Magical Girl Martin-chan’s Guide to Jazz: Sakamichi no Apollopalooza 11
June 25, 2012 in Currently Blogging Anime, F-ed Up Stories, Rants, Sakamichi no Apollon/Kids on the Slope, The Badass Guide to Stuffs, Wordpress Can Eat A Bag Of Dicks
Lots of stuff went down in this episode, and not in a good way. I for one, am not happy about the direction the show went, although we’ll see what Ghost thinks.
This is the Miles Davis album Milestones. It is awesome.
The title of this episode is “Left Alone”.
Left Alone:
Yes, there is actual discussion after I get done making fun of the screencaps.
Boom, headshot.
“Having sex, what does it look like? Go back inside, old man.”
I thought it was the girl who was supposed to be doing that. You’re such a pussy, Karou.
Yes, I am aware that the pictures got bigger here. Blow me.
The kid on the left got the best present by far.
The penis mightier.
Oops, wrong anime. I like the music note shirts though.
EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Neither can most female jazz singers who aren’t/weren’t famous, so it’s no big deal.
And then she’s up the next day…
TROLOLOLOLOL
I’m pretty sure that is supposed to be Sachiko’s hair. It was kind of fluttering when I looked closely at it, but it was very hard to see; I missed it the first time.
If the guy from Def Leppard can drum with one arm, so can Sentarou.
Obligatory ANGEL pic:
ANGEL PLAYIN’ TEH JAZZ PIANO as;ldkfjw3ipoe4poerijgas;ldkv;askldjvsk;ldjv
“And this way I can blame the wetness by my crotch on your tears.”
It’s funny, if Karou was saying the line, (which he is), it is a touching statement about Sentarou and his inability to cry. If Sentarou was saying it, it would be about all the jizz Karou was saving up for this moment. *cues fujoushi*
Here’s your precious eyecatch, Ghost.
Martinman: So, this episode:
Martinman: I was not happy.
Martinman: When I saw a show about jazz on the season charts, I expected a show about jazz, and not DRAMA.
Ghosty: This show really knows how to fuck with me.
Martinman: And the show has been increasingly about DRAMA and not jazz, although the jazz in it is good.
Ghosty: Well, it is based on a manga
Ghosty: Kind of hard to make a manga about music, ya know?
Martinman: I was really hoping to see an awesome music battle at the school festival; instead we have a drummer with a busted arm.
Martinman: I’ve heard Beck is pretty good.
Ghosty: I haven’t heard about the manga for that one
Ghosty: Nana is good too, but that is A LOT of drama
Ghosty: Anyway
Martinman: It’s a Josai though, so that makes sense.
Ghosty: I feel like the jazz is more the thing that brings them together. I thought at this point, they would have tried to write their own jazz songs at least.
Martinman: Yeah, that would be cool. Writing jazz songs is really easy; don’t get me wrong, writing GOOD songs is really, really hard, but any decent jazz musician can throw a melody over a blues progression, and it’s a song.
Martinman: Having said that, I believe they were playing a new song in this episode.
Martinman: It is called Milestones, and is by Miles Davis.
Ghosty: Oh, I loved that one!
Martinman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeZomqLM7BQ
Ghosty: It’s probably my favorite on the soundtrack
Martinman: This is one of the first jazz albums I ever got, and probably my 4th or 5th favorite Miles Davis album. It’s a great album.
Ghosty: Speaking of new songs
Ghosty: that song that played during the rooftop scene
Ghosty: I kind of expected something more… extravagant for that song
Ghosty: But I think the placement was good. Nothing like my prediction.
Martinman: Fair enough.
Martinman: So is the anime still following the manga?
Ghosty: Yes
Ghosty: They leave out minor details that I feel would have worked well in the manga
Ghosty: Kaoru apparently takes Ritsuko to see The Sound of Music earlier in the manga, so I guess that’s not happening
Martinman: 
Ghosty: Here’s hoping for an OVA!
Martinman: That’s a great musical.
Martinman: Here’s a funny joke about that song.
Martinman: One time, Mr. and Mrs. Hill were in a horrible auto accident very close to a doctor’s house. The doctor tried to save them with help from an assistant, but was unable to. The doctor went to another room, then put on some polka, because that was his favorite type of music. The assistant was still in the room with Mr. and Mrs. Hill, when the noxious sound of the polka woke them from the dead. The assistant rand into the other room shouting:
Martinman: wait for it
Martinman: “THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC”
Ghosty: LOL
Ghosty: I like how different the song is from the version in the show
Ghosty: The piano is more prevalent (?) in the show version
Ghosty: which I really like.
Martinman: Of Milestones?
Ghosty: yes
Martinman: Well, since there is no sax or trumpet in the show version, the piano is the only instrument playing the melody.
Martinman: Thus, it has to take the lead.
Ghosty: Yeah
Ghosty: I noticed there isn’t any sax in the OST
Ghosty: I guess they wanted to stay true to the instruments used in the show
Martinman: Which makes sense, but I am still a sad man because of it.
