(I'm back!)
Kids on the Slope is an anime based on the manga by Yuki Kodama and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo). In this show, Watanabe is teamed up with composer Yoko Kanno. The two prove once again that jazz is still cool and that they're both experts at what they do.
This show is a love letter to the golden days of jazz. It is beautiful to see a window into another time created so vividly. The plot is about a reserved, classical pianist who overcomes his loneliness with the help of a jazz drummer he befriends and the daughter of a record shop owner among others. The story is engaging. The characters are memorable in ways very few other anime characters are. They almost seem alive. I won't lie. By the end of this show, you will be sad to say goodbye.
The music is done unbelievably well. The arrangements of the classic, jazz songs are cool and really let the musicians shine. The soundtrack is always right where it needs to be. The music on this show mixed with the story has a way of drawing you in and making you feel like a part of the band. The OP is beautiful and gets you ready for the show, and the ED is a slow, haunting song that goes well.
The animation is slick and subtle. It doesn't force you to notice it. Its simple charm just says that it's there. The musicians' performances are painstakingly and precisely animated. Very few anime show you the pianist's (or any other musician's) hands as he plays.
This show is in every way a labor of love and a tribute to a time period that's beauty is often overshadowed by the Cold War. It glories in the simplicity and complexity of life and human relationships. This is not one to miss.
10/10 Masterpiece
+ MUSIC!!!
+ Great Characters
No comments:
Post a Comment