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]
Sound! Euphonium | |
響け! ユーフォニアム (Hibike! Yūfoniamu) | |
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Genre | Drama, music, slice of life |
Novel series | |
Written by | Ayano Takeda |
Illustrated by | Nikki Asada |
Published by | Takarajimasha |
English publisher | |
Imprint | Takarajimasha Bunko |
Original run | December 5, 2013 – June 22, 2019 |
Volumes | 12 |
Manga | |
Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Koukou Suisougaku-bu e Youkoso | |
Written by | Ayano Takeda |
Illustrated by | Hami |
Published by | Takarajimasha |
Magazine | Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web |
Original run | November 28, 2014 – October 30, 2015 |
Volumes | 3 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | (S1–2) |
Produced by |
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Written by | Jukki Hanada |
Music by | Akito Matsuda |
Studio | Kyoto Animation |
Licensed by |
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Original network | |
Original run | April 8, 2015 – present |
Episodes | 29 + OVA |
Manga | |
Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Koukou Suisougaku-bu no Ichiban Atsui Natsu | |
Written by | Ayano Takeda |
Illustrated by | Hami |
Published by | Takarajimasha |
Magazine | Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web |
Original run | January 15, 2016 – September 16, 2016 |
Volumes | 2 |
Original video animation | |
Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest | |
Directed by | Tatsuya Ishihara |
Written by | Jukki Hanada |
Music by | Akito Matsuda |
Studio | Kyoto Animation |
Released | August 4, 2023 |
Runtime | 57 minutes |
Anime films | |
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 premiered in April 2024, preceded by the theatrical OVA Ensemble Contest in August 2023.
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.
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 | |
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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) | December 5, 2013[13] 978-4-8002-1747-9 | June 20, 2017[14] 978-0-3165-5859-4 | |
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2 | Sound! Euphonium 2: The Hottest Summer of Kitauji High School's Wind Ensemble Club Hibike! Yūfoniamu 2: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu no Ichiban Atsui Natsu (響け! ユーフォニアム2 北宇治高校吹奏楽部のいちばん熱い夏) | March 5, 2015[15] 978-4-8002-3906-8 | — | |
3 | 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) | April 4, 2015[16] 978-4-8002-3982-2 | — | |
4 | 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) | May 25, 2015[17] 978-4-8002-4119-1 | — | |
5 | 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) | August 4, 2016[18] 978-4-8002-5872-4 | — | |
6 | 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) | September 6, 2016[19] 978-4-8002-5874-8 | — | |
7 | Sound! Euphonium Kitauji High School's Concert Band Diary Hibike! Yūfoniam Kitauji Kōkō no Suisōgaku-bu Nisshi (響け! ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校の吹奏楽部日誌) | October 6, 2016[20] 978-4-8002-6226-4 | — | |
8 | 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) | August 26, 2017[21] 978-4-8002-7489-2 | — | |
9 | 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) | October 5, 2017[22] 978-4-8002-7491-5 | — | |
10 | 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) | April 5, 2018 978-4-8002-8301-6 | — | |
11 | Sound! Euphonium: The Kitauji Concert Band's Decisive Final Movement (part 1) Hibike! Yūfoniamu Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu, Ketsui no Saishū Gakushō Zenpen (響け! ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部、決意の最終楽章 前編) | April 17, 2019 978-4-8002-9399-2 | — | |
12 | Sound! Euphonium: The Kitauji Concert Band's Decisive Final Movement (part 2) Hibike! Yūfoniamu Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu, Ketsui no Saishū Gakushō Kōhen (響け! ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部、決意の最終楽章 後編) | June 22, 2019 978-4-8002-9401-2 | — |
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 premiered on April 7, 2024 on NHK Educational TV.[41] The opening theme for the third season is "ReCoda" by True.[42] 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.[43] 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.[44]
Two new animated films telling the events of Kumiko's second year at Kitauji High were scheduled for release in 2018.[45] 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.[46][47] 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.[48] 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.[49][50] The film was released in select US theaters on July 11, 2019, and the English dub debuted on July 15, 2019.[51][52] 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.[53] The film was released on a DVD/Blu-Ray set on June 2, 2020 from Shout Factory.[54]
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.[55] 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.[56]
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).
No. | Title | Music | Length |
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1. | "Abarenbō Shōgun Theme" (暴れん坊将軍のテーマ; episode 1.1) | Shunsuke Kikuchi | |
2. | "Infernal Galop" (from Orpheus in the Underworld; episodes 1.1 and 1.12) | Jacques Offenbach | |
3. | "The Marines[57]" (episodes 1.3–1.4) (piece incorporates Marines' Hymn[n 2] in second part) | James M. Fulton and Jacques Offenbach (uncredited) | |
4. | "Symphony No. 9" (part II Largo, episode 1.3) | Antonín Dvořák | |
5. | "The Fairest of the Fair" (episode 1.5) | John Philip Sousa | |
6. | "Funiculì, Funiculà" (episode 1.5) | Luigi Denza | |
7. | "Rydeen" (ライディーン; episode 1.5) (from Solid State Survivor by Yellow Magic Orchestra) | Yukihiro Takahashi | |
8. | "Crescent Moon Dance" (三日月の舞; episodes 1.6–1.13, 2.1–2.3, 2.5, 2.7, 2.9, and 2.13) | Namie Horikawa[n 3] (Akito Matsuda) | |
9. | "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" (episode 1.6) | French folk song | |
10. | "Ai o Mitsuketa Basho" (愛を見つけた場所 (The Place Where We Found Love); episode 1.8) | Hanako Oku | |
11. | "Wind of Provence[n 4]" (プロヴァンスの風; episodes 1.10, 1.13, 2.3, and 2.5) | Naoki Tasaka | |
12. | "Scheherazade" (episode 1.13) | Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | |
13. | "Gakuen Tengoku" (学园天国; episodes 2.1 and 2.6) | Tadao Inoue | |
14. | "Finale from Symphony No. 4" (episode 2.1) | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | |
15. | "Gliding Dance of the Maidens (Polovtsian Dances)" (episodes 2.1–2.2, and 2.5) | Alexander Borodin | |
16. | "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" (episode 2.5) | Sergei Rachmaninoff | |
17. | "Kimi wa Tennenshoku" (君は天然色; episode 2.6) (from A Long Vacation) | Eiichi Ohtaki | |
18. | "Takarajima" (宝島 (Treasure Island); episode 2.7) (from S.P.O.R.T.S. by T-Square) | Hirotaka Izumi | |
19. | "American Patrol" (episode 2.8) | Frank W. Meacham | |
20. | "Kitauji Shijuusou Dai-1-ban Euphonium" (北宇治四重奏 第1番 ユーフォニアム; episode 2.8) | Akito Matsuda[n 5] | |
21. | "Hibike! Yūfoniamu" (響け! ユーフォニアム; episodes 2.3, 2.9, and 2.13[n 6]) | Shindo Masakazu[n 7] (Akito Matsuda) | |
22. | "Starting the project[n 8]" (episode 2.13) | Akito Matsuda |
In April 2018, it was reported that the novels had more than 1.4 million copies in print in Japan.[58]
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.[59][60][61] Crunchyroll's Twitter account acknowledged the pairing by tweeting a screenshot from the show,[62][63] 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.[64]
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...
...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...