Kids on the Slope cover art

Kids on the Slope

Also known as: Sakamichi no Apollon坂道のアポロンSakamichi no AporonApollo on the Slope

AniList average score
80%
On AniList users' lists
97,239

What is Kids on the Slope about?

Kids on the Slope is a TV anime series of 12 episodes animated by Tezuka Productions, adapted from a manga. It aired from April 13, 2012 to June 29, 2012. AniList classifies it as drama, music, romance and slice of life.

The beginning of summer, 1966.

Because of his father's job situation, freshman high school student Kaoru Nishimi moves by himself from Yokosuka to Kyushu to live with relatives. Until then, Kaoru was an honor roll student who tended to keep to himself, but meeting notorious bad boy Sentaro Kawabuchi starts to change him. Through his devil-may-care classmate, Kaoru learns the attractions of jazz and finds the first person he can call a "friend". He also discovers how much fun it is to play music with a pal.

Other characters include Sentaro's kind childhood chum, Ritsuko, who is the daughter of a record shop owner; the mysterious upperclassman, Yurika; and Brother Jun, the much-admired leader among their peers. Set against the backdrop of a seaside town with a scent of American culture, this series is a drama about young people coming into their own, crossing each other's paths, and finding friendship, love, and music!

Synopsis from AniList, which credits Official Website. The summary above it is written by FreeAnime.xyz from AniList's data.

Themes AniList users associate with it: Coming of Age, Band, Josei, Jazz Music, Male Protagonist, Heterosexual, Found Family, Primarily Male Cast, School, Rural.

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Where to watch and learn more

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Streaming rights differ by country and change over time. A listed title page means AniList records it for this entry; it does not confirm the title is available in your region today.

Other official links listed on AniList

Official trailer on YouTube (opens an external site in a new tab)

Main characters

Characters AniList lists in a main role, with spoiler-free notes.

  • Kaoru Nishimi 西見薫

    Main character

    Kaoru is a brainy young man who moved during the summer of his first year in high school, from Yokosuka to his uncle's house in Kyushu. In fact, Kaoru has been moving from place to place ever since he was a little kid, a lifestyle that has made him introverted.

    Japanese voice: Ryouhei Kimura

  • Sentarou Kawabuchi 川渕千太郎

    Main character

    Sentaro is a wild 1st-year high school student who meets incoming student Kaoru at Higashi High School. Sentaro is mistakenly thought of as a thug by his peers, who fear him. Though tall and gifted with prodigious physical strength, Sentaro is also straightforward and bighearted.

    Japanese voice: Yoshimasa Hosoya

  • Ritsuko Mukae 迎律子

    Main character

    Ritsuko is a classmate of Kaoru and Sentaro and an old friend of the latter. This kind, always cheerful and charmingly-freckled high school freshman is also the poster girl for Welcome Records, her family's record shop.

    Japanese voice: Yuuka Nanri

Supporting characters

  • Yurika Fukahori 深堀百合香

    Supporting character

    Yurika is a sophomore at Higashi High. Though the daughter of a well-to-do family, Yurika has a spunky personality and is brimming with curiosity. Her birthday is February 10th and is in the art and kendo club. She becomes acquainted with Kaoru and the gang after Sentaro helps her out by chance.

    Japanese voice: Aya Endou

  • Junichi Katsuragi 桂木淳一

    Supporting character

    Sentaro idolized Junichi, whom he affectionately calls "Brother Jun". In fact, the friendship between Junichi, Sentaro, and Ritsuko goes way back to when they were kids.

    Japanese voice: Junichi Suwabe

  • Shigetora Maruo 丸尾重虎

    Supporting character

    Kaoru's classmate.

    Japanese voice: Ayumu Murase

  • Mariko まり子

    Supporting character

    Kaoru's cousin.

    Japanese voice: Amina Satou

  • Tsutomu Mukae 迎勉

    Supporting character

    Ritsuko's father. He owns a record store. He occasionally holds jazz sessions in the basement of the store. He plays the upright acoustic bass.

    Japanese voice: Zenki Kitajima

  • Nishimi Kaoru no Chichi 西見薫の父

    Supporting character

    Kaoru's father. He's a sailor.

    Japanese voice: Masaki Terasoma

  • Tennin 担任

    Supporting character

    Appears in episode 1.

    Japanese voice: Tsutomu Shiori

  • Tokie 時枝

    Supporting character

    Ritsuko's friend.

    Japanese voice: Nozomi Furuki

  • Haha 母

    Supporting character

    Sachiko, Kouta, Taichi and Chie's mother.

    Japanese voice: Shouko Tsuda

  • Sachiko 幸子

    Supporting character

    Sentarou's cousin.

    Japanese voice: Yume Miyamoto

  • Sentarou no Chichi 千太郎の父

    Supporting character

    Sentarou's father. Appears in episode 4.

    Japanese voice: Kunihiro Kawamoto

  • Sentarou no Sobo 千太郎の祖母

    Supporting character

    Sentarou's grandmother. Appears in episode 4.

    Japanese voice: Ako Mayama

Full cast list

Related works

Prequels, sequels, side stories and source material, as linked on AniList.

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