Martin-sensei’s Guide to Jazz: Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 3.
April 29, 2012 in Currently Blogging Anime, Sakamichi no Apollon/Kids on the Slope
"Tell me your secrets, Onigiri..."
Ghost: Have you listened to the OST yet?
Martinman: Yeah. Tbh, I was not really impressed.
Ghost: It was a bit on the short side, but it is a short series.
Martinman: It is certainly adequate for the show, but I was expecting much more original compositions.
Ghost: I like it, personally.
Martinman: At least half of it was standard jazz tunes just redone. Tbh, Yoko Kanno was not required for this series.
Ghost: She didn’t seem to be at her full potential.
Martinman: She’s probably past her creative peak.
Ghost: I noticed it’s not as catchy and out there like Cowboy Bebop, but it’s also unfair to compare it to bebop. But, it has that right tone for a slice of life show.
Martinman: I wasn’t expecting Bebop, but I was expecting big band jazz on the quality of Tank. Maybe unfairly.
Martinman: But the show couldn’t help but have that hype.
Ghost: You have two legends working together on a show, I guess you would expect something spectacular.
Martinman: Yeah. This show is going to be a victim of its pedigree.
Ghost: Ritsuko’s song is really cute too.
Ghost: I can understand a jazz fanatic like you not being too impressed with the soundtrack.
Ghost: I, on the other hand, have only listened to Jazz that my dad has made me listened to, so I guess you can say I was pretty happy with it.
Martinman: Fair enough. I have the “classic” versions of most of those songs, or at least versions of them done by the masters.
Ghost: Would you say the soundtrack did them any justice?
Martinman: It certainly wasn’t bad. If a jazz musician plays to the best of their ability and with sincerity, they do the song justice. That is what I believe anyway.
Ghost: Alright so…
Ghost: I really liked this episode.
Ghost: Because feelings
Martinman: I’m not huge on relationship shows, but it was done well. It was nice actually have a confession.
Ghost: Yeah, I’m really glad that they’re not dragging it out.
Martinman: A confession done in a really jazzy way.
Martinman: I think I can safely say that Bill Evans is a panty melter.
Martinman: At least for females who like jazz.
Ghost: I’d have my panties off in an instant if that happened to me.
Ghost: That song was from Snow White, I think.
Ghost: Not really a big fan of that movie, but I thought it fit well, given the title.
Martinman: Yes it is.
Martinman: It is also yet another song that Miles Davis has a famous version of. I think we are 2/3 now. I don’t remember if he has a version of Moanin’, but I think there is one somewhere.
Martinman: I may be thinking of Walkin’ though.
Jubbz probably wasn't far off in his version.
Ghost: I liked Sentarou’s pet bird, despite Jubbz’s story.
Martinman: Jubbz ruined that for me. Sarah Vaughn is a jazz singer btw.
Ghost: I figured. What is she famous for?
Martinman: Singing
Ghost: I mean, any song in particular?
Martinman: Not that I am aware of.
Martinman: Here is a version of her singing a song many anime fans know, Fly Me To the Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q9quncGZ6k
Ghost: FRYYYYY ME TO THE MOOOOOOON
Martinman: AND LET ME PRAY AMONG THE STALS
Ghost: Hey, not bad.
Martinman: She’s got a good voice. I’m not usually a fan of vocal jazz, but I make exceptions for the best.
Ghost: I remember hearing stuff like this in my younger years. I’m sure she’s been played a couple of times at my house.
Martinman: Quite possibly.
Ghost: Sentarou’s brothers and sisters are really cute too.
Martinman: Their family kind of reminded me of Kuroneko’s from Oriemo for some reason.
Ghost: Oh yeah?
Martinman: It’s probably the much younger sibling(s)
Martinman: We haven’t seen Sentarou’s dad, who may or may not be around.
Martinman: It wouldn’t surprise me if he was not.
Ghost: Such is the life of an anime protagonist.
Martinman: Indeed. At least he has watermelon!
Ghost: Yup! Good old watermelon.
Sentarou is more black than Jubbz since he plays jazz and eats watermelon.
Ghost: Did they ever mention Ritsuko’s mother? I can’t remember.
Martinman: I don’t think they have.
Ghost: Well, they might mention her. Maybe she doesn’t have a mother, and she can Kaoru can have something to relate about.
Martinman: That is quite possible.
Martinman: And man, were we wrong about there not being a love triangle.
Martinman: Holy crap.
Martinman: It’s a love square now.
Martinman: Or was in this episode; it may be resolved at this point.
Ghost: I’m just glad Kaoru got his confession out of the way for now.
Martinman: This chick may be a total flake/slut.
Ghost: Oh, I hope not! ;_;
Martinman: That would just suck.
Ghost: A lot of people seemed to think they were doing it at that one scene.
Martinman: That was what it looked like to me.
Martinman: But that may just be my mind being in the gutter.
Ghost: But I think he might have just been modeling for her.
Ghost: It looked like they were in an art studio.
Martinman: You can have sex in an art studio.
Martinman: Anyone who has played Katawa Shoujo knows this.
Martinman: You don’t even need arms!
Ghost: Her clothes were on though <___< And she just got 20 bonus points for being an artist.
Ghost: Idk why. I just really like artsy chicks.
Martinman: All you need is to get the underwear off to one side.
Martinman: ….This has gotten really awkward, so I’ll stop now.
