The story and premiere episode of the TV anime Wandance aired on Tuesday, October 8, on TV Asahi. Midway through the episode, viewers were surprised when the actual music video for Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop) played within the story. It is highly unusual for a real-world MV to appear in an anime, sparking reactions online such as “Scatman in Reiwa?!” and “They actually used the real Scatman John MV—how did they even get the rights for that?”

Wandance follows Kaboku Kotani, a high school student with a stutter who struggles to express his feelings, and Hikari Wanda, a classmate who dances freely without worrying about how others see her. Drawn to her passion, Kaboku begins exploring the expressive, wordless world of freestyle dance.

Combining powerful, dynamic dance sequences with delicate human drama and bittersweet romance, the series has captured hearts not only in Japan but also abroad. The manga is published in ten languages and even won the “You Should Read This Manga 2023” award in North America for “Most Anticipated for Anime Adaptation.”
The anime is produced by Madhouse and Cyclone Graphics, with world-renowned dancer RIEHATA, known for choreographing BTS and other major artists, serving as dance producer. This collaboration delivers a high-quality, authentic dance animation experience.

In Episode 1, after being inspired by Hikari’s dance, Kaboku watches a video of Scatman John, the legendary musician who also had a stutter. The anime plays the real Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop) music video in full—a nod to the fact that everyone appearing in the original MV also had speech impediments.

The creative connection between Kaboku and Scatman, both living with stuttering, makes the inclusion feel natural and poignant. Fans flooded social media with praise and surprise, commenting “Using the actual Scatman MV in an anime was so fresh,” “I didn’t expect Scatman himself to appear,” and “Can’t believe they played the real thing!” Both “Scatman” and “Wandance” quickly trended on X after the broadcast.

Source : ORICON NEWS