Sound! Euphonium (Japanese: 響け! ユーフォニアム, Hepburn: Hibike! Yūfoniamu) is a Japanese novel series written by Ayano Takeda. The story is set in Uji, Kyoto and focuses on the Kitauji High School Music Club, whose concert band is steadily improving thanks to the newly appointed adviser's strict instruction.[1]
A manga adaptation illustrated by Hami was serialized on the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web website. Kyoto Animation was in charge of its anime adaptations: it produced two seasons of a television series adaptation in 2015 and 2016, depicting the first high school year of the main character, Kumiko Oumae. Two animated films titled Liz and the Blue Bird and Sound! Euphonium: The Movie – Our Promise: A Brand New Day, both taking place during Kumiko's second high year, were released in premiered in 2018 and 2019 respectively. A third season focused on Kumiko in her third year of high school has been announced for April 2024, preceded by the theatrical OVA Ensemble Contest in August 2023.
Plot
The Kitauji High School Concert Band Club had at one time participated in national tournaments and was a championship-caliber school, but after the club's adviser changed, they had not been able to even participate in the qualifying tournament. However, thanks to the newly appointed adviser's strict instruction, the students are steadily improving and build up their strength. As they fight over who plays solos, some students give priority to studying and quit club activities. Finally, the long wished-for day of the competition arrives.
Characters
Main characters
Kumiko Oumae (黄前 久美子, Ōmae Kumiko)
Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa (Japanese); Courtney Shaw (Liz and the Blue Bird);[2]Erica Mendez (Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)[3]
Kumiko, a first-year high school student, is the main protagonist of Sound! Euphonium. She speaks standard Japanese, despite growing up in Kansai. She is easily swayed by the opinions of others and is an indecisive person. She dislikes her personality because she cannot make her wishes known to others nor have the courage to interfere with social affairs. She is a euphonium player in the concert band. She lives near Byodoin Temple with her elder sister and parents.
Reina is a beautiful trumpet player with long black hair. She was a member of the concert band club at the same junior high school as Kumiko. She is a dedicated trumpet player and goes to the music classroom even outside of club activities. Though she has a polite disposition, she is not viewed so well by others because she usually has a surly expression. She cherishes her trumpet, which was given to her by her parents when she was a junior high school student. She has feelings for her teacher Taki.
Asuka Tanaka (田中 あすか, Tanaka Asuka)
Voiced by: Minako Kotobuki (Japanese); Reba Buhr (Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)[3]
Asuka is a third-year student and vice president of the concert band club. She plays the euphonium and leads the bass section. Whenever the club is marching, she leads the band as drum major. She is a natural beauty with glasses and has a playful personality. However in the second season, this is revealed to be mostly a facade to hide her true feelings from her classmates.
Taki is the new music teacher in Kitauji High School and serves as the adviser to the concert band club. He is also in charge of Class 5 of the second-year students. He is polite and has a methodical personality. He emphasizes independence in his students, and to this end he pushes them to reach their goal of going to the national competition.
Hazuki is a friendly girl who talks innocently. She is Kumiko's classmate and is suntanned because she belonged to the tennis club when she was a junior high school student. She is a beginner at music. She admires the trumpet and joined the concert band club, but ended up playing the tuba, which she calls "Tubacabura" (チューバカブラ, Chūbakabura, a portmanteau of the Japanese transliterations of tuba as chūba (チューバ) and chupacabra as chupakabura (チュパカブラ)). She is a bright, perky mood-maker, and the type of person who prefers standing out over supporting others.
Sapphire is a girl with soft hair and a delicate constitution. She is often timid due to her lack of self-confidence. She is embarrassed by her own name "Sapphire" (緑輝, Safaia, lit."green brilliancy") , so she tells people to call her "Midori". She is from a junior high school named Seijo (聖女) which has a competitive concert band club. She plays the upright bass, which she endearingly calls "George", and electric bass.
Shuuichi Tsukamoto (塚本 秀一, Tsukamoto Shūichi)
Voiced by: Haruki Ishiya (Japanese); Christian La Monte (Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)[3]
Shuuichi is a first-year high school student. He is Kumiko's childhood friend, and the two went to the same junior high school. He and Kumiko are not classmates in high school because they are studying different courses. They previously had a falling out, due to Shuuichi having made a snide remark about Kumiko when they were in their third year of junior high school. He was originally a French horn player, but he gets to play the trombone after winning a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Chikao Takigawa (瀧川 ちかお, Takigawa Chikao)
A first-year student and Shuuichi's friend. He plays the tenor saxophone.
