Born into a life of acting and dance with a traveling theater troupe in 14th-century Japan, 12-year old Oniyasha has one problem—he doesn't know what the point of any of it is. "Why must I step with the left foot here instead of the right? Why is one performance good and another, bad? Why do people dance at all?" It all seems perfectly arbitrary, until a chance encounter in a run-down shack sets him down a path to revolutionizing the art form and influencing much of Japanese culture to come. A fictionalized account of the early life of Zeami Motokiyo (Oniyasha), the founder of modern Noh theater—the world's oldest surviving theater art—this coming-of-age artist's journey vividly brings to life a man far ahead of his time during one of Japan's most culturally and socially vibrant eras.
(Source: Kodansha Comics)
Note: World Is Dancing is streaming 3 days in advance of the TV broadcast on Prime Video and HIDIVE beginning June 29th, 2026. Regular broadcasting began on July 2nd, 2026.
Delightfully self-aware commentary that isn't afraid to take risks
World is Dancing is a show that is tough to recommend. The first episode can be rather gentle in transporting the viewer into the show’s historical setting of 14th century Japan before it ultimately unveils its trump card in a breathtakingly raw dance sequence that sparks a fire within the main char…