Ghosty: Yeah
Ghosty: At the same time, I think it’s a great soundtrack without needing saxophone
Martinman: LIES
Ghosty: ;__;
Martinman: EVERYTHING NEEDS MORE SAXOPHONE.
Ghosty: I LIKE IT!
Ghosty: *cries*
Martinman: *backhands you*
Ghosty: Oh, there’s another thing about the manga.
Martinman: Oh?
Ghosty: Umm, there’s like more to Sentarou than we thought.
Ghosty: But
Ghosty: They didn’t really mention it in this episode
Ghosty: they might touch on it next time, but I’m not totally sure
Ghosty: Anyway
Ghosty: You want to hear?
Martinman: Sure.
Ghosty: That being said, I think the manga is a lot better with plot points, but the anime doesn’t necessarily need them. It works well without them.
Ghosty: I prefer the anime for the music part, but I enjoy reading the manga too and I do wish they included that, but it works.
Martinman: Cool.
Martinman: So, some specific stuff about this episode:
Martinman: Olympus’s outfits keep getting more outlandish.
Ghosty: Ugh
Martinman: I didn’t think anyone got that crazy until Peter Gabriel and Genesis started doing that stuff.
Ghosty: They may as well just be naked on the stage 
Martinman: I’m pretty sure Jim Morrison got arrested for that once.
Martinman: Or at least for exposing himself.
Ghosty: Well, Matsuoka wants to be star, right?
Ghosty: What better way to start than to get naked?
Martinman: He’ll end up overdosing on sleeping pills in a Paris hotel room at the age of 28 or whatever.
Ghosty: Hahaha
Ghosty: Actually, I take that back
Ghosty: I don’t want to see Maruo naked
Martinman: I don’t think anyone does.
Ghosty: Oh, and speaking of Maruo
Ghosty: Wait, did I already talk to you about him?
Martinman: Hmmm…I don’t know.
Ghosty: love life?
Martinman: Nope.
Ghosty: oh
Ghosty: ok, well here’s another manga difference
Ghosty: Ritsuko’s friend and Maruo are dating at this point, but they also don’t show that in the anime.
Martinman: Lol
Ghosty: I guess it’s not that important, but it’s funny!
Martinman: Yeah.
Martinman: I guess being a rock star does get you chicks even if you are a landwhale otaku.
Ghosty: yup
Ghosty: maybe she likes trains a lot
Ghosty: or pretends to for some dick
Martinman: It is possible.
Ghosty: Well, anyway
Ghosty: I felt like a lot of things happened in this episode
Martinman: Indeed.
Ghosty: and it was a bit weirdly paced?
Ghosty: Maybe that’s just me but I still enjoyed it.
Ghosty: It’s kind of like a rollercoaster
Martinman: Epic hospital troll was epic.
Ghosty: “OH GOD SENTAROU IS IN THE HOSPITAL WHAT IF HE CAN’T DRUM AGAIN?”
Ghosty: “Oh, it’s just Sachiko. Phew”
Ghosty: “NO WAIT THAT’S EVEN SADDER!”
Ghosty: and then he just kind of ran off for good.
Ghosty: I’m glad that Kaoru stopped him from running off before.
Martinman: Yeah.
Ghosty: At least Sentarou was able to see that his dad still cares about him.
Ghosty: I have a feeling that Kaoru and Ritsuko will be able to develop their relationship further
Martinman: With Sentarou AWOL, Ritsuko will hopefully realize that she wants someone a bit more reliable, and make the smart choice.
Ghosty: Well, she’s not exactly torn between the two. :P
Ghosty: But I guess you could say they need something to take their minds off Sentarou, it might as well be each other
Martinman: Indeed.
Ghosty: I hope those two grow up happily and get married and have cute babies that Uncle Sentarou will babysit for.
Martinman: That would be awesome
Martinman: Sentarou is much more of a “cool uncle” figure than a father figure.
Ghosty: Definitely
Ghosty: How gay was that rooftop scene?
Martinman: uber-gay
Martinman: I have comments on the screencaps
Ghosty: Oh man
Ghosty: yeah, it was a nice throwback to ep 1, but in my head I was going “Oh god this is so gay, all the fangirls are going to have a field day”
Martinman: I really want to avoid thinking about that scene anymore.
Ghosty: Ok
Ghosty: Anything else?
Martinman: Not really.
Only one episode left!
The crash was a little too dramatic, yeah. Why was his sister out so late at night, and why did Sentaro have to pick her up and take her along with him? It didn’t make much sense really. Fortunately, the scene on the rooftop made up for it.
Going into the series, I thought it was going to be all about the jazz, so I can sympathize with you there, Martin. But then, as Ghost pointed out in your conversation, it clearly turned out to be a coming of age/romance story(a damn good one at that) using jazz as a vehicle, so to speak.
If Sakamichi has one weakness, the pacing of the later episodes in the series aside, it’s Maruo. His stupid fang and over-the-top attitude and acting is a little jarring, and frankly, feels out of place.