing]

[Iori] Oof. This is another tricky song.

The vibe's totally different.

Way more pumped up.

This song is unashamedly beat-centric,

with lots of irregular rhythms.

How's On gonna handle it?

[dancer] What is this?

She's k*lling the beat.

[Iori] That's mind-blowing.

She's using animation

to totally k*ll the beat.

How will Kabo respond?

[Kabo] This beat.

[dancers cheer]

-[shrieks]

-[dancers exclaim]

[Iori] That feeling you get

from a seamless solo…

that's what I wanted to see from you.

[Kabo] I feel like I'm connecting with On

more than ever before.

It's as if she's reaching inside me.

It's because we're like equals now.

There's something more to dance battles

than winning or losing.

It's impossible not to get good

doing something like this.

For me now, there's nothing but dance!

[music ends]

[Kabo, On panting]

[On chuckles]

We'll decide by applause.

Make sure you choose one of them.

Don't choose both.

Who thinks Ms. On was the best?

On was better, right? She was amazing.

Who thinks Kabo was better?

[dancer] He was incredible.

[sighs]

[student 1]

So, On won yesterday, in the end.

[Aoi] It was funny

how Iori called her "Ms. On."

[student 2] I mean, it makes sense

when you stop and think.

[student 1] But it's cool Kabo got enough

votes to give her a run for her money.

[Aoi] How did he tie all those moves

together like that?

[student 2] For three months,

he's totally outdone himself.

[panting] Kabo!

Did you hear?

On said Ichirin High School is going to

participate in the next battle event too!

What?

Did you see me yesterday?

Huh?

Oh, actually, I didn't see

who Wanda voted for.

That's strange. At the time,

it didn't even cross my mind.

[cheering]

[dancer 1] Hey! Is Wanda crying?

[dancer 2] Wait, what? Oh, yeah.

[engine rumbling]

[Wanda] I was so caught up in the dancing.

Huh? Wh-What?

Um, I feel like now…

I really respect you as a dancer.

I feel like I can go anywhere with you.