Natsuki is a second-year student who plays the euphonium. She is lazy and often found sleeping, but she works hard when something motivates her. She becomes the band vice president in her third year.
Yuuko is a second-year student who plays the trumpet. She adores Kaori and has a begrudging friendship with Natsuki. She becomes the band president in her third year.
Mizore Yoroizuka (鎧塚 みぞれ, Yoroizuka Mizore)
Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki (Japanese); Laurie Hymes (Liz and the Blue Bird) (English)[2]
Mizore is a quiet second-year student who plays the oboe. She was friends with Nozomi in middle school.
A second-year student who plays the trumpet. In her third year, she was tasked alongside Kumiko to instruct and manage the new first-year members of the band.
Keina Iwata (岩田慧菜, Iwata Keina)
A second-year student who plays the trombone. In her third year, she plays the bass trombone and becomes the trombone section leader.
Miyoko Ohno (大野 美代子, Ohno Miyoko)
A second-year student who is a percussionist as the timpani player. She can also play the harp.
Third-year students
Haruka Ogasawara (小笠原 晴香, Ogasawara Haruka)
Voiced by: Saori Hayami (Japanese); Allegra Clark (Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)[8]
Haruka is a third-year student and president of the concert band. She plays the baritone saxophone and leads the saxophone section. She is a strong-minded character, but has low self-esteem.
Kaori Nakaseko (中世古 香織, Nakaseko Kaori)
Voiced by: Minori Chihara (Japanese); Ryan Bartley (Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)[8]
Kaori is a third-year student. She has deep black hair and a gentle character, making her quite popular in the band. She plays the trumpet and is the section leader, in addition to being the band accountant.
Aoi is a childhood friend of Kumiko, and she is two years her senior. The two often played together, as they lived in the same neighborhood. She and Kumiko drifted apart in junior high school. They are reunited in the concert band, although they do not talk much. She plays the tenor saxophone. She quit the band to focus on her college entrance exams.
Hirone Torizuka (鳥塚 ヒロネ, Torizuka Hirone)
A third-year student who is the concertmaster and leader of the clarinet section.
Kotoko Himegami (姫神 琴子, Himegami Kotoko)
A third-year student who leads the flute and piccolo section.
A new first-year student who plays the euphonium. She gives off a good impression to everyone who sees her, but there is a hidden side to her always-polite personality.
Azusa is Kumiko's friend from junior high school. She admitted to Rikka High School (立華高校, Rikka Kōkō), known for its marching band. She plays the trombone. She is the protagonist of the Rikka-centric spinoff novels.
Kohaku is Sapphire's little sister. She is a character created for the anime television series and appears in the eighth episode. Her name means "amber" in Japanese.
A woodwind specialist and longtime friend of Noboru Taki's.
Masakazu Shindo (進藤 正和, Shindō Masakazu)
Shindo is Asuka's father. Asuka's parents divorced when Asuka was two years old. He is a prominent euphonist and author of book Fun Euphonium (たのしい ユーフォニアム, Tanoshī Yūfoniamu) for beginner euphonists. When Asuka was in first grade, he sent her the euphonium she now plays and a notebook full of euphonium pieces entitled Sound! Euphonium (響け! ユーフォニアム, Hibike! Yūfoniamu).
Media
Novels
Sound! Euphonium is a 319-page novel written by Ayano Takeda, and features cover art drawn by Nikki Asada. Takarajimasha published the novel on December 5, 2013. Two sequel novels were released on March 5 and April 4, 2015. In addition, a short story collection was released on May 25, 2015. In 2016, a spin-off novel was released in two volumes on August 4 and September 6. Another spin-off novel was released on October 6, 2016. A two-part sequel to the novels was released in August and October 2017; the story takes place in Kumiko's second year and Mizore's third year of high school.[10] Another short story collection was released on April 5, 2018. Two follow-up novel volumes focused on Kumiko's third and final year on high school were released in April and May 2019.[11]
Yen Press released the first volume of the novel series in English in June 2017.[12]
No.
