Hibike! Euphonium

“Is this really what it’s like?” That is the question that ran through my mind after the second episode of Euphonium. “This”, being, well, being a teenager and a part of something that is bigger than yourself. I’m certainly no old man, so I will not attempt to recall some nostalgic sense of youth, but I didn’t exactly have the opportunity to experience feelings like these. Me personally: I was asocial: homeschooled: and bonded with others, yes, but not in this manner, I got along with the people who I punched, and punched me right back in the face due to boxing being my only consistent way to meet others until I got older. Not through a grand epic full of people united under artistic passion daily. Due to this, I find it extremely difficult to relate to works of art that present themes such as those in Euphonium because we are at an intrinsic and contrasting precipice. So I ask again: Is this what it’s really like? If so, wish I got a chance to go back in time, because Euphonium unlocked a well of emotions and ideas in me I didn’t even know I had the capability to wonder about. I can barely get across how surprised I was that this anime had not just the toolset, but knowledge of executing its throughlines to the point that I admit, I shed a few tears. There is something about this work, this work specifically, that resonates with the human condition’s sense of youth others of its ilk have failed to do. The concept of the story is fairly mediocre, I’d dare say redundant. Highschool boys and girls in a concert band working their best to follow both their passions and dreams, all throughout this journey they are faced with both internal and external problems that slowly but surely leer their ugly heads. Again and again, we’ve seen this before: how does this one work? I have a few ideas. Saying that a character feels “real”, frankly, is a misnomer at best and a hollow statement at worst. All characters in one way or another “feel real”, they’re simply exaggerations of concepts we as a species live with on a day-to-day basis, whether those concepts are humor, wrath, depression, and everything in between. I can spout that rhetoric all I want in my head, yet throughout my time with Euphonium my stalwart thoughts of this faded. The narrative of Euphonium is not of particular potency, but its characters damn well are, or at the very least are good at tricking you into believing so. Kumiko, our protagonist, is at times chokingly relatable to the viewer and the struggles we eventually will face in our life such as feelings of insecurity, a longing to improve ourselves, doing your best to be confident but also questioning yourself every now and then from the occasional minutia of a problem making you backstep. Kumiko by no means is a trope or exaggeration of one particular idea, that is what makes her nuanced presentation so malleable, yet palatable to us. While she can fit into any slot of your life where there has been turmoil, this most certainly does not degrade her value as a rather complex character. It’s not just our main protagonist that offers us a tad more depth to the table. In fact, I’d argue that every character in this work satisfies the viewer in some way shape or form. Each character has not quirks but specific personality traits that can exert themselves in a variety of ways depending on the situation they’re placed in when, sadly and often in this medium, it’s the other way around; the characters control the surroundings they’re in due to not having enough complexity to react in a decently interesting way, but I’m not going to lie to you and say I remember every single part of the supporting cast, that’s not to say the show didn’t do its hardest, in the best of ways, to give me a reason to remember them one way or another. Each of these characters too are faced with struggles that our main protagonist are dealing with, you’re certainly not going to understand all the ins-and-outs of them naturally from time restriction, but I’m fairly confident if given more screen time, they could just as easily have their own series as well, it’s all a matter of perspective. And that is what being human is like. When someone is just as interesting as you, you simply don’t see life from their worldview. Euphonium’s cast revels and radiates with chemistry and comradery due to the writers being so on-point, and the voice actors adding even more life to the cast. It breathes and exhales in every shot, angle, color palette, and sound. The amount of care put into it by KyotoAni is astounding, it almost makes me wonder if they were going to run out of business if this thing flunked like the original Final Fantasy. As far as I am aware of, very few big names are attached to Euphonium in the industry in terms of directing and sound design, which is exceedingly curious. The animation flows like water, the character designs seldom if ever falter, shots are methodically, but not cold and cruelly held like a Kon-flick. There is a profound feeling of safety, brightness, peace, serenity, and security Euphonium constantly permeates - but if it wants you to feel something, by god, it will - looking at you, episode 12. There can be feelings of goliath level tension that the show has the ability to flip you with on a dime, which in a cathartic way was somewhat intoxicating, knowing that this calm show can quickly turn into an emotional tear-jerker. With all of these elements coming together, writers, art, sound directors, etc, is it of anyone’s guess that if this show does have a problem, you will barely notice it? Which trust me, it does. I am not a musician myself, but I did find it odd that a show that, not in-part, but indeed based around music, goes very little into the nuances of it. O.o It is of my opinion