When Kaoru Nishimi, a boy who gets so worked up with nerves that he's capable of making himself nauseous under stress, begins yet another school after moving in with his uncle and his family, he doesn't think things are going to be any different than before. However, he perks up upon meeting pretty girl-next-door Ritsuko Mukae. On the other hand, he doesn't know what to make of Sentaro Kawabuchi, the thuggish looking boy sitting behind him in class who almost everyone seems leery of except Ritsuko (who is soon revealed to be his childhood friend) and who has a reputation of getting into brawls. It turns out, however, that the rep is a little unfair, as Sentaro is actually a bighearted guy who's a doting big brother of three who gets in trouble because he cheerfully throws himself into defending people he likes or who aren't as able as he is to defend themselves against creeps who deserve what he hands them. Not only that, Sentaro also turns out to have a passion for jazz drumming, which piques Kaoru's interest as a classically trained pianist although he's enough of a snob that he initially turns his nose up at jazz considering it slumming. When Sentaro learns that Kaoru is a pianist, he estatically insists that they jam together, which Kaoru allows himself to be talked into. Sometimes joined by Ritsuko's cool dad Tsutomu - who owns the local record shop and acts as a father figure to all the kids - on bass, and Junichi Katsuragi - Sentaro's older brother figure who he affectionately calls "Brother Jun" - on trumpet, the two bond over a shared love of music. For both of them, the trudge down the slope to school everyday is no longer so long...Although their relationships with Ritsuko, Junichi and another girl named Yurika are significant, the bromance between Kaoru and Sentaro is the driving force of the story, as they help eachother through girl problems, social issues, family dilemmas and finally two simultaneous serious crises which strike Sentaro. The fact that they aren't perfect - Kaoru can have a selfish streak and Sentaro can have a tendency to avoid problems - and that the situations they find themselves in don't always have a perfect or easy resolution gives the story a realistic streak. The epilogue - in which we find out what paths in life the two chose - is also very satisfying and perfectly appropriate in light of everything we know about them, even fitting in Kaoru's musing that Sentaro is meant to be a father eventually in a way that Kaoru probably never expected but is ultimately completely in character in hindsight.Kids on the Slope is a work that fans of Honey and Clover and Princess Jellyfish will also want in their collection.