Mark Schilling of The Japan Times said, "Expect something thoughtful, informed — and utterly unlike the usual sob-fest Japanese medical melodrama."[3] James Hadfield of Time Out said, "Trust director Masayuki Suo to reunite the stars of his most popular film for a cheery romantic drama about assisted dying. Shall We Dance? leads Tamiyo Kusakari and Kōji Yakusho play a doctor and her terminally ill patient, with a support cast including Tadanobu Asano and Takao Osawa."[2] Hugo Ozman of Twitch Film described the film as "a thought-provoking film that will please viewers who like serious dramas" and "a beautiful film with deep meanings and some of the best performances in a Japanese film this year."[4] However, John Defore of The Hollywood Reporter said, "It's understandable Suo would want to give so much screen time to the highly sympathetic Yakusho, but doing so doesn't serve the dramatic structure of a film that might've been much more provocative than it is."[1]
