The live-action Wandance film held its Japan premiere, featuring cast dance performances, emotional talks, and a surprise Nicholas reveal.

The live-action film adaptation of Coffee’s manga “Wandance,” which has been strongly supported by dancers and drew attention when a TV anime aired last year, and which is currently serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon and has surpassed a cumulative 1.3 million copies in circulation across all volumes, will be released nationwide on Friday, November 27, 2026 (planned, produced, and distributed by Happinet Phantom Studios; directed by Naoya Kusaba). JO of &TEAM, making his first starring film role, will play the protagonist Kabo; Anji Ikehata will play Hikari Wanda, also known as Wanda, who changes the protagonist’s fate; Kira Yamaguchi (Girls2) will play the charismatic dancer Miyao On, who leads the dance team TEAM ON that Kabo joins; RAN (MAZZEL) will play senior Iori Itsukushima, who sees Kabo’s talent and encourages him to take on dance battles; TSUKKI will play Gaku Kabeya, also known as Kabe, the strongest rival in Kabo’s dance battles; and Aloha Takamatsu (Bullet Train) will play Usen Takumi, also known as Usen, the leader of a skilled team that stands in Kabo’s way in the dance contest. In previous announcements, related words trended multiple times on X at the time of the reveal, and not only cast fans and original-work fans but also social media users have been excited, with attention also focused on the high level of the released dance footage. On October 31, a Japan premiere was held at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills, with the luxurious cast including JO, Anji Ikehata, Kira Yamaguchi, RAN, TSUKKI, and Aloha Takamatsu, as well as director Naoya Kusaba and dance chief supervisor Charismakantaro, all taking the stage. With the film’s release approaching, this event brought together the colorful cast and staff, who spoke at length about their passion for dance and the behind-the-scenes dance practice for the shoot. In addition, the event featured a live dance performance by the speakers, the film’s biggest highlight. The cast, who also deliver stunning dance battles in the movie, stepped out from the screen and heated up the Japan premiere venue. Also, with this first screening of the full film, it was revealed that NICHOLAS of &TEAM appears in the movie. At the post-screening stage greeting, JO, Anji Ikehata, Kira Yamaguchi, RAN, TSUKKI, and NICHOLAS appeared as a surprise to the audience, making it a hugely exciting event. Before the screening, to the MC’s call of “Let’s start with a dance performance!”, cheers and surprise rang out through the packed venue as Aloha Takamatsu, who played Usen, appeared first and showed dynamic movements while hyping up the audience. Next, TSUKKI, who played Kabe, performed fast and acrobatic dance moves. Then RAN, who played Iori, appeared and further heated up the venue with difficult moves. Kira Yamaguchi, who played On, captivated the audience with elegant hand movements and smooth moves. Anji Ikehata, who played Wanda, performed a delicate yet bold dance to the film song “Step by Step feat. Sagiri Sól, Oya Fujita.” Then, when the venue went dark and lit up again, JO, who played the protagonist Kabo, appeared. He thrilled the audience with a powerful, overwhelming dance, bringing the energy to its peak. As the venue was filled with the heat of the spectacular performance unique to Wandance, director Kusaba and dance chief supervisor Charismakantaro appeared, and when asked for their impressions of the dance performance, Kusaba said, “Everyone was so cool and full of energy that I was moved. It really got to me.” Charismakantaro, who had worked with the cast on dance from before filming began through the shoot, also expressed confidence, saying, “We approached it seriously and with great passion. I’m happy that the day has come when we can deliver that passion to everyone through the performers’ dancing. I think everyone definitely rose one level as performers through this film. I’m sure the fans have noticed that too.” Then the cast returned to the stage. On this day, when the film was being shown for the first time, JO, making his first starring role, said, “I was nervous and my heart was pounding, but I feel like dancing loosened me up a little. I’m happy and honored to have reached today as a first-time lead actor.” He continued, “The preparation period was an exciting and profound time, and more than that, I think it was one of the most intense periods of my life. I tried and retried both acting and dance, and together with the dance supervisors we built up how to express Kabo’s dancing without any sense of discomfort. This film is packed with the passion of so many people, so I’m very happy that everyone can see it today.” He also looked back on when he first received the offer, saying, “I received the offer two or three years ago, but as I read the original work, I developed the resolve that I would definitely play Kabo.” When asked about dance practice, Ikehata said, “At the time of filming I was a high school student, so after school I practiced dance for several hours, then joined everyone in TEAM ON and kept practicing hard. For the battle scenes, I discussed with the supervisors what kind of dance Wanda should show, and we built it up together, so I think that is the point I most want people to see.” When asked about Ikehata’s dancing, JO commented, “As filming went on, her movements became sharper, and each movement was refined. I could tell she had practiced a lot,” expressing admiration for her intense training. In addition, when the artists and dancers active at the forefront—Yamaguchi, RAN, TSUKKI, and