that you don’t really get enough insight into “why” the characters enjoy these instruments, songs, etc, but more so of their personal lives and relationships, which is all well and good surely, but there is a feeling of unevenness in this regard. Sure, it’s there in the first few episodes, however, while the band itself is a massive character, it is the only character you will know nothing about by the end of it due to its massive cast, there’s no room for it and the musical world to shine on its own two feet as well. I don’t feel like this was a show about music and humans, but just humans, and that is frankly disappointing considering that the nuances of this very music is what the characters are striving to understand while also learning to understand themselves. Didn’t I say at the beginning that Euphonium executes its throughlines well? Indeed, I did, and will say again: and that’s because Euphonium unfortunately, seems to rarely if ever truly care about this music the characters it’s so good at presenting care about themselves. I’d even say at times it feels like an ersatz, false idol that, while certainly would not be the same if slotted in with something else like basketball, karate, etc, is unwelcomed. Sad to say, to Euphonium, music is an afterthought. While it is most of the time sharp I must point out that I’m not the biggest fan of how romance is handled in this show and while I’m all for experiencing these emotions, think that it was in many respects not needed for this work, and that is the distinction; not poorly handled (though certainly not greatly either); simply not needed. Furthermore, teenagers have problems and I’d like to think I have decent grasp on Kumiko’s, and the rest of the cast mindset and psyche, yet there’s a lot of pressure looming on them, too much at times, the CW-esque melodrama can take you out of the mood and this is only tolerated once again due to so much “heart” by the staff being put into Euphonium itself. I would be foolish not to mention the tinges of fanservice that oddly still find a way to worm themselves into one of KyotoAni’s best in years. . . why? Why is it here? I dunno. I guess sex sells. . . even when…

I watched Hibike! Euphonium with quite high expectations since i heard a lot of good stuff about it. But despite the top notch art I was really disappointed by the rest of the show. What I expected was insight in a classical orchestra and at least some passion for music. But what I got was a rather dull all-day-life in a school orchestra, where people are motivated mainly by competition and peer pressure and not by affection for their instrument or their music. So most of the time you are watching students practicing solo or fighting their social struggles which I found pretty boring. All is lead by a music teacher who has no interesst in teaching his students passion for music while he tries very hard to inflict said social struggles within his orchestra. You barely see the whole orchestra play for more than a couple of seconds, also you learn very little about the different instruments and tasks in the orchestra and absolutely nothing about classical music. The creators seemed to be pretty insecure wether classical music would appeal to the audience and even chose generic j-pop songs for intro and outro. In the end the last episode seemed like a relieve since it delivered some of the stuff I found to be lacking in earlier episodes. When I watched Shirobako, I was disappointed by the low story appeal but that show did a lot to explain it's topic well, while Hibike! Euphonium fails in this aspect. Hence my low rating.

In an industry filled with idol and slice-of-life shows with just a pinch of music, it takes balls to go back to the basics, to actually pursue a less-tread path when the alternative has such a big and influential audience. Hibike Euphonium, however, is willing to take that path. But is its execution up to snuff? Yes. It is. Story: The story of Hibike Euphonium begins with the crushed dreams of one girl and the reemergence of another. From there, the protagonist Kumiko and her new friends join the band club, which has recently undergone some big changes. From the very beginning, the show lets you know what you’re in for: a show about characters overcoming their challenges to play music. It tries not to dwell on the personal, miniscule problems that plague the girl’s daily lives, but rather what stops them from being their very best. Despite the plot being very character driven, there is a clear direction in the progression, with occasional odd but at the same time necessary deviations. The pacing of the story is usually at a quicker clip, with events and backstories coming and going, not overstaying the welcome for the most part. A few episodes seemed to drag with pointless dialogues about cutesy-things and what not, but the show as a whole executes what it sets out to do quite well, portraying a thorough and believable story of personal growth in the face of challenges. Of course, no review is complete without mention of the ending and it is, without a doubt, one of the best endings I’ve seen to a show. The emotions are right, the tension is there, the music brings forth emotion, and while the final outcome is predictable, the journey to get there and the execution, how it even echoes the beginning in a sense, is a lot better than I thought it would be. It really shows how far everyone has come from their beginnings, leaving a sweet optimism in the minds of viewers. Animation: The animation quality of the work is crisp and clean, with nice lighting and (usually) well-placed camera shots. It give the sounds of the band life and meaning especially, allowing both visual and auditory stimulation to combine to form a well executed final