Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
fh1478
My Guardian Himbo Solved My Anxiety
Kids on the Slope is there show about a big tall man and a scrawny rich kid, who meet each other, and you wonder is this gonna become something very Yaoi, but then it becomes straight instead.
You think you're going in for jazz, there is jazz and it sounds amazing, but it is teenage coming of age drama, Just like Your Lie in April is in the emotional department, and you have to be in the mood and have a taste for it.
The 60s settings makes it original and way it uses Christianity and mixed blood is well done. If you cannot handle the teenage hormones and love triangles, you're gonna have a miserable time, just like I had.
Shinichiro Watanabe direction is good. it's not his story and the only moment I feel his touch, is in the jazz music scenes. Chara…
Read at the sourceZeroMissedCalls
Kids on the Slope has serious issues with its narrative, pacing and scripting (middle episodes), its overall consistency, and the development of both its characters and their interactions and relationships. There are entire sections where this feels like an all-timer and others where I become so frustrated with what is happening on screen that I don't even want to continue.
But.
When this show is good, it is very, very, very, good. There are individual moments it captures of an almost transcendent and awe-inspiring beauty. A rare beauty that is not just an achievement of anime, but of all art. And as a rule I will always favor art that can strike me down right where I stand, even if those moments are rare and fleeting.
Read at the sourceOlaf_Forkbeard
Great animation, strong eye for cinema, and reasonable story beats.
However this is a Boy's Love Josei anime with Jazz in it, not a Jazz Josei anime with romance. I enjoyed it, more than less, but the clear romance of will they won't they wasn't between the main love interest and the two growing boys, it's definitely two bisexual boys and a straight girl.
I don't think I can say I don't recommend this anime, but I can say it's a about changing love triangles and childish reactions (because they are children, it was realistic on that front) to trauma's and love distress. It legit would have been better if it was written with what was so clearly intended to be a gay or bi curious romance while also being a coming of age story. I am an ace adult, so this frankly did not interest me much a…
Read at the sourceMichaelBellonis
“A painting is created on a space, while jazz is created during a time called a performance. It’s like etching your living self into that place in time.”
I’m back with another contender for my Definitive Top 100 Anime of All Time List - Kids on the Slope.
A gorgeous 12 episode anime directed by Watanabe and animated by Mappa studio (it was actually Mappa’s FIRST production!) though not either of their usual approaches to storytelling - a soft, poignant coming of age story of a group of kids becoming obsessed with jazz music. This marks an even more interesting departure from Watanabe’s usual storytelling, as this was also his first directorial role SINCE concluding Samurai Champloo in 2005.
Watanabe has always had a large focus on music in his projects, though up to this point it was…
Read at the sourceShipperNig196
This was bad yall. As yall can see it took me an entire month to finish a 12 episode fucking show. I just finished arcane in a week and it has 9. That should tell you all you need to know about this.
THIS SHOW WANTED TO BE A BOY LOVE SO BAD AND IT NEVER WENT THERE WHAT THE FU— okay first off i wanted to preface this by saying i kinda gaslit myself into watching this sludge. For the longest time i heard it was about jazz and that it was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (idk who tf told me that. I think i told myself that. Idk) so it had always been on my ghost list for a while. Fast forward like 10 years later (im lazy) and I finally get around to watching it and i want to go back in time and slap the shit out of myself. Anywho the worst part of this show besides the fact that the characters…
Read at the sourceCynthesia
On first impression, Sakamichi no Apollon is yet another tried and true coming story, the foundation which it’s built on is something which has been utilized a hundred thousand times. From the moment this story begins you’ll likely have the entire premise figured out. The two male leads have completely opposite personalities but are both outcasts for their own reasons, they become unlikely friends and grow as a result. Of course, this only covers the surface level and the actual contents are where the real magic begins.
This is a story about life and jazz. Jazz is most colloquially known as the abstract genre. It plays fast and loose with the rules and is defined by its unpredictability. Despite how much you may or may not agree with that definition, it’s also true that underneath all that…
Read at the sourceKranst
Set in the summer of 1966, Kids on the Slope is an enthralling look into the soulful art of jazz that is centered around an outstanding cast swept up in interpersonal drama and the blooming passion of youth. The improvisational music accompanied by meticulously beautiful animation captures the intense fervor of each note. This passionate flow carries onward into the characters through their emotional and romantic connections. Relationships are naturally developed, conflict resolutions do not subvert audience expectations, and genuine care is placed in communication. Some material is noticeably missing towards the end, but it does little to interrupt what makes this show so fantastic.
