Kids on the Slope Episode 4 Review

It’s been a while since I watched Kids on the Slope as I’ve been busy between moving and living life and finals. But I’m back on track now, sort of. Anyway, let’s get right down to it.

A big trope in anime is to express one’s self through abstract means. Usually, it’s through a much more abstract medium than music, but Kids on the Slope really put itself out there through the music Kaoru, Sentaro, Jun, and Ritsuko’s father played at their gig.

This particular episode begins around six months after Kaoru moved in and learned what jazz was. Jun comes in and brings up the gig that I previously mentioned and how they’re going to play at it. Everyone is pumped at being able to play jazz in front of a live audience.

But Kaoru makes a move on Ritsuko, which she doesn’t appreciate. Everyone seems to sweep everything under the rug and, at the same time, is oddly open about things. There’s a great backstory moment when Sentaro opens up to Kaoru about what’s happened to him in his past and how Ritsuko helped him get over it (or, at least, that’s what it sounds like). Thinking back on it, it seems a little odd for Sentaro to open up like that, but I guess they’ve known each other for about six months and you earn a sort of chemistry between the people you play music with.

Later, Kaoru makes one of the boldest moves he’s ever made in his life and kisses Ritsuko. This is another strange character move on the part of Kaoru but, given his love confession in the previous episode. However, Ritsuko sweeping both of these issues under the rug is clearly leading up to some defining moment in the relationship between Kaoru, Ritsuko, Sentaro, and Yuriko (and possibly Jun).

As this is the fourth episode, this series has clearly fallen into its own pace, which is decidedly slower than I’d prefer. Though I suppose they just skipped about five months of time. Overall, Kids on the Slope is clearly building up to something and I am greatly looking forward to whatever that may be.