Sakamiči no Apollon: Kids on the Slope

I found this show hugely satisfying because this anime series has a lot of scenes which are really great and powerful on all levels. Whether it be the romantic subplots, the bromance, the melodrama, or the soundtrack, in each of these aspects I always found at least one interesting and entertaining moment that got me. I could certainly make a slight criticism, in that I would have personally preferred a bit more music because jazz is a genre I really like, and less of everything else. However, I guess that if they had done that, I would have missed out on a lot of the romantic moments, and also the totally realistic and interesting human dramas... In other words, for example, stuff like the ending of a plot line like Jun and Yuriko's touched my romantic heart. Plus, I found the very end of the anime series also beautifully satisfying... It is also because I have grown to like almost all the characters in this show, so even when they reached a low point and sometimes acted in a way that might have even made me dislike them, I still managed to root for them... Sure, (in my heart) Nodame Cantabile is still at the top of my list of best musical anime series, even so, this was also excellent. 9.1/10. (10.05.2019)

So I watched it again and I have to say I enjoyed the building of their relationships much more this time. But while I can't figure out why, I didn't realize that the story was set in the past until Jun-ni was protesting with his college friends. Somehow I hadn't put that together the entire time. But that doesn't change the fact that as a relationship story, it's very interesting because it's not an ordinary love polygon, because there's development, and because there are a lot of genuine feelings involved. It was good. Even though I'm not a fan of jazz (I prefer swing), I think I finally understood this messy music – I fully belonged to it. The only thing I didn't like was the animation and the overall look of the characters. But it wasn't anything that forced me to stop watching. I'm leaving the rating at 3 stars, but it's a very strong 3 stars. (22.09.2017)