Read at the sourcegriddyweeb
After watching an anime like this is when someone truly thinks it's such a shame that josei is slept on. It does everything better than a shoujo, shounen or seinen drama/romance would.
The love polygon and all the drama just works, it was never getting annoying or fabricated, it was always natural and clearly targeted at a mature group of viewers. There was never need for tropes or clichés to move the story forward or make it interesting (apart from maybe one towards the end)
The animation was really nice during some scenes, they spent their budget at the right places for sure.
But the music is the best part of this show, it's as good as you'd expect from a show focused on music. Not just the performances, but the OST and its usage too. Even if you're not a fan of jazz you will enjoy it…
Read at the sourceaceflag
Just finished watching it, and wow what an emotional ride. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s a coming of age story set in 1960s Japan, revolving around friendship, love, and jazz. It’s got that perfect mix of heartfelt storytelling and musical brilliance.
What makes this anime so special isn’t just the jazz, though that’s phenomenal it’s the way it captures the raw, bittersweet nature of youth. The relationships feel real they are messy, complicated, and full of moments that remind you of your own struggles with growing up. Kaoru, Sentaro, and Ritsuko’s dynamics hit hard because they’re so human. There’s tension, misunderstandings, and unspoken emotions, but there’s also warmth, loyalty, and that unshakable bond that only true friends share.
The music isn’t just a backdrop it’s the h…
Read at the sourceThyme_Titan
Absolutely incredible show that will always have a special place in my heart but Christ on a bike do some of the characters act in the most stupid was. Especially Richie, like omg dude wtf are you doing???
The story is beautiful and deeply moving... apart from when Richie does some stupid shit and ruins it for a while.
The art style was incredible and fits the story so well.
The music I mean the MUSIC. I love it so much. The jazz numbers always get me and always make me feel so much
The characters all have some depth but they do have the flaw of sometimes just randomly doing stupid shit for no reason.
In some cases characters react very realistic and normally and I understand why they do the stupid stuff because despite it being stupid it is realistic but god damn sometimes charac…
Read at the sourceOG_Otaku
The persons involved in the English dub of this precious anime should be lined up against a wall and shot. It is a crime against humanity. Avoid it at all cost.
This anime can only be appreciated in the original Japanese.
Sakamichi no Apollon is a love story between two orphaned young men. Raised by relatives, no contact with their mothers or their absentee fathers, they become antisocial rebels, until they are brought together by music. Specifically, mid-twentieth century American jazz.
Originally a josei manga published by a young women's magazine, our female lead Ritsuko serves as the love interest for young Nishimi. But in truth, she represents the young women readers, supporting our male protagonists, cheering them on as they channel their passions into music and a friendship that…
Read at the sourceveganramen
I love everything about this anime, especially the bond between jazz and friendship, that despite the immaturity of the characters due to their young age, they manage to overcome difficulties connected by this bond that unites them. Also, I think the drama is very well incorporated as it keeps you on the edge of your seat, but not so much that it's too dense. As for the animation I found it very nice and clean, it even gives that old anime feel giving more emphasis to the year it is set in.
I think it's an anime you should definitely watch sometime, especially if you feel close to Jazz.
Read at the sourceGamer_Moment58
As a current high-schooler in a jazz Band, when I saw clips from this show I was immediately intrigued. I saw a video of Charles Cornell analyzing some of the music scenes in it, and was amazed by the quality of the arranging and animation. I then learned that Yoko Kanno did the soundtrack for it.
I feel like many people don't understand how amazing this animation is. It's the most accurate representation of all the instruments shown I've seen so far in all of anime.
I especially love the festival scene when Kaoru plays "My Favorite things" and then "Moanin". The level of musicality between the players was demonstrated very well, and again, the animation for both instruments was spot-on.
My main critique of the show is that with such an amazing show of music, they chose to cut all musi…
Read at the sourceCyanCheetah
Words cannot describe how good this anime is. It is seriously incredible how good AND underrated this anime is. This has 15% of the views that YLIA has on MAL and I am assuming maybe 5-10% of the views of YLIA in the real world.
