Ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured to say that Sakamichi no Apollon, or Kids on the Slope, is one of my favourite music animes to date. A lot of people wonder whether this show is about the friendship of the main two males of the story, Kaoru and Sentarou, or the romance of the main couple, Kaoru and Ritsuko. To be honest, I don't know and I don't care either. Both themes play a huge role in making this anime as beautiful as it is.
Let's break it down, shall we?
Story: 7/10
I wouldn't say the story was flawless, it did have its weak points here and there. But overall, they did a pretty good job on the plot for this anime. As a music anime, I agree that this show didn't have much of a focus on Jazz, but it still played an important role in bringing the characters together. What happened from there drifted more to romance, friendship and slice of life. In my opinion, I accepted that shift in genres but it could be just my lack of interest in jazz music.
Let's talk a bit about the romance in this story. It is very typical and cliche, with the main character falling in love with a girl who didn't know about her own feelings then. It felt flat, but I was anxious to see how it would develop from there. And I was not let down at all. With the sudden appearance of Yurika, whom Sentarou falls in love with, the plot immediately improved. Love triangles formed here and there and the characters begin questioning their love for one another. More characters showed up, creating a more complicated and interesting story overall. The show clearly nailed it.
Towards the end of the series, the show started to slowly drift back to the music genre. Friendships fall, gets rebuilt again and mass chaos happens here and there in terms of their emotions for each other. Those conflicts kept the story interesting and worthwhile to watch. The pre-ending was not rushed at all, the pace was smooth and understandable. And the ending was just heartwarming and delightful. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the only problem I saw here was the lack of focus on music. That's all, no biggie.
Art: 9/10
The art was beautiful. The way the characters moved, the landscape and their facial expressions, they nailed it. The amount of effort put into the anime to make it feel realistic is really underappreciated. I just felt uncomfortable at the fact that Ritsuko resembled a guy, in a certain way. If that's fixed, the art is flawless.
Sound: 8/10
Every anime needs a good opening that can reel in the viewer's interest, and part of it comes from the song. Kids on the Slope had a beautiful opening song, "Sakamichi no Melody" or "Melody of the Slope". It had no connection whatsoever to Jazz, which I'm sure disappointed many, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It had a heartwarming and delightful feel to it, and the climax of the song illustrated how fast time flies when you're with someone you enjoy being with. I'm sure that was what they were going for. Altair, the ending, was slow and had a melancholic feel to it, which was perfect for the ending of the whole series. Once again, not much connection to Jazz, but I still enjoyed it.
Character: 8/10
The characters seemed very boring and typical at first glance. Kaoru, a nerd. Sentarou, a bully. Ritsuko, the cutie. It just felt flat, but as the series progressed, I witnessed the development of the characters as well. No character was stuck with one personality for the rest of the series. Kaoru had a rough side that makes him easily pissed, Sentarou had a soft side that makes him caring at times, Ritsuko has a sensitive side hidden under that delightful smile. Characters that seemed good at first glance suddenly turn against each other and you start to see their true colours. Sakamichi no Apollon nailed the character development, and I loved it.
Enjoyment: 10/10
As you have probably realised, I love this anime. All its up and downs, all its flaws and all its beauty, it burns deeply in my heart. From the start, I was hooked and I enjoyed watching them be together. The ending warmed my heart and broke it at the same time, realising that another outstanding show has ended. No one can truly understand what I feel about this anime without watching it, hence Wittgenstein's Beetle-In-A-Box analogy.
Overall: 9/10
Another great show ends, so you sit down and start thinking. The anime has impacted your life and you start noticing things about the friendship between you and your close friend, and you slowly begin to tie them together. How did both of you first meet? Was it as dramatic as Kaoru sliding off a white sheet, meeting Sentarou asleep on a couch beside the rooftop of the school? How did you want your friendship to end? Do you want it dramatic and happy, just like how this show ended? Now you realise what you want in this friendship, now it's up to you to create a bond with a friend that could last forever.
And hence, I rest my case.
