Sakamichi no Apollon is definitely one of the most popular shows of the season. For the past sevreal weeks, it has been at the top of the Anime Power Rankings. Even before the anime season began, I felt the hype surrounding this show. The premise alone was enough to catch my interest — two teenagers coming together though the magic of jazz. Watanabe Shinichiro as director and Kanno Yoko as music composer appeared a dream team poised to create yet another spectacular character drama.

The title implies a coming of age story, so I was prepared for some teen angst. The first couple episodes introduced the two main protagonists in Kaoru and Sentaro. We learn of their different personalities and witness the eventual blossoming of their friendship. In addition to two potential love interests, we see a web of romantic relationships. While the drama was prevalent, it wasn’t overwhelming; it was still clearly about growing pains and music. Each episode, we learn more about each character and their personalities, gradually learning more about their personalities, background, and goals.

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