English Dub Review: The World Is Dancing “To the Other Side of the Bridge”

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Overview (Spoilers Below):
Oniyasha’s stunning performance compels Zojiro to concede defeat.  Yet the competition continues, and both performers are forced to face their own limitations.

Our Take:
The rematch between Oniyasha and Zojiro is where the former’s own form truly shines.  Oniyasha’s emotionally charged routine not only won audiences over but also convinced Yoshimitsu what it really means to be the people’s shogun.  While it might mean Yoshimitsu will become a more honorable person, the episode showed he still needs convincing, especially when he wants Oniyasha to crush Zojiro in the next round. However, even though Oniyasha claimed victory in the second round, that doesn’t mean the troubles between the troupe, or even his personal life, are behind him.
Heading into the third round, Oniyasha has lost his friendship with Kogane, whose disillusionment and depression over Toku’s death led him to see Oniyasha’s negligence toward the poor.  It’s tragic to see two young boys being torn apart, but it’s even more of a downer when Kogane’s mental state was affected by losing someone he cares about and his hatred toward the higher-ups.  This is another moment that reflects how the era’s war and poverty shape people’s mentality, even if it still doesn’t reach the emotional highs it’s aiming for.
“To the Other Side of the Bridge” still struggles to achieve this kind of narrative depth, especially when the scene involving Oniyasha and Kogane ends abruptly.  However, it at least made a suitable effort to highlight Oniyasha and Zojiro’s doubts, especially the latter’s.  Zojiro’s defeat strains his Dengaku troupe, which prides itself on preserving their dance form.  It also caused him to revisit his guilt of not performing in front of his mother before her tragic death, which might’ve led him to take his dancing seriously.  Aside from that, this is another episode whose impressive dance sequence is buried underneath a fairly average depiction of the anime’s themes.

About Marcus Gibson

I'm a recent writer for BubbleBlabber who has an extraordinary passion for films and television, especially from the animation genre. I also spent plenty of hours playing video games, most notably from the Kingdom Hearts franchise. My goal is to provide the most friendly and entertaining reviews on the planet. Whenever something might be good or not, I always remain optimistic and curious about a specific concept from a film or television show.