Ghost: Hahaha!
;______;
Martinman: I’m not really sure what else to say about this episode.
Ghost: I guess we can touch on the group date a bit.
Martinman: That was a nice group date.
Martinman: Poor Ritsuko. T_T
Ghost: I knooooow ;___;
Ghost: Honestly, for a rough and tough guy, I thought Sentarou would have more courage to ask a girl out 
Martinman: The tough ones always have trouble with the ladies.
Ghost: Even ones who have girlfriends seem to have trouble with them.
Martinman: The place they went to was quite scenic.
Martinman: Also, I bet the fangirls were wanting Sentarou and Kaoru to climb that hill together. >_<
Ghost: Ok, I thought that part was really funny.
Ghost: “You up for it, Richie”
Martinman: Me too.
Ghost: And poor Ritsuko didn’t want them to do it!
Martinman: To continue the Katawa Shoujo comparison, she almost set Kaoru up for the Kenji end.
Martinman: It would have been Sentarou and Kaoru sitting at the top of the mountain.
Martinman: Kaoru falls off after getting drunk.
Ghost: So, despite Ritsuko having feelings for Sentarou, I feel like maybe she and Yurika could become good friends later on.
Ghost: That, or maybe there will be some big confrontation later.
Martinman: It is certainly possible. It was nice how Yurika helped Ritsuko with her hair.
Ghost: Yeah, that was really sweet.
Martinman: Females can go from friends to bitter enemies in seconds. It is freaky.
Ghost: It is.
Ghost: I kind of wish Ritsuko would wear her hair down more often
Ghost: I still love the pigtails, but if you take them out, she sort of looks like a boy.
Ghost: Which I don’t mind.
Ghost: At all
Ghost: <_< >_>
Martinman: IMO, girls look better with their hair down 99% of the time.
Ghost: Especially when they have them up 99% of the time
Martinman: Unless they have twintails <3
Ghost: Hehe
Ghost: So it seems like Yurika just listens to jazz
Ghost: I was actually hoping for a singer in her.
Martinman: Meh.
Martinman: They need an audience.
Martinman: Not some chick to get in the way.
Ghost: Yeah.
Ghost: Though, I’m excited to see where “My Favorite Things” will play in.
Martinman: They will probably just play it.
Ghost: I’m excited for it.
Martinman: I really, really like the Coltrane version of the song, but that’s pretty much it.
[pro-player width='530' height='253' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYpKNM1Yi5o[/pro-player]
Martinman: This is the Bill Evans version of Some Day My Prince Will Come.
Ghost: Man, I haven’t actually heard this song in god knows when.
Martinman: I’m not sure I have any recordings of this song.
Ghost: Wow, it gets fast paced after a minute.
Martinman: Yup.
Ghost: Didn’t expect that.
Ghost: I kind of wish they kept it.
Ghost: At least for the soundtrack.
Martinman: Kaoru wanted a slow lovey-dovey confess your love song.
Martinman: So it makes sense to keep it slow.
Ghost: I imagine Kaoru had been practicing that song by running up the stairs over and over.
Martinman: Most likely.
Ghost: Like in the last episode.
Ghost: That must suck, hardcore.
Martinman: I bet. Transcribing is such a pain in the butt even when I have my computer right next to my keyboard and my saxophone in my hand.
Martinman: I can’t imagine doing it with a record player while running up and down the stairs.
Ghost: Yeah @_@
Martinman: You’d have to listen to it, keep it in your head, and then try to figure it out. That would be quite the nightmare.
Ghost: If only his aunt and cousin weren’t such dicks.
Martinman: Indeed.
"It's in English, so I have no idea what the hell it means."
Martinman: I just rewatched the scene with Sentarou and Yurika in the room together, and Yurika has her hand up like she is about to stroke his face, and is looking at him with massive puppydog eyes.
Ghost: I guess she does have actual feelings for him.
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This week’s eyecatches:
“Sentarou is more black than Jubbz since he plays jazz and eats watermelon.”
LOL! my bf was totz saying sentarou is half-black since he plays jazz and eats watermellon (and prolly in more ways then one *winkwink* >_> ) XD
“Martinman: Females can go from friends to bitter enemies in seconds. It is freaky.”
- and the other way around…..trust me i know >_>
anyway i like this ep! not sure of longhaired girl and sentarou were gettin sexehtiem or modeling either way its kinda strange how he went from a stammering idiot around her to suddenly being nude? i mean….even if it was model ud think hed be all nervous and stuff?
also i thought ritsu? (the girl) liked kaoru thats why she was sad when she heard “glasses boy” invited the long haired girl. and i thought she was sad when she thought longhaired girl was gonna go up the hill with kaoru. but idk…i hope that she ends up with kaoru and he doesnt end up forever alone.
She was more relieved than sad to hear that he invited her along. She liked Sentarou the whole time, and once they went on their date, she realized that Sentarou intended to go on the date with Yurika.
They did kinda squander Yoko Kanno in the series. I was hoping for more BGM from her but most of the scenes are silent save for the jazz sessions where it feels more like “Yoko Kanno plays the Classics” than some really neat smooth pop/jazz that could have done justice to some of the more subtle moments on the show.
Overall, it was a pretty good episode and Kaoru using “Someday My Prince Will Come” as his confession to Ritsuko was very sweet. I just hope that their isn’t too much relationship stuff to bog down the musical aspect