product. The character designs are not needlessly otherworldly, but they also aren’t just carbon copies of other characters. Personalities match appearances, and the setting, while ordinary, is brought to life with discipline and dedication to the kind of atmosphere the show aims to create. Sound: Of course, an anime about music is nothing without a good score. To start of, I must give credit to studio for portraying mistakes as well as triumphs. That’s a line that I feared would not be as honestly toed as it was when I first started this anime, but the show’s message includes the values of hard work. In other words, these kids aren’t prodigies, which is refreshing. Now, the music itself, both the BGM and the actually played songs, fit with the moods of the various scenes, bringing an extra layer them. The voice actors are also exceptional. The beautiful OP has a building intensity that shadows the show’s own plot progression, making it a very well made one. Unfortunately, the ED, while catchy in its own right, hearkens back to the few errors that the show makes when it temporarily forgets what it does well and focuses more on the “cute girls doing cute things because we like money” sort of thing. Characters: The cast as whole is pretty large and even if you only could the ones in the center, there are still 5+ characters. Unafraid of the sizable cast, the show is able to properly introduce characters that are imperfect and seek to better themselves in some way or get their priorities straight. Everyone at least tries to move on in this show. Some of the developments are more significant than others (Kumiko’s two best friends’ struggles weren’t particularly interesting to watch, as they were punctuated by the typical boy troubles of the show’s less-serious brethren) but others, such as Nakaseko, Kousaka and Kitamura, deal with their problems and don’t hold the plot back and, if anything, drive it forward. Enjoyment: Despite my apparent high-praise, I didn’t really love this show in its entirety. I saw the quality it had to offer and I saw that it was as a whole very well built anime. But this show isn’t exactly my cup of tea. I wouldn’t watch it all again, although there are some moments I would definitely rewatch (the ending, for one). However for those of you who are looking for a more serious music show or just want a nostalgia shot of high school band experiences, this is your show. I think people should be willing to give it a chance, especially if you a fan these kind of shows, but it is not a must watch. Overall: With a music-focused plot, beautiful visual, nice musical values, and awe-inspiring characters, Hibike Euphonium is a very good show. However, it is not perfect, as it still has the ghosts of the more-superfluous school-shows breathing down its creative neck, as seen in some of the female characters. It’s worth a firm recommendation, surely, but unless you really dig its blend of band music and school life, it won’t change any minds about the genre it represents. I must give Hibike Euphonium the grade of a “wimpy 8”. Fans of the genre/studio will probably love it, and non-fans might learn to like it too, but for others, this anime might not take the gold it desperately tries for.

(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Most people might think going through school is “only” to get an education. That is well and good, and indeed the major purpose. Accruing years of knowledge makes someone more well-rounded and capable as a person, more so than not learning the “ABCs,” integrals of calculus, or the implications of the American Civil War. A smaller reason, but one that is just as important, is a bit more personable: providing motivation. Schooling houses mentors in the form of advisers, teachers looking to instill long-lasting lessons, and professors that give impossible opportunities, who all want nothing more than to make their students shoot for the stars. Hibike! Euphonium shows that motivation is not easy to come by – this is partly why education requires so much time and effort – but once it is obtained, the need and the want to reach new heights never leaves. STORY Euphonium (as it will be known from here on out) stars Kumiko Oumae, a girl finally entering high school. Growing up, she had always played the euphonium, and as fate would have it, the same path is followed. This time, however, the situation is slightly different. What the anime does well throughout the entire season is maintain a leveled approach to the drama that it concocts and the themes that it focuses on. Given the setting, the goals, and the motifs of the anime, the narrative consistently raises problems that fall in-line with these facets, providing drama that is not only contextually relevant but also manageable in doses. Events like the discord manifested between the students and their instructor, the loss of band members, and the pseudo-rivalry that ensues are neither weighty nor weak in the emotions they provide. Instead, the middle ground they reach envelopes the audience, allowing for the show to be less about trying to make the viewers understand what is going on and more about having them feel the gravity of the situations depicted. At the same time, the drama of Euphonium gives its theme of motivation a foundation with which to build off of. Motivation is nearly inherent; people act all the time but not without a push or shove coming first. It might be something physical, like an accident having the victim realize his or her mortality, or visiting a conference that inspires a goer to follow the same route. There is also the mental portion, where past transgressions cause someone to move beyond their past self or a relationship shared with another instills the wherewithal to do something