New series from the creators of Cowboy Bebop. So I had high expectations from this studio and they didn't dissapoint me.
The story is about a boy, Kaoru, that has to move houses again because his dad is a sailor. This time he moves to a seaside town in Kyushu. The often relocation turned into a painful experience for Kaoru and he has trouble adjusting to his new environment and classmates. When he rushes to the schoolroof to escape the chaos he meet a boy who asks him if he is an angel. This is the beginning of their friendship and mutual love for jazz music.
Their friendship will be tested when it comes to the matters of love and hardships but as is said in the anime itself: "Friendship lasts a lifetime".
The songs they use in the anime might be wellknown to jazzlovers and one I even knew as a non-jazz fan. You will hear these songs when watching: "Bag's Groove" by Milt Jackson, "Lullabys of Birdland" by Chris Connor, "But not for Me" by Chet Baker and "Four" by Miles Davis. They also turn "My Favorite Things" of the musical The Sound of Music in a swinging jazznumber, I particularly liked that.
The art is true to the manga written by Yuki Kodama and follows the story pretty well as in the books.
I still giggle at the pronunciation of the Japanese when it comes to English but us Europeans make the Japanese frown too when we try to speak their language, our sounds are totally different then theirs. I still praise Junichi Suwabe for still making "But Not for Me" so awsome.
This series will leave you with a feel-good mood. Sometimes it is frustrating that the main character takes such a long time to confess his love but that is just the difference of culture. The Dutch are too much of a blabbermouth in my opinion :P.
Animation: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Story: 5/5
Overall: 4,7/5. I recommend this for non-jazz-lovers. It makes you appreciate the genre.
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