Even though the best thing to do right now during this global pandemic is to self-isolate and practice social distancing, staying active is also crucial to keeping your body and mind healthy. Whether you would rather binge anime or you are simply bored of your usual home exercises, a good way to break the routine is to learn some new fun dance moves. But, who says you can't do both at the same time? Here are some of the best anime dances you can learn right now at home.
Hare Hare Yukai
Hare Hare Yukai is the ending theme song of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. After becoming a fast Internet phenomenon in the mid-'00s for its catchy song and unique and easy-to-learn moves, this dance remains one of the most iconic in the world of anime even years after its release. Many fans have created their own versions of the Hare Hare Yukai by covering it, creating remixes and parodies.
Recently, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's voice actors, Aya Hirano (Haruhi) and Tomokazu Sugita (Kyon) reenacted the iconic dance and posted it on social media with the hashtag #Do the "Hare Hare Yukai" With All Your Might at Home to encourage people to stay at home, but also be active during the quarantine. While Aya Hirano brings back the nostalgic Haruhi charisma we all missed, Sugita is as funny as ever while dancing. It's a fun throwback not only to a particular Internet craze, but also to a loveable anime couple.
The Fusion Dance
Most Dragon Ball fans would have probably tried this dance multiple times by now. The Fusion Dance was first introduced by Goku, who learned it from Metamorans in the Other World. The purpose of Fusion is to temporarily merge two or more bodies of similar power levels into a stronger entity. Piccolo, who learns this technique from Goku, teaches it to Goten so he can fuse with Trunks in order to defeat Majin Buu. Goku describes the dance in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn as a combination of traditional fighting poses and water ballet -- much to the annoyance of Vegeta.
The Fusion Dance continues to be a strong touching stone for anime fans, still used in Vines and TikTok videos, and even as the American football team, Cleveland Browns’, goal celebration. While the dance itself might not make you merge into a powerful entity in real life, it is still fun to do.
The Torture Dance
If you’re interested to learn a more bizarre and unique dance sequence, the Torture Dance from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is definitely the right choice. As seen in Part 5, Vento Aureo (Golden Wind), the dance involves Narancia, Mista and Fugo, who perform it while torturing Zucchero, a Stand user that ambushes Team Bucciarati. While in the manga, the scene is described in a short single-page, the anime spun it out into a minute-long sequence of odd dance moves combined with surreal, violent imagery, all soundtracked by a really fun hip-hop song called, “Canzoni Preferite.”
The scene is the most JoJo thing you will ever see and, as such, the Torture Dance has become a popular meme throughout the anime community. Fans have uploaded video parodies to the Internet but have also tried to recreate it in real-life -- including at proms. Even though the dance might seem odd and complicated at first, it will definitely make you feel like a Gang Star.
Splash Free
Whether it was its unabashed fan service or intense swimming competition drama, Free! quickly became one of the most beloved sports anime series when it was released in 2013. In the first season of the anime series, fans were pleasantly surprised to see the main swim team boys breaking into sick dance moves in the ending credits, called Splash Free!.
As the studio behind it, KyoAni, are experts at making memorable dance sequences, it is no surprise the dance became a smash hit from the get-go. Fun fact: the choreography for each of the character’s dance moves matches their swimming style in the anime.
Chika Dance
Perhaps the only dance that can compete with the Hare Hare Yukai is Chika Fujiwara's dance. The Chika dance first appears at the end of the third episode of the anime series, Kaguya-sama: Love is War. The dance sequence is performed by the adorable Chika in one fluid take that lasts throughout the entire end credits.
What makes this scene so great is that it probably represents one of the smoothest animated dance segments seen in anime in a long time. Why do Chika’s moves seem so real? It's thanks to the use of “rotoscoping,” a technique in which animators trace over the movement of a live-action scene. From its very first appearance, the Chika dance became a huge sensation online. Loads of fans have covered it, created parodies of it, or even remixed the footage with other songs, making it a popular YouTube trend.