Title
Original release date
English release date
1
Sound! Euphonium: Welcome to the Kitauji High School Concert Band[n 1] Hibike! Yūfoniamu: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu e Yōkoso (響け! ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部へようこそ)
Sound! Euphonium 3: The Greatest Crisis of Kitauji High School's Wind Ensemble Club Hibike! Yūfoniamu 3: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu, Saidai no Kiki (響け! ユーフォニアム3 北宇治高校吹奏楽部、最大の危機)
Sound! Euphonium: Secret Story of Kitauji High School's Wind Ensemble Club Hibike! Yūfoniamu: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu no Himitsu no Hanashi (響け! ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部のヒミツの話)
Sound! Euphonium Series: Welcome to the Rikka High School Marching Band (part 1) Hibike! Yūfoniam Shirīzu Rikka Kōkō Māchingu Bando e Yōkoso Zenpen (響け! ユーフォニアムシリーズ 立華高校マーチングバンドへようこそ 前編)
Sound! Euphonium Series: Welcome to the Rikka High School Marching Band (part 2) Hibike! Yūfoniam Shirīzu Rikka Kōkō Māchingu Bando e Yōkoso Kōhen (響け! ユーフォニアムシリーズ 立華高校マーチングバンドへようこそ 後編)
Sound! Euphonium Kitauji High School Concert Band, Second Turbulent Movement (part 1) Hibike! Yūfoniamu Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu, Haran no Dainigakushō Zenpen (響け! ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部、波乱の第二楽章 前編)
Sound! Euphonium Kitauji High School Concert Band, Second Turbulent Movement (part 2) Hibike! Yūfoniamu Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu, Haran no Dainigakushō Kōhen (響け! ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部、波乱の第二楽章 後編)
Sound! Euphonium: True Stories from the Kitauji High School Concert Band Hibike! Yūfoniamu Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu no Honto no Hanashi (響け！ ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部のホントの話)
A manga adaptation of the first novel illustrated by Hami was serialized on the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web website between November 28, 2014 and October 30, 2015.[23][24] Takarajimasha published three tankōbon volumes between April 3 and November 20, 2015.[25][26] A manga adaptation of the second novel followed, and was serialized between January 15 and September 16, 2016; the first volume was released on September 8, 2016,[27] and the second on October 11, 2016.[28] A manga adaptation of the third novel followed; the first volume was released on July 20, 2017,[29] and the second volume on August 26, 2017.[30]
A 13-episode anime television series adaptation of the first volume of the novel series, directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, written by Jukki Hanada, and produced by Kyoto Animation, aired in Japan between April 8 and July 1, 2015.[31]Naoko Yamada served as series production director.[32] The opening theme is "Dream Solister" by True, and the ending theme is "Tutti!" (トゥッティ!) by Tomoyo Kurosawa, Ayaka Asai, Moe Toyota, and Chika Anzai. The ending theme for episode 8 is a trumpet and euphonium duet version of "Ai o Mitsuketa Basho" (愛を見つけた場所, "The Place Where We Found Love") and the ending theme for episode 13 is a wind orchestra version of "Dream Solister". The anime is licensed by Ponycan USA in North America,[33] and by Anime Limited in the United Kingdom.[34] The seventh DVD/BD volume, released on December 16, 2015, bundled an original video animation (OVA) episode titled "Kakedasu Monaka" (かけだすモナカ, "Ready, Set, Monaka"). Kyoto Animation produced an anime film retelling the events of the television series, Sound! Euphonium: The Movie – Welcome to the Kitauji High School Concert Band,[35] which premiered on April 23, 2016.
