Before you read. This anime was very personal to me so I am very honest in what I think and felt about this anime. I gave this a perfect, and I would of course understand if you disagree. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading my reasons and please feel free to comment or talk about this great anime. Thank you in advance.
I normally don’t give personal stories when I write anime reviews, essays, or articles, but this anime invaded the walls I built against other people and made itself home inside my heart as if it is one of the few special friends I treasure
...
with my life. Although I was skilled at the acoustic guitar, I wasn’t in a band or any musical clubs when I was in my high school, but I was close friends with a female drummer who knew what she was doing and who was the school band’s drummer. We had only one thing in common; we both improvised our music. Her drumming percussion style was jazz influenced while my guitar was more café, romantic style. She would begin a light tap on the cymbals and I would start with a light bass with my thumbs, as she laid the beat down, my fingers would strike the bottom strings, sliding my left fingers up and down along the frets, occasionally snapping my fingers to provide a sharp note, and you get the picture. She was the one who introduced me to jazz, according to her, Jazz stood for; Jealously, Ardor, Zeal, and times two the Zeal. High school isn’t just a school. It’s a building where you realize first love never prevails, the sharp pain of envy of what you can’t control and have, and a building where it challenges those who have the passion to fight for the fight of their lives. If you’re lucky, you might even lose your virginity. Sakamichi no Apollon is the anime that reflected this statement, only in an incredibly amusing way, ecstatic jazz music, and honest colors.
Story: 10
As I mentioned in my rather long introduction, high school is a place where many young boys and girls experience genuine love, inevitable envy, countless misunderstandings, and last but not least, the strength to pave your own path to desire. Sakamichi no Apollon does the perfect, impeccable job conveying this atmosphere and I am not exaggerating in the slightest. A young misunderstood boy transferred into the countryside where he meets another misunderstood boy which they begin a mutual connection of being different from other people. This connection grows deeper in trust and loyalty as the episodes flies by. Meanwhile, these boys learn to love, let go, understand, and most importantly express their true parts not only through music but by words, actions, and honesty. These lessons and events stack and pile up until they create their own pace, tempo, and style in life and music. Despite stating the storyline to blandly, Sakamichi no Apollon amuses watchers in the best way possible, makes us cringe in disappointment from the stupid actions from our favorite characters, and makes us smile so warmly as these brave characters venture their lives in search of their zeal. Dialogue is incredibly well written. Jokes are plentiful, teasing the other gender in the most childish way can be spotted here and there, and nostalgia is abundant as I reminisced my drummer friend as I watched this show. Another aspect that really made me love this anime is the pace. For those who doesn’t exactly what makes Jazz Jazz, there is only one word to describe the charm of Jazz; Eccentricity. Jazz tempo can change in a single instant, and the impact is like a slap across the face. Jazz allows Jazz musicians express everything they feel, from the dark destructive thoughts they harness inside their hearts to the bright smiles and laughs they only allow their children and wife see and hear, always fluctuating the beat like a pendulum ball. This anime pace was fast and slow, emphasizing the charm of Jazz even more. I personally really loved the pacing of it, I just couldn’t stop watching it. The story in Sakamichi no Apollon deserves a 10 due to the fitting pacing of a Jazz anime and a well blend of both dark and bright emotions within high school life and love.
Art: 10
There was nothing phenomenal about the art. The year it was made was in 2012, a time where animes actually began looking more polished and graphically impressive compared to the past. And yet, Sakamichi no Apollon deserves a 10 in art due to two reasons. One, the choreography was very well directed and drawn. One of the main characters is a drummer and the way, the art how his arms flexed and moved, how his head bobbed along with the complex pattern of snares and cymbals planned within his head, how his eyes were half closed, as if his body was being controlled by someone else, all of that was clearly visible during drumming scenes. And that, was quite impressive and also amusing for a fellow musician like myself to watch another musician enter his zone of his own personal music, be it real or 2D. The movement within the entire series were well developed and laid out. I never saw a scene where something was off place or any obvious mishap within the art both in background and foreground. The second reason is the usage of color in the anime. When I mention color, I might sound like an old man seeing colored anime for the first time, but if you notice carefully, you can see how honestly color was implemented in this anime. I first noticed this in the opening in the anime which was insanely well drawn with lingering shadows and prominent details and charms of every character. In the anime itself, the colors are respectively very well balanced and measured to the exact amount. The lighting which supplemented the color was perfect, and there was not a single shot where it was odd or uncomfortable in the eyes. From the cheeks blushing from embarrassment and love, from the heroine’s cute freckles to her skin color, the white veils in church scenes, every color had their boundaries and the artist had done a splendid job of respecting each color to their roles. For those reasons, I would give Sakamichi no Apollon a perfect for art.