more. In the anime’s case, it delves into both areas – the physical and the mental – to showcase exactly what motivation is and what it can do. There are moments like Kumiko’s nighttime trek up a mountain with Reina (physical) and Yuuko’s fervent desire to see Kaori succeed (mental) that demonstrate the power that is motivation. There are even scenarios where a mix of the two sides occurs; the final ensemble is a culmination of the various students’ aspirations, the end result of the motivation they acquired. There, the desire to win and the immense amount of practicing they took part in coalesces, with the conclusion mirroring the start. That is, it is motivation that causes one to move forward, from a band of misfits to a full-fledged band, from dud to pure gold. Now, the anime’s tale is not impeccable. There are minor grievances in the execution of the previous band’s difficulties – the problem they faced is not as dire as the show makes it out to be – and Kumiko’s small side story involving her older sister is not utilized to the fullest extent – it is alluded to at times, but it never influences the dealings at hand. While these are minor issues, it keeps the overall narrative from attaining the perfection it sought. ANIMATION The anime’s strongest aspect is undoubtedly the mood that it constantly generates. Mood in this sense is not necessarily the feelings established between the characters but the overall vibe that is created to surround the narrative and the audience. To achieve its moods of dreariness, uncertainty, love, and many others over the course of the season, Euphonium makes expert use of everything at its disposal. The lighting creates shadows while simultaneously giving characters gentleness and guidance; the camera placement is filled with flair and focus; and the coloring manages to be both apt and appropriate to create the perfect mood for any occasion. Alongside the beautiful backgrounds and the varying shot compositions, the anime is a spectacle to behold, both visually and mood-wise. Character designs likewise find polish, from Natsuki’s cool ponytail to Sapphire’s childish looks to even Taki-sensei with his sweater, glasses, and frazzled hair. Mainstays like Kumiko with her medium-length, fluffy hair is cute whereas Reina’s jet-black hair and sparkling purple eyes paint her as the beauty that she is. Asuka’s red glasses giving her an air of superiority, Kaori’s beauty mark to make her more womanly, and Hazuki’s short hair and clip that provides her with higher prettiness are further examples of the anime’s care towards the cast’s designs. Actual animation remains above average no matter what the show sets out to do. Small nuances like the movements of lips or the adjustment of a hair tie and the high amount of attention placed on the characters actually playing their instruments have the anime always animating from start to finish without a dip in quality. CHARACTERS Just below the mood-setting that Euphonium expertly crafts are the characters that traverse the anime. Arguably the most interesting person out of the entire cast is Asuka. Known for her affable personality, leadership skills, and prowess on the euphonium, she is held in high regard by both her peers and her juniors. Yet she isextremely passive, unbearably so. The reason for her wanting to keep the “status quo” in terms of the relationships she holds is quite intriguing because of how simple it is. By her not taking sides in the conflicts that pop up around her, she effectively, in a rather unintuitive brand of thinking, remains in favor on all sides. She refrains from getting involved in even her closest friends’ hardships, not because she cannot handle such problems – it is evident through her base capabilities that she is more than able to help – but because she wishes to keep herself out of scrutiny and in obscurity. It is not so much that she is acting selfish or looking to solely further her own goals but rather she does not want to influence anyone else’s. In this manner, she indirectly aids her own motivations without coming off as a “bad guy” in anyone’s eyes, keeping her on the pedestal she is placed upon. She is a fascinating character because of her strange yet relatable approach to people, marking her as one of the best Euphonium has to offer. Other notable characters are Kumiko and Reina. On their own, each girl is respectable, but it is the dynamic they share that is incredibly strong. Reina is someone who embodies motivation; she believes herself to be the best and therefore strives to make this known. Kumiko, at the other end of the spectrum, has no such motivations. Right from the beginning it is apparent how unsure of herself she is – despite playing the euphonium for years, she tries (and fails) to select another instrument to play. As the plot progresses, Kumiko continues to keep to herself, mostly going along with the flow instead of driving onwards. It is not until her mountain climb with Reina, the girl who completely contrasts with her mentally, that she begins to change. She starts to play harder, she cries when she loses, and she encourages her fellow band mates; the motivation she always needed was provided through her bond with Reina. At the same time, Reina receives help, too. For her, she had been perceived as the “odd one out.” Without friends and without connections, caused by her distant behavio…

