User reviews

One might expect something a bit different for Shinichiro Watanabe's first anime series in ages. Rather than the kind of genre-fusion madcap adventures for which Watanabe became famous for (Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo), Kids on the Slope is a gentle coming-of-age drama about a pair of teenage boys who don't fit in and find release through jazz music. Well, it's not that much of a surprise if you saw his short film Baby Blue, but it's still worth applauding such a doggedly realist show in a medium that specializes in flights of fancy.

Indeed, Kids on the Slope is at its best when it flows with the languorous, irregular rhythm of jazz, letting us soak in the aesthetics and hang out with its characters. The animation is beautifully done, and the music is of course excellent (and what's more, we actually see the characters playing the notes -- no Nodame Cantabile-esque still frames here). The attempts to interject drama, especially towards the back half of the series, take away from this appeal a bit, but even at its most serious Kids on the Slope is never melodramatic.

The main attraction here is the relationship between Kaoru and Sentaro, a curious mix of friendship, rivalry, and admiration. They drag each other towards something approaching adulthood, even if there's always a distance between them. Anime has plenty of shows about male-male bonding, but few have a central relationship as complex as this one. Ritsuko, the third wheel to this bromance, is handled less well and never really comes off as more than a love interest.

Along the way there are historical subplots, moments of ambiguous redemption, a hilarious wannabe pop band, and more jam sessions than you can shake a drumstick at. It doesn't live up to Cowboy Bebop, but nothing does, and unlike Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope doesn't really try. Instead, it's its own thing, strange and a little funky, but ultimately pretty enjoyable.

Shinichiro Watanabe is as close to a cult anime director as you get and with Kids on the Slope he addresses directly the stylistic thread that runs through everything he does, music.

Kaoru Nishimi is the buttoned down, classically trained protagonist, carrying his emotions bundled up in his suitcase through an endless carousel of schools and communities. Never having time for friends or even acquaintances, and drawing his only pleasure from the structured performance of classical piano. The series begins with the door to his sheltered existence creaked open by the self-styled drummer Sentaro Kawabuchi. In a cacophony of fists, romance, and blaring jazz, Sentaro awakens Kaoru to the wonders of expression.

Shinichiro Watanabe, along with composer Yoko Kanno, has sketched a nostalgic portrait of 60s Japan, and in what i'm sure are touches of autobiography shown an adrift young man find a home in the beautifully flawed world of jazz. Watanabe draws his characters with a loving hand, appreciating nuance and weakness as part and parcel, however this adoration can sometimes come across as sentimentally watery. But the show is made with a joy that leaps out from every vivid image and roaring musical number, that would suppress any criticism in sheer enthusiasm.

Drawing from the American Beatniks and his own experience Watanabe produces a delicate character play enriched by one of the finer soundtracks i've heard.

Much more emotional and earthly than Shinichirō Watanabe's previous works... why, yes there are several reasons for that....first ,the characters are high school students ,more like makato sinkai's characters...second ,they show a deeper level of love and friendship among them which is very naive ... third, the music and the soundtracks used in the whole series...

Yoko Kanno joined Watanabe for the third time and together they created a magical musical journey... direction is not edgier as that of cowboy bebop or samurai champloo but still its great... highly recommendable... my ratings-9/10

If you've ever in your life sat down and spent some free time watching anime, odds are you've heard the name Shinichirō Watanabe and Yoko Kanno. With two of the best well-known names in anime, you will not be disappointed when you get high hopes for this piece of work. My purpose of this review is not to go in depth of the story or its characters, but to hopefully help those who are undecided about putting this one on their watch-list.

The animation is incredible, the colors perfect, as expected the score is remarkable, character development is on point, and this story can be quite touching at times. I'm usually not interested into the more drama driven anime, but Kids on the Slope is an easy exception.

But to make the point perfectly clear, if you're debating watching Kids on the Slope, stop debating and watch it, period.

The anime has a total of 12 episodes and was broadcast between April and June in 2012. The story begins with a high school boy (Kaoru Nishimi) who moves to Saseho in Nagasaki prefecture due to his father's business matter. Kaoru is the best student at his previous school but he doesn't fit into the environment and doesn't have friends because of his frequent changes of schools. After he meets a problem kid and a Jazz drummer, Sentaro, Kaoru finds a light in his school life. As Kaoru is a classic pianist, he starts playing Jazz under Sentaro's influence. Soon after Kaoru falls in love with Ritsuko, Sentaro's childhood friend. However, Kaoru is rejected because he finds out that Ritsuko's favourite person is Sentaro. Meanwhile, Ritsuko also notices that Sentaro comes to like a mysterious upperclass student, Yurika. Yurika loves Junichi who is a saxophone player and comes back from Tokyo after joining a student movement and is renounced by his father.

