Kids on the Slope (2012)

12 episodes. A lonely classical pianist arriving at a new high school in Kyushu is dragged into jazz by the school's best-known troublemaker, who turns out to have a big heart. Director Shinichiro Watanabe reunited with Cowboy Bebop composer Yoko Kanno here, and the jam sessions are the heart of the show, played with real feel rather than as background. It is a warm coming-of-age story about friendship and first love, and an easy pick for anyone who usually avoids anime. The final episodes feel a little rushed, but the ending does land.