Takamatsu—were asked about the dance of their respective characters, Yamaguchi said, “My role could dance all genres, so I based it on the dance genre I’m best at and incorporated that into On-chan, and I practiced dance from the basics with the dance supervisors to build it up.” RAN said, “Iori is a character with strong sensibility, so rather than forcing a dance style, I wanted to blend my own style with Iori’s style well.” TSUKKI revealed what she gained from the shoot, saying, “I wasn’t worried about the dancing, but I was anxious about the acting... (laughs). But after receiving acting instruction, I felt that the way I usually dance changed. It was a big deal that I was able to learn things I normally couldn’t learn.” Takamatsu looked back on filming, saying, “Usen is a character with a strong, powerful aura, so I had a person named Seiya choreograph for me, and I borrowed his style to express that sense of strength.” When the topic turned to Kabo’s line, “Rather than trying hard to be normal, do what you love and it’s okay to be weird,” JO said, “From when I read the original work, I felt Kabo’s introverted side was similar to me when I was a student. I’m still shy even now, but because it was a dance film, we were able to deepen our bond by dancing together [with the cast].” Then RAN revealed, “He was extremely shy. When he talks, he’s friendly, cute, and funny,” and Takamatsu also recalled, “Because my role was a pretty intense character, I was scared of him.” JO made the audience laugh by saying, “Unlike now, [my hair] was an afro then... I wondered if it was okay to talk to him...” Ikehata said, “First of all, I thought this line was wonderful. I thought it was lovely that those words came out of Kabo’s personality. I want to take Kabo’s way of living as a reference.” Yamaguchi said, “When I think of carrying through what I love, it’s dance. I’ve continued since I was little and I still love it now, and Kabo’s line made me realize again that carrying through what you love is not something to be embarrassed about.” RAN said with feeling, “I’ve kept dancing since I was little, so I’m glad I kept going. Because I kept doing what I love, I was able to meet everyone in Wandance. You discover new sides of yourself, and there are many good things about continuing and loving something.” TSUKKI also said, “Just as RAN said earlier, because I kept dancing and loving it, I was able to meet Wandance and be here. It’s because I carried through what I love.” Takamatsu said, “I started dance reluctantly, but I gradually came to love it, and because I kept at it, I was able to join Bullet Train and participate in such a wonderful work as Wandance. I’m glad I did dance.” Hearing these words from the cast, director Kusaba said, “I’m truly happy that they said they were glad to have met Wandance. This time, filming with everyone who was one generation younger than me was very enjoyable. I simply felt like I wanted to support their future.” Finally, lead actor JO strongly appealed, saying, “I was truly happy to be able to play the lead in the film Wandance, which was created together with such a wonderful original work, wonderful co-stars, the director, the dance supervisors, and all the staff. I’m truly grateful for being given this opportunity. I had some anxiety as a first-time lead, but thanks to everyone around me supporting and helping me, I think I was able to act with passion until the end. I hope that this passion comes across, and there are many meanings packed into this film. I would be happy if everyone could feel, little by little, the power to move forward and take on new challenges, and the power of dance to connect people’s hearts. And if anything resonates in your heart, I hope you will help spread the appeal of the film Wandance together with us.” With that, the pre-screening stage greeting came to an end. After the screening, the MC appeared in the theater filled with emotion from the film, and when the surprise announcement of the post-screening stage greeting was made, loud cheers erupted from the venue. Furthermore, when NICHOLAS of &TEAM, who also made a surprise appearance in the film, appeared, the cheers grew even louder. When JO asked, “How was it, everyone?”, the audience responded with loud applause. In response, JO said, “Looking at everyone’s faces, I can feel that the heat of Wandance came through.” The surprise guest NICHOLAS greeted everyone with a smile, saying, “It’s a surprise!” NICHOLAS’s appearance in the film had not been told to JO in advance either, and JO only learned about it during the actual shoot. During the rehearsal scene for the dance battle, JO was nervous when NICHOLAS suddenly appeared in front of him, and JO apparently did not know how to react. Meanwhile, NICHOLAS said a little sadly, “JO was so deep in his own world that he didn’t even notice me dancing right in front of him.” JO looked back, saying, “We were filming from early morning until late at night, so I thought maybe I had gone crazy,” and revealed that he only recognized NICHOLAS after actually speaking to him. When asked what he thought of NICHOLAS’s performance, JO praised him, saying, “Rather than NICHOLAS-kun, he was properly breaking in the role of ‘Matchin’ and dancing coolly, so it was awesome.” Because NICHOLAS’s appearance was a surprise, he had rehearsals and travel all separately from the members, and he again sadly said that JO did not notice him for a long time. He also said that when they first faced each other, JO showed a confused expression mixed with various emotions, and he was satisfied to see that reaction. NICHOLAS, who is from Taiwan, had originally also done street dance in Taiwan. “I like battle culture, so I was happy