Waltz Review

Shuzo Oshimi‘s Waltz probably would’ve made for a really good, longer story. I find the premise to be brilliant. Onaga, an ordinary, dissatisfied girl meets Kawashibara, a young man secretly wishing to be a woman. The two form a relationship where Onaga gives Kawashibara makeovers to bring their dream closer to reality. It is, potentially, a story of someone who can only be free being something society suggests they’re not “meant” to be, and someone who can only find meaning in their life by letting someone else become the beautiful, extraordinary person they can’t see in themselves. There’s a lot here that could really resonate with audiences.

It’s a concept that could lead to an incredible, deep relationship dynamic. However, we only get a light touch of it in this 40-page one-shot. Nevertheless, Waltz tries to tell a story bigger than its allowed space. Events and character developments blur by without sufficient justification. We don’t see the finer details of how the duo’s relationship develops, only stopgaps between them meeting and the beginning of their makeover sessions.

This limitation becomes especially awkward when another (male) classmate enters the scene. It’s never clear if both leads pine for or have a falling out over him. Onaga’s violent reaction to Kawashibara admitting she wants to be seen as pretty by this new classmate demands further explanation. The two have a deep bond seemingly strong enough to not be broke by this. It’s also necessary to understand the story’s resolution.

Verdict

There aren’t enough details to make a case for the second-to-last scene in any specific way. This pulls the emotional catharsis out from under the story. Waltz successfully grabbed me until the story was practically over anyway, but it remains a tease of what could’ve been a fantastic story.