Made her debut in 2000 in Takarajimasha’s CUTiE comic. Serialization of Kids on the Slope began in 2007, in Shogakukan’s Monthly Flowers. The series won #1 in the 2009 edition of This Manga is Awesome!, women’s comics division. Currently, volumes 1-8 are available. (Shogakukan, Flower Comics α)
★Announced on January 23, 2012: Winner of the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award (general audience division)

Yuki Kodama’s Comment

When it comes to adapting this manga to anime, I can say with no reservations that the series has been blessed with a brilliant combination of staff members that couldn’t be any better. I’m so thrilled about this that I feel a tightening in my chest. I can’t wait to see the collaboration of imagery and music that’s in store for us.

Yuki Kodama
 

Made his directorial debut in 1994 with Macross Plus (co-directing). A few representative works are Cowboy Bebop (’98), Samurai Champloo (’04), The Animatrix: Kid’s Story and Genius Party: Baby Blue (’07). He has an especially strong interest in music and sound, and has collaborated with Yoko Kanno before to incorporate jazz into Cowboy Bebop and hip hop into Samurai Champloo. He has also served as music producer on the film Mind Game (’04) and Michiko and Hacchin (’08).

Shinichiro Watanabe’s Comment

Actually, this is my first time directing a series based on an original work. After reading the manga, I thought it was a series that I should do. I like to think that I’m bringing out the delicious flavor of the original work while doing a “session” with Ms. Kodama.

Shinichiro Watanabe

Representative works: The Vision of Escaflowne (’96), Paradise Kiss (’05), Toward The Terra … (’07), Maken-ki! (’11), Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (’12)

Nobuteru Yuki’s Comment

I originally read Ms. Kodama’s series out of pleasure, getting to be a part of the anime version was a surprise. I’m worried about destroying the image fans have of the characters, but I’ll do my best!

Nobuteru Yuki

This musician has done a wide body of work that spans anime, commercials, movies, TV dramas, video games and more, but is getting the most attention of her career right now.

Representative works:
Anime: Macross F (’08-’11), other Macross series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series (’03-’06), Legend of Aquarion series (05-)
Video Games:Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Nobunaga’s Ambition series, Ragnarok Online II
Movies: Kamikaze Girls (’04), Honey and Clover (’06), Surely Someday, etc.

Yoko Kanno’s Comment

Coming of age and jazz. This is exactly the kind of series I’ve been waiting for. I entreat everyone to listen to the heartbeat of life of the brilliant young jazz musicians who performed the sounds that could be heard from the original work.

Yoko Kanno