to be able to appear in a film like this,” he said, expressing his joy at participating. Regarding NICHOLAS’s dancing, dance supervisor Charismakantaro praised him, saying, “In the script, he was supposed to be the one who had to lose, but he was dancing so well that I thought he might win as he was. I wondered whether this would even work.” The director also praised him, saying, “It was truly wonderful dancing.” Next, when the cast was asked about their “most particular scene,” JO named the final dance battle scene with Kabe. “It was the peak of the film, so I studied how to express it in Kabo’s dance style while listening to the music and went into filming,” he recalled. He also said, “The movements that come out really differ depending on how you feel at the time, so rather than what I had practiced, I think I was able to dance well by dancing with the ‘passion’ I felt in front of Kabe.” In response, the director said, “For me too, it was the scene with the most feeling. At first, Kabo lacked confidence, but after encountering dance he accepts himself as he is, and in the final battle he frees himself. It is a very important scene. I even cried for the first time during filming, and it became a scene created by the whole team together, so it is a scene I will never forget.” JO also said, “At first, I was scared standing in front of the stage, but because the film’s theme is also ‘dance with your heart,’ I most wanted to convey that. I most wanted to express the feeling of dancing against experts with a pure love of dance from the bottom of my heart, so I hope that came across on screen.” Ikehata, who played Wanda, named the scene where Wanda dances in the morning light, saying, “I think that was the scene I was most particular about. Actually, that scene was reshot twice; I arrived on set at 2 a.m. and waited for sunrise, but because it was cloudy and so on, we reshot it twice because of the director’s strong passion.” She also named “the scene where Wanda makes a funny face when Kabo is feeling down,” and confessed, “JO and the director didn’t react, so I was lonely.” When JO replied, “It was a very wonderful funny face,” laughter spread through the venue. The scene Yamaguchi, who played On, named was the TEAM ON dance lesson scene. “Usually I’m the one receiving lessons, so when I was the one teaching, I was very particular about what kind of person I would want to follow and how I should teach so it would be easy to understand,” she said, explaining what she focused on. RAN, who played Iori, said, “Because I changed Iori’s hair color and dance style a little from the original, I talked a lot with the director and Charismakantaro to create Iori’s character in a way that was unique to the film.” TSUKKI, who played Kabo’s rival Kabe, named the final dance battle scene between Kabo and Kabe that JO also mentioned, saying, “After we finished shooting that scene, even the director and the extras were crying, and when I saw that, I felt again how wonderful dance is.” She also said that she first met JO and rehearsed two months before filming began, and said, “I felt how much he had grown between then and the time of filming. I really thought I might lose. The pressure was incredible.” In response to this story, dance supervisor Kantaro praised TSUKKI’s dancing, saying, “TSUKKI’s dancing is so amazing I think of it as AI. I still think there’s no way a body should spin like that, but I’m glad it was shown in the film.” The scene the director named was the morning light scene that Ikehata also introduced as one of her favorite scenes. “JO-san, playing Kabo, was crying when he saw Wanda’s dance. It wasn’t in the script, so I was surprised. I thought all kinds of feelings must have welled up in him, and I was happy,” he revealed. JO replied, “I knew it was an important scene for me too, so when I thought about the preparation period I had spent for this film and that Kabo would be over when the film wrapped, I teared up when I saw Wanda’s dance.” Finally, lead actor JO sent a message: “I, and all the staff involved in the film Wandance, hope that this film will push you forward even a little, so if there is anything in this film that resonates with you, I would be happy if you spread it to as many people around you as possible and help make Wandance even bigger!” With that, the post-screening stage greeting came to an end. ■Release information “Wandance” Release date: Friday, November 27, 2026 Cast: JO (&TEAM), Anji Ikehata, Kira Yamaguchi (Girls2), RAN (MAZZEL), TSUKKI, Aloha Takamatsu (Bullet Train), Kanji Furutachi Original work: Coffee’s “Wandance” (serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon) Director: Naoya Kusaba Screenplay: Keiichi Kobayashi Theme song: &TEAM “For us” Dance chief supervisor: Charismakantaro Music: origami PRODUCTIONS GuruConnect Production: Film “Wandance” Production Committee Planned, produced, and distributed by: Happinet Phantom Studios (C) Coffee / Kodansha (C) 2026 Film “Wandance” Production Committee ■Related site: “Wandance” official website ■Release information “Wandance” Release date: Friday, November 27, 2026 Cast: JO (&TEAM), Anji Ikehata, Kira Yamaguchi (Girls2), RAN (MAZZEL), TSUKKI, Aloha Takamatsu (Bullet Train), Kanji Furutachi Original work: Coffee’s “Wandance” (serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon) Director: Naoya Kusaba Screenplay: Keiichi Kobayashi Theme song: &TEAM “For us” Dance chief supervisor: Charismakantaro Music: origami PRODUCTIONS GuruConnect Production: Film “Wandance” Production Committee Planned, produced, and distributed by: Happinet Phantom Studios (C) Coffee / Kodansha (C) 2026 Film “Wandance” Production Committee ■Related site: “Wandance” official website