Sound: 10
Allow me to repeat myself. Jazz’s charm is its eccentricity. The taps of the drums can fluctuate however the drummer wants it do, the crashes from the piano, the toots of the trumpet, the low bass cello, every instrument can bring their own beat, tempo, and rhythm. However, here is the tricky part; your style and tempo shouldn’t contradict others’, it should complement along it. You can play however you want. If there is a sudden feeling of improvising your music, you are more than welcome. Just keep in mind that your music should be in synch with your team’s music. If you want to change the atmosphere so you can play your unique solo, you can give them hints to indicate that you want to take the lead and that the members should be the one to follow you. Teamwork is always important in music, but Jazz bands take it up a notch because nothing is planned out. The pianist might have suddenly remembered an old promise he made to his dying mother during a performance and he could signal his team that he would like to take charge to express the emotions he felt from that memory. Thus, trust, loyalty, and connection is absolutely essential in a Jazz band. The music here exactly does that so well, which is why I love this anime. During a performance, the pianist notices how the drummer was not giving his fullest on the performance. As a signal to shake him up, he strikes consecutive tones to alert the other members that he is going to raise the tempo up a notch so that the drummer can focus back on providing the percussions. Another scene was when the pianist began the rhythm and tempo and the drummer joined in, complementing with the beat, making everything natural and planned while it never was. Such symbols that define the true meaning and charm of Jazz was plenty which is why I highly praise the directors for exactly knowing and understanding what they have to do. For the reason the directors understood the true essence of Jazz music, I give the sound a complete 10, for it had just leveled with my expectations when I hear the word ‘Jazz’.
Characters: 10
The characters were perfect. In fact, the entire cast acted as a Jazz band. Conflict against characters are bound to happen, just like misconceived signals from other members. But they reconcile in the end because there is more than just music behind their relationship. There is respect, and as I mentioned before, trust, loyalty, and connection between each characters. Even the minor characters played special roles in which conjured unique emotions or reactions from characters such as the multiple siblings of the drummer or the pianist’s mother. I loved every single character without spite or detest. I found everyone to be essential to the story (with the exception of unnecessary multiple thugs). The relationship links with one character to the other was neatly developed and was hardly confusing. With memorable characters with passionate motivations to move on to prove the world and themselves, I give the characters a perfect 10.
Enjoyment: 100
I know I am exaggerating a lot, but I really, really, really enjoyed Sakamichi no Apollon a lot. The moment I saw the drummer skillfully tap the hasty beat with twigs, I instantly knew I was attracted to this mischievous drummer. I loved every second of it, every episode was delightful for my eyes, ecstatic for my ears, and always put a smile of nostalgia and just pure happiness. This honest, amazing anime is definitely worth watching, I highly commend this work and appreciate the creators for constructing a masterpiece of love, Jazz, and life full of uncontrolled yet synchronized beats, melodies, rhythm, and amusement.
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May 21, 2015
Sakamichi no Apollon
(Anime)
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Before you read. This anime was very personal to me so I am very honest in what I think and felt about this anime. I gave this a perfect, and I would of course understand if you disagree. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading my reasons and please feel free to comment or talk about this great anime. Thank you in advance.
I normally don’t give personal stories when I write anime reviews, essays, or articles, but this anime invaded the walls I built against other people and made itself home inside my heart as if it is one of the few special friends I treasure ... 
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