But this anime is seriously amazing. From the emotions portrayed to the music played, everything was amazing.
The Story: The story is about a glasses guy and Sen and a girl that the glasses guy likes. This is a spoiler-free review, and a lot of what I want to talk about has spoilers, but let's just say the glasses guy likes the girl (Said in the first episode). We then go to the girls dads record label shop and to the basement we go! There we find a piano, drum set, and a bass somewhere in the closet. We also get a character that carries a trumpet -- a quartet!…
Read at the sourceOh_MumenRider
Reading some of the mixed and negative reviews here, it's hard not to feel like those reviewers and I watched completely different shows. While firmly a high school coming-of-age story, Kids on the Slope has the kind of originality in execution and genuine heart that easily puts it a cut above the rest in its genre. I knew from the first episode that I was beholding something truly special. As every episode passed I experienced that regret which comes from knowing your first watch of an anime masterpiece will be over all too soon.
DUB/VOICE ACTING
Because I've been watching a lot of subs recently, I started Kids on the Slope in dub and ultimately stuck with it. I am looking forward to rewatching with the sub sometime in the future. Overall, the English voice actors do a fantastic job and…
Read at the sourceSwazzington
To keep it super short, this story has many themes that people can relate to, a great story of growth in every sense of the word such as growing from trauma, loneliness, and growing from feelings of worthlessness. stunning music, solid visuals, and lessons you can extract from the show. I enjoy how the show isn’t predictable but very natural and real. This show isn’t a show that exaggerates a lot, which is really nice. I feel this show can be liked by most people for its universal themes, lovely music, and a solid animation. Everyone can relate and learn from something. Personally didn’t like the ending too much, which kept it as an 8 for me.
Read at the sourceStuundere
あいしてる
A beautiful reflection on the complexities and beauties of life,
the show is filled with happiness and uncertainty, friendliness and hardship. From the moment Bon gets his first real feeling of comfort the show had me in its grasp, the truth that life is so much better to get through with a friend.
Bon’s discovery of jazz and love go hand in hand, both in time and in feeling. Both matters are not those of fact, of wrong or right, but a matter of spirit, of feeling, and to share that feeling with another to reach a beautiful harmony.
Read at the sourcejackisgrey
Went into it expecting nothing, knowing nothing about music or its intricacies. Very outside my comfort zone for what i usually watch, but undeniably the most underrated anime I've ever seen.
After watching this, I came out appreciating brotherhood, realistic changes in real-world environment, and the human impact that is recognizable through music and its instruments. The brotherly love shown between some of the friends may seem slightly cringe at first, however you come to the realisation that this show is actually worth watching it through. It will mature you to an extent.
For me personally, this was a masterpiece that opened my eyes to a lot of new concepts unexplored by any other anime to this level of detail.
I do not recommend this to people who already have high expectations, as…
Read at the sourceDiscreetWeebery
This show was great. It definitely leans towards the BL despite not actually exploring this particular avenue. The relationship between the two male characters felt more romantic than between the MCs and love interests.
One of the main highlights, for me at least, was the music. I want to preface this with the fact that I aren't really into Jazz at all, but man there were some bops.
I had mixed feelings going into the show, especially as I've never been a great enjoyer of 'music/band' anime. This definitely exceeded my expectations and then some.
The characters, animation and music made this anime one of my favorites. I'd highly recommend this to anyone!
Read at the sourceSiaksx
"Sakamichi no Apollon" is a visual and auditory treat that feels like a heartfelt melody in the world of anime. Its animation, while exceptional in its fluidity and attention to detail, is just the tip of the iceberg.
The soundtrack, oh, the soundtrack! It's a masterpiece. I could shout from the rooftops about how much I adore it. If I had to say it a thousand times, or even ten thousand times, it wouldn’t be enough to express the depth of my admiration. It's not just background music; it's the soul of the anime, carrying emotions, narratives, and the very essence of the story in every note. It quickly became one of my all-time favorites, and I can confidently say that it deserves a place in the hall of fame of anime soundtracks.
Beyond its technical achievements, "Sakamichi no Apollon"…
Read at the source
