Film
Kids on the Slope (Japanese Movie Review & Summary)
Kids on the slope poster
- Genre: Music, Friendship, Youth, Family, Romance, Bromance, Live Action
- Release Date: 2018
- Origin: Japan, based on Manga, Sakamichi no Apollon
Cast:
- Yuri Chinen as Kaoru Nishimi
- Nana Komatsu as Ritsuko Mukae
- Taishi Nakagawa as Sentaro Kawabuchi
- Dean Fujioka as Junichi Katsuragi
- Erina Mano as Yurika Fukahori
Synopsis & Review
I just watched this film and found it really interesting, complemented with lovely jazzy music. This is a live-action manga film.
The three main actors, Komatsu, Chinen and Nakagawa gave a charismatic performance.
The story is being told by Kaoru Nishimi, who is now a doctor.
It all began in 1966. He just transferred to a new school. During the first day, a classmate was tasked to show him around and it was Ritsu. He found her very pretty the first time he saw her but he started feeling claustrophobic and he needed a breath of fresh air so he had to get out and leaver her.
He climbed into the rooftop but notice some hindrance to the entrance. It was the prone body of Sentaro.
Kaoru was entranced at the handsome, rather battered face of Sentaro, a half-caste: half American, half Japanese boy with blond hair and very fair skin.
The first moment they met, they clicked and became friends.
Sentaro took him to a music store, which Kaoru was excited to know was owned by Ritsu’s father.
The father had told them that they have someone special waiting in the studio below. Sentaro was really excited as it was Jun, his idol, a student at Tokyo University who is proficient with the trumpet and jazz music.
Jun on the trumpet and Sentaro playing the drums, started to have a session. Kaoru couldn’t help himself and started to play the piano as well.
The music bonded them all together including the sweet Ritsu.
After a church service, the three friends found themselves at the beach, where they saw a girl being harassed by boys.
Sentaro just had to rescue the girl as that is how he was.
When he saw the girl up close, he fell madly in love. For days he was almost senseless in wonder.
They again met the girl in a club, where Kaoru noticed that she seemed familiar with Jun.
Anyway, Sentaro started being friendly with the girl, which Kaoru observed was making Ritsu rather upset. She likes Sentaro herself even back from they were children.
One day while they were meeting for another session in the music room, Sentaro brought with him the girl, Yuri, which made everyone uneasy. Ritsu couldn’t take it and run off, followed closely by Kaoru.
He found her crying. He kissed her as he just couldn’t help himself. Ritsu was so surprised she pushed him away and run off.
Poor Kaoru was also being made to feel unwanted at his current lodging with his auntie and family, who tells him to think about what he wants to do in university as they will be paying for his course as well as his lodging in Tokyo and that would be a pretty penny.
He was so stressed that he went to Sentaro’s house. He heard the happy commotion inside the house and a smiling Sentaro answered the door.
Kaoru remarked that he envies Sentaro’s life. He wishes he had somewhere to really belong to as well.
Sentaro took him aside and told him that his life is far from perfect. He then recounted that he was ‘born’ in the Catholic church or at least his birth mother left him in the church steps when he was a baby.
He was later adopted by a childless couple but before long they had their own children and more or less does not have time for him.
He was also bullied by other children because he was different with his light coloured hair and half American features. He did not know where he belongs.
Meanwhile Jun was packing his things when Yuri appeared. She said that she was ready to go anywhere with him.
At that moment, Sentaro was on his way to Jun’s house. He couldn’t believe it when he found Jun and Yuri all packed and ready to go away together.
He was absolutely gutted. He took out his frustration by fighting his schoolmates.
Kaoru stopped him. He was asked by Sentaro if he knew about Jun and Yuri. Kaoru was forced to admit to it. Sentaro was now also upset with Kaoru for betraying their friendship.
The friendship was now fragmented.
Kaoru was playing cans in wires telephone with a young girl in the neighbourhood. The girl asked for advice about a boy who was always nasty to her and made her cry.
He said that he also made a girl he loves to cry. And then the voice at the other end was Ritsu. She said that she was just surprised that is all. It was her first kiss. So they made up, friends again.
A singing concert at school mends the three friends’ fractured relationship.
They decided to take part in a church concert. Sentaro and Ritsu are both religious and all excited about the event. They decided to fetch Kaoru in their motorbike.
Ritsu confessed to Sentaro that her heart goes faster when she was with Kaoru… and then their motorbike was crashing into a car.
Ritsu was in a coma and Kaoru found Sentaro battered in a pew inside the church. Sentaro was asking God why was he born? Why does he bring misfortune to the people he knew. He said that he should be taken rather than Ritsu.
Finally, Kaoru was able to convince Sentaro to return to the hospital where Ritsu had woken up. She said that she dreamt that she was with Sentaro who told her to get out of the dark.
When Kaoru went out to get Sentaro, he was no longer there but left his rosary by the door.
10 years later -1976?
Kaoru is a doctor in Tokyo. One day two familiar faces came to see him. Jun and a pregnant Yuri. Yuri showed him a photo of a wedding of a friend.
Kaoru travelled back to the village and found that Ritsu is now a teacher. He showed her the photo. Now we see the photo. Sentaro is now a priest.
Both Kaoru and Ritsu agreed to find Sentaro.
They found him easy enough because he was playing the piano for the children at the church.
He looks happy and at peace. He asked Kaoru and Ritsu if they were there to get married.
It feels like all the years that had passed had vanished.
They ended up playing the piano and the drum.
It was quite a heartwarming film. Loved it.