Love and relationship are unpredictable just like jams and Jazz improvisations, and they are leaping impulses and swinging like a person running down a slope. Each episode is composed of a small story along with a Jazz song such as "Someday My Prince Will Come," "Now's the Time," "Moanin," "Summertime," etc. The story is a really heartwarming. Perhaps, the time background of the story in the 1970s, where people listen to records, no musical score, transcriptions of songs, student movements, and people, makes the viewer feel warm. Above all, the music is brilliant! Yoko Kanno worked on the songs; the arrangement of Jazz songs, and the jams and improvisations are top-notch! I highly recommend this anime, and you will find passion and bittersweet in the story.

A perfect coming of age story and love letter to Jazz and friendship. I loved the characters. The drama was realistic and believable. None of the 12 episodes was wasted and each one led the characters through growth and challenges. Growth and challenges aside, the characters themselves are compelling with interesting backstories and motivations. The soundtrack is amazing and the animators nailed the characters playing their instruments - extremely impressive. I would recommend giving this show a watch - it touched me and I have rewatched it since my initial viewing.

Its seriously an amazing anime. its one of my favorites! but sadly it is very overlooked and underrated. The reason i tried this in the first place is because i was watching all the generic anime like Naruto, Attack on Titan, Soul Eater, and the like and i just wanted to try something different, specifically dramas. But the thing is i hate the kind where people get dramatic over little things like "You stole my hair brush!Jason's hair was in that brush! You're going down!!!" god! i don't know why anyone would like that. This on the other hand is a really down to earth, feel good, coming of age drama with likable characters. Just give it a try!

I started watching this anime as i thought it would similar to "your life in April " but it has more than that, after watching this one would definite start liking jazz music too. The emotions and types love have been well framed and all the characters were interesting. so much emotions have been put on all the characters, I like how well they have presented the bond of friendship between the main characters, makes think about my old schools friends too. Not for a single minute i felt that story is dragging. the motion and feelings of the characters were so natural doesn't feel like watching it on screen, it was more like experiencing it and you might relate it with story to. give this anime a shot you feel disappointed.

I got halfway through episode one before quitting. The animation is gorgeous, and the characters are realistic, but its really, really boring. There's nothing wrong with the scenes themselves but they are so dull when watched together. Maybe there's a plot in episode 2, but so far its really dull and aside from the animation there's nothing that looks worth watching.

Is it perfect nope.

But I can't help but smile throughout watching this show its slice of life element remind me of my high school days and the music my god the music is magnificent it's entrancing and fun in a way jazz can only be

God bless shinchiro Watanabe for his amazing taste in music.

At least for me it was even emotionally touching, I rarely get pushed my buttons. This anime is amazing, it creates a great atmosphere (for me from the first glance). The art and the feel of it really shines out.

This anime is set in the scene of school life (yet doesn't really go deep into it), this anime goes deep into drama and emotions also has great music which I excitedly listened with my face all lit up and was like "yessss give me moar!". The whole plot fulfilled a great deal except maybe the romance part (but well it's me who wanted more of it :D).

So I highly recommend it for you if you are into music/jazz and into deeper emotional/psychological drama. From the first look it might seem that it's not that serious, but it really develops and envelops a lot about characters and their backgrounds. I really loved the feel of this deepness which just attracted me to keep watching it episode after episode instead of deciding if it's really worth it or not wanting to watch it like some trashy ones. This anime is great of great artistic value.

As an older person who isn't into anime I have nevertheless watched all of Watanabe's works and find this one to be my absolute favourite. Don't be put off by the fact that Cowboy Beebop or Samurai Champloo are more popular and highly rated than Kids on the Slope. This has probably got more to do with the fact that you are more likely to appreciate Kids on the slope if you have a passion for music and know how it can bring people together. It also helps if there is some distance between your school days and now, as older people have a much warmer place for that period in their life and know to place a higher value on it.

This show works wonderfully well as a 4 hour movie and manages to capture the naivety, innocence and passion of youth in all it's charming glory. Personally, having changed schools and countries throughout my childhood, as well as loving music, and having experienced the way music always made new friends for me, some which still last to this day, I can say that this series is overwhelmingly powerful and true in every sense. To laugh and cry with a smile on your face and remember the first time you heard Bill Evans, Miles Davis, or the rhythm section on Coltrane's My Favourite Things and be shocked by beauty once again.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, buy it, watch it. And then watch it again every year or so.