A second season of the television series began airing on October 6, 2016.[36] The opening theme is "Soundscape" (サウンドスケープ, Saundosukēpu) by True, and the ending theme is "Vivace!" (ヴィヴァーチェ!, Vu~ivu~āche!) by Kurosawa, Asai, Toyota, and Anzai. The ending theme for episode 9 is a euphonium solo version of "Sound! Euphonium" (響け! ユーフォニアム, Hibike! Yūfoniamu) (uncredited) and the ending theme for episode 13 is an orchestra version of "Sound! Euphonium". A short anime, titled "Hanabi-taikai Kiss e Yōkoso" (花火大会キッスへようこそ！, "Welcome to the Fireworks Festival Kiss"), was bundled with the second season's first home video release volume, which was released on December 21, 2016.[37] A second anime film retelling the events of the second season, Sound! Euphonium: The Movie – May the Melody Reach You!, was released on September 30, 2017.[38][39]
A new anime project was announced in 2019, focusing on Kumiko as a student in her third year.[40] It was later revealed to be a third season that is set to premiere on April 7, 2024 on NHK Educational TV.[41] Along with re-confirmation of the third season, the theatrical OVA Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest was announced in 2022, and was released on August 4, 2023.[42] Tatsuya Ishihara returned to direct the OVA, with Taichi Ogawa serving as assistant director, Jukki Hanada writing the screenplay, Shoko Ikeda handling the character designs, and Akito Matsuda composing the music. The theme song is "Ensemble" by True.[43]
Two new animated films telling the events of Kumiko's second year at Kitauji High were scheduled for release in 2018.[44] The first film, directed by Naoko Yamada and written by Reiko Yoshida, titled Liz and the Blue Bird (リズと青い鳥, Liz to Aoi Tori), focuses on Nozomi and Mizore and premiered on April 21, 2018.[45][46] Theatrical distributor Eleven Arts released the film in theaters on November 9, 2018 in the United States. Shout! Factory released it on home video on March 5, 2019.[47] The second film, titled Sound! Euphonium: The Movie – Our Promise: A Brand New Day (劇場版 響け！ユーフォニアム～誓いのフィナーレ～, Gekijōban Hibike! Yūfoniamu: Chikai no Fināre, lit.'Oath's Finale' or 'Oath of the Finale') and originally scheduled for release in 2018, is directed by Tatsuya Ishihara and focuses on Kumiko as a student in her second year and premiered on April 19, 2019.[48][49] The film was released in select US theaters on July 11, 2019, and the English dub debuted on July 15, 2019.[50][51] The English dub has a different voice cast compared to Liz and the Blue Bird, though Sarah Anne Williams, Ryan Bartley and Megan Harvey reprised their roles as Natsuki, Satomi and Yuko, respectively.[52] The film was released on a DVD/Blu-Ray set on June 2, 2020 from Shout Factory.[53]
Theatrical OVA
Along with re-confirmation of the third season, the theatrical OVA Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest was announced in 2022, and was released on August 4, 2023.[54] Tatsuya Ishihara returned to direct the OVA, with Taichi Ogawa serving as assistant director, Jukki Hanada writing the screenplay, Shoko Ikeda handling the character designs, and Akito Matsuda composing the music. The theme song is "Ensemble" by True.[55]
Music
Wind ensemble music for both seasons were performed by the 2014 Freshman Wind Ensemble (フレッシュマン ウィンド アンサンブル) of the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music. Original music was composed and some featured pieces were arranged by Akito Matsuda (松田彬人, Matsuda Akito).
In April 2018, it was reported that the novels had more than 1.4 million copies in print in Japan.[57]
The series has often been criticized by Western viewers for perceived queerbaiting with regards to the relationship between lead characters Kumiko Oumae and Reina Kousaka.[58][59][60]Crunchyroll's Twitter account acknowledged the pairing by tweeting a screenshot from the show,[61][62] which was still airing and being officially simulcast by the service at the time, in the wake of the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.
In 2015, Nio Nakatani praised the anime for its perceived yuri aspects, which she said had inspired her while she was drawing Bloom Into You.[63]
Notes
^Kitauji (北宇治), is translated as "North Uji" at the English official website. Although the subtitle is sometimes translated as Welcome to Kitauji High School's Musical Instrument Club, suisōgaku (吹奏楽) actually means "concert band (wind ensemble)", not "musical instrument".
^Henderson, Alex (November 10, 2017). "Escape from Yuri Hell: FLIP FLAPPERS' critique of the Class S genre". Anime Feminist. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022. Western fans have been (understandably) frustrated by series like Sound! Euphonium for not committing to the apparent queer romance at the center of the narrative...
^"What's So Gay About Yuri!!! on Ice?". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 19, 2022. ...and the girls of Kitauji High's concert band in Sound! Euphonium technically have male love interests that they just happen to either spend no time around or pine for at a distance. So it's curious that both shows are dripping with such overtly sexual imagery...
