&TEAM・JO:First starring role in a live-action film adaptation of the popular manga "One Dance"

It has been revealed that JO from the boy group "＆TEAM" will be starring in his first film, "One Dance" (directed by Naoya Kusaba, opening November 27), which is based on a popular manga. This will also be the first time an ＆TEAM member has starred in a film.

"One Dance" is a popular manga series by Coffee that has been serialized in "Monthly Afternoon" since January 2019. It is a coming-of-age story about Kotani Kaboku, a high school student with a stutter, who is captivated by his classmate Wanda Hikari, who is engrossed in dancing without caring what others think, and takes on the challenge of "freestyle" dance that doesn't require words. The comic series has sold over 1.1 million copies in total, and a TV anime adaptation was broadcast in 2025.

Naoya Kusaba, the up-and-coming director known as "Yukiko aka," helmed the film, with the screenplay written by Keiichi Kobayashi, who also wrote "The Boyfriend Who Doesn't Kill and the Girlfriend Who Doesn't Die" and "Love is Light." For the filming, the overall dance supervision for the entire production was handled by the charismatic Kantaro, who is also the founder of the professional dance league "D.LEAGUE," and many dancers cooperated and participated in the filming. Each cast member had a dancer supervising the filming, demonstrating that they approached the dance aspect with no compromise.

◇Comment from JO, the lead actor (playing the role of Kabo)

When I first heard that I would be playing Cabo in "One Dance," to be honest, I was more shocked than happy, and for several days I couldn't believe it, wondering if it was really real.

However, as I continued reading the original story, I realized that I had a lot in common with Kabo, and I became completely immersed in the world of the story. I felt like I began to understand a little bit about what it meant for me to play Kabo.

For the filming, I put in a tremendous amount of preparation for both the acting and the dancing. Especially with the dancing, I deeply studied Kabo's dance style, and carefully built the character by aligning my own way of dancing, my feelings when I dance, and the question of "why I dance" with Kabo's feelings.

This is the first time since my debut that I've temporarily left the group to engage in such full-fledged solo activities, and I was constantly filled with anxiety and tension about having to do it all on my own. However, with the sole desire to deliver a good work to everyone who watches the movie and to my fans, I did a lot of research and practice. Through that process, I feel that both my dancing and my character have grown significantly.

Of course, we hope you enjoy the dance and music, but we would also be delighted if you could come to the theater and witness Kabo's journey as he meets people through dance, and grows through his struggles.

◇Comment from the original author, Coffee-san

Congratulations on the first announcement of the live-action film adaptation of One Dance. It is an honor to have such energetic and renowned cast members, including JO, playing the roles.

I was curious about how much the actors would actually be dancing, but I was quite surprised to find out that each cast member had a dancer assigned to them as a supervisor, and that these were all incredibly top-notch, renowned dancers. It was truly magnificent.

Personally, rather than wanting the film adaptation to be a faithful reproduction of the original, I'd prefer that they create something new and different using expressive methods and a script suited to the length of each medium, so I conveyed that to the director. I'm looking forward to the cool dance scenes.

◇Comments from Director Naoya Kusaba

The original story is about Cabo, an introverted and self-deprecating protagonist, who liberates himself through dance. The lead actor, JO, portrays Cabo with such delicate expression that it's hard to believe it's his first acting role, and throughout the play, he dances improvisationally with overwhelming energy!

My most memorable moment was a crucial shot in the climax. When I walked over to give the OK, JO's eyes were filled with tears of accomplishment from having given his all, and his image overlapped with that of Kabo, causing me to cry uncontrollably as well. It was a moment where fiction and reality blended together, and I experienced the wonderful feeling of being able to connect deeply with others through dance.

The words of our charismatic dance supervisor, Kantaro, "I don't want to lie about dance," resonate strongly with my own desire to "not lie about film," and they are the driving force behind my approach to this project with the same passion.

This is a work that I poured my heart and soul into, with a script by my respected mentor Keiichi Kobayashi and advice from the original author, Coffee-sensei. Please enjoy it in theaters!

Comment from the overall supervisor of the suicide dance: Charisma Kantaro

I thought many times about how to portray the dance in accordance with the original story, and what kind of dance Kabo should perform. In the real world, it's honestly difficult for a child who has just started dancing to immediately become successful, but I found a possibility that this dance might be possible, so I paired one dancer with Kabo (JO).

We paid meticulous attention to every detail of each character, including those who haven't been announced yet, and I'm incredibly grateful to the director and production team for accommodating our requests. I think they've truly awakened their potential, and JO in particular became possessed by Kabo through practice and filming; it's hard to tell whether the work or the movie came first.

This wonderful piece reminded us once again that dance is not just about technique, but also about "heart." The entire dance production team presents it with confidence!