It’s summer of 1966 and it’s a season of change for first-year high school student Kaoru Nishimi. He’s moved to his uncle’s home in Kyushu and keeps to himself once school starts. That is until he bumps into the raucous Sentaro Kawabuchi – the bad boy always picking fights with students – and Ritsuko: the responsible class president. Sentaro introduces Kaoru to the world of jazz and the two form an inseparable bond amidst changing times. 

Plot and Story

There are only a handful of anime I would classify as true period pieces that faithfully represents the era they’re situated in. They rely on more realistic stories as opposed to the glaring spectacle, youth, and fantasy of many modern anime. They’re stories of real people overcoming issues and dealing with what life has to offer to them. Shincihiro Watanabe’s involvement in Kids on the Slope bolsters the quality of its character driven story and the spirit of the 1960s. Not to mention the superb classical jazz score by Yoko Kanno that elevates the show to new heights. 

Ultimately, the anime is a coming-of-age tale that balances teen melodrama, love triangles, and jazz music. Much of the anime is focused on such interactions and the relationships of its down-to-earth teenagers. At the center of all of this is the budding friendship between Kaoru and Sentaro. They’re two different personalities at first glance and you may not expect them to get along. Kaoru inherits a reserved personality and has a background in classical music as opposed to the rambunctious Sentaro whose passion is jazz music. Despite these differences, great music is what connects them. Playing with Sentaro gradually grows Kaoru’s love of the genre and his fine piano skills.  

It wouldn’t be a teen drama without the romance and there are plenty of triangles to break down. To make things short, Kaoru likes Ritsuko, Ritsuko likes Sentaro, and Sentaro loves a girl named Yurika, who in turn becomes smitten with a man named Junichi. It’s very complicated, but the story effectively resolves these connections in its conclusion. While romance is definitely present in these relationships, the series emphasizes a close camaraderie between certain characters. For example, Junichi serves as Sentaro’s big brother figure who mentors him on his music. He’s one of the few people who isn’t bothered by Sentaro’s half-Caucasian identity and has often guided him since they were kids. 

Junichi’s relationship with Yurika is the anime’s side story, so it doesn’t get as much focus as Kaoru, Ritsuko, and Sentaro’s arc. Nevertheless, it’s one of the driving conflicts that lead to the characters going their separate ways. Both Junichi and Yurika hail from an elite, wealthy family background and the way they end up together turns out to be a classic case of the rebellious son who leaves home and takes the nice girl with him. Their chemistry builds up over the series and the anime ends on somewhat of an uncertain note for them, based on their decision to leave town. Nevertheless, I’ve heard in the manga that things work out for them in the end. 

After finishing Kids on the Slope, you’ll remember it for the astounding jazz jam sessions the characters often perform in each episode. Paired with the musical soundtrack, the animation in these scenes look very fluid and alive, right down to the detailed way a character plays an instrument. You really sense the fun and joy they’re having when the cast jams together. The one song I often associate with the anime is Moanin by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – covered in the first and last episode with occasional appearances in between. It’s a nice jazz tune that connects both Kaoru and Sentaro, even when they’re at different points in their lives. 

Other performances in the show worth checking out include Episode 2’s basement jam of the jazz song Bags’ Groove with Kaoru, Sentaro, Ritsuko’s father, and Junichi. Junichi grabs the spotlight again in Episode 4 where he serenades a crowd with a smooth cover of But Not For Me after the rapid energy of Sentaro’s rendition of Blowin’ the Blues Away. 

My favorite scene, and possibly the best musical performance in the entire anime, takes place in Episode 7. Some technical difficulties delay a scheduled performance in the gym as hundreds of students gather during the school festival. Not wanting to disappoint their audience, Kaoru and Sentaro take the stage for an improvised musical medley of jazz songs and essentially steal the spotlight. They then run out onto the street where the sun shines on them as the ending theme kicks in. I think this lasting image of the two sums up what Kids on the Slope is all about. It’s about the lives of teenagers like Kaoru and how their life teeters on the edge of adolescence and adulthood. 

Final Thoughts

It’s taken me awhile to think about and settle my feelings on Kids on the Slope. Overall, this is a mature series best suited for audiences that want to watch something like a live action Japanese drama. It has great music and a well-rounded cast of characters you’ll want to follow. Seeing kids like Kaoru and Sentaro grow up together and immerse themselves in a world of jazz and musical performance is a downright awesome experience.