Sakamichi no Apollon also known as Kids on the slope is an anime that has many different elements like coming of age, slice of life, and music to make one harmonious whole.
Sakamichi no Apollon starts with Kaoru coming to a new school and being introduced. Most of the students already have opinions about him since he is rich and smart. Kaoru meets up with Ritsuko who shows him around school which leads to him getting picked on and Kaoru can’t handle the stress. In order to calm down Kaoru tries to go to the roof, but finds something blocking the way. This is how he meets Sentaro who eventually helps Kaoru to get to the roof. There is some background on Kaoru and some other scenes, but most importantly Ritsuko invites Kaoru to come over to her house to look for records. This doesn’t go quite as Kaoru believes it will and helps Kaoru to become interested in Jazz.
I really wanted this show to be good and it is. If you are looking for tons of action it isn’t going to be for you, but this has a well paced story and wonderful music.
This story has a lot to do with jazz so it is pretty confusing that the opening and ending for the show have no jazz in them. They are still good songs just weird. There is still jazz and great music in the show for those who mostly want to see what music they put in.
The artstyle for this show is not the best I have seen, but it works with the retro feel of the show. The character designs for the boys are nice, but I don’t like Ritsuko’s looks quite as much. Looking at her I wonder why Kaoru is so interested in her.
Overall even if this doesn’t seem appealing, you should probably give a try anyway because it is better than it sounds. I have already seen doubters who enjoy this anime.
Status: Watching
