Kids on the Slope

Kids on the Slope is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Kodama, serialized in Shogakukan's josei magazine Monthly Flowers from 2007 to 2012. The story is set in Sasebo, Nagasaki, during the summer of 1966. It follows Kaoru Nishimi, a bright but socially isolated high school student who has moved constantly due to his father's job. When he transfers to a new school in Sasebo, he expects the same loneliness. But his life changes when he meets the delinquent Sentarō Kawabuchi and the class president Ritsuko Mukae. The three bond over jazz music, which becomes a vehicle for friendship, romance, and self-discovery.

The manga is semi-autobiographical. Kodama grew up in Sasebo, a city with a vibrant jazz scene since the 1920s, thanks to its large naval base. Real locations like Megane-iwa (Spectacles Rock) and Kuroshima Catholic church appear in the series. The manga won the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2012 in the general category and ranked first in Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guide for women in 2009.

Kids on the Slope was adapted into a 12-episode anime in 2012, directed by Shinichirō Watanabe with music by Yoko Kanno. This was MAPPA's debut series, produced alongside Tezuka Productions. The anime aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina block and was licensed by Sentai Filmworks in North America. A live-action film directed by Takahiro Miki was released in 2018. Critics have praised the series for its authentic jazz soundtrack, strong character dynamics, and themes of male friendship and subtextual homoeroticism. [edit]