The written review to my video review. Story - 9/10 The story begins as Kumiko Oumae is starting her new life in high school. Now she wanted a fresh start, completely new school, she ties her differently and she doesn’t want to bump into any of her old friends from middle school, little does she know she bumps in Reina Kousaka, who she had an awkward experience with back at Middle School. Kumiko quickly makes new friends and joins the school’s concert band club and that’s when the drama begins. The school’s band is known for underperforming and never getting anywhere, however their new teacher asks the students whether they just want to have fun or compete for the Nationals. So by peer pressure, they all said they want to compete for Nationals, but that’s not where their hearts lie initially. So the overall main goal of the band is compete for the Nationals. What I love about the story is it’s not a simple aim for the top story, but more a story that has to do with the behind the scenes of a band. We get to see a lot different relationships and ideas being bought to the table. There are some members of the band who try hard and compete, there some who don’t care at all. And it’s a topic that’s rarely touched, because we get to see a conflict between the people who really want to try hard and the people who would rather goof off. The story is very interesting, because it feels so real and I love that, however at times it does get overdramatic being an anime. Characters - 8/10 Kumiko Oumae is our main protagonist of Sound! Euphonium. At first she’s not very enthusiastic to join the concert band and play the Euphonium as well, because she wanted a fresh start. You see she has a tendency to be awkward, whether speaking her mind she can upset some people or not speak at all. At first before she joined the band, she notices that they are bad. However even though she says they are bad, she’s not the expert professional type of player as well. Kumiko sorts of hangs around the middle, where she not bad, but she’s not great. So over the course of the show we really see her get better at playing the Euphonium. We see her gain that motivation to get better as the series go on, and that’s what I love about her, she’s not a complete noob, but not a complete perfectionist as well. Two of the other main characters are Hazuki Katou and Sapphire Kawashima, who are both cheery happy girls. Unlike the members of the club band, Hazuki is a complete novice picking up her first instrument in the band, and it’s a tuba. What I like about Hazuki is her personality, she knows she’s not that good, but tries hard to get better, and we see slight improvement, because you don’t become a professional in a short amount of time. Sapphire plays the Contrabass, and is the only member of the band to play it. Unlike Kazuki she is an experience player and good to see how she supports others with her knowledge even though she plays a different instrument. Only thing that bugged me was, we didn’t get to see enough development out these characters because they showed potential. But most of the time we see them, they weren’t really contributing that much to the storyline. I don’t why they were mains, because they felt more like supporting characters. And lastly there Reina Kousaka, who aims to be a professional. And this can easily be seen when she starts playing the trumpet. We always see her practicing and dedication to the band. She aims to best player, to be someone special. She is a quiet girl, but we really get to see a lot more of her when Kumiko starts interacting with her, and we see their relationship grow the more they interact with each other. What I love about her character is that she is straight up expressing her feelings. And also the fact that everyone knows she’s probably the most gifted member of the band, they all reject her, simply because of how she acts. And when Reina changes a lot, when Kumiko comes in to help, and I love their interactions with each other. Even though the show is more about Kumiko and Reina, it doesn’t mean the supporting characters are completely left out. As I stated earlier in my review, they bring up a lot of different conflicts in the band. We see characters who are not interested and the reason why they aren’t interested. We see characters who are ecstatic that they are competing for spot in the Nationals. We see some jealously, which plays a huge part of the story. I love the conflict between the characters, I just wish there was a bit more development to some the supporting characters, because even though some of them do developed, the majority don’t really change too much. But we get to see a lot of different personalities because this is an ensemble cast, so we can’t have too much of the same, and it’s really interesting to see a lot of different friendship groups. Animation and Sound - 9/10, 10/10 Kyoto Animation has changed their animation style a bit for this anime. It is very clear to see that the characters are completely different to the background. The characters are much more cleaner and clearer, which is amazing to look at. However they do spot that very moe look, with their cheeks being really bright red. Another incredible thing the artists did if you noticed, is that the background band members all look different. They are uniquely design, and we get a clearer picture as the series progress, because in the middle of each episode, they show the band members and their respective roles in the band. However you’re all wandering how the animation looks like when they’re playing their instruments. We don’t get enough of an actual performance to actually see them play. However we see a lot of practicing, so unfortunately there’s not too much to awe over when it comes to the animation in that. But we do see the sweat the characters gain over the course of playing which is a nice added touch. The lighting in the anime looks gorgeous as well, we really get nice colour bright light setting, that fits in with the music. Being a musical anime, the sound has to be the main focal point. And it doesn’t disappoint at all. It’s really sounds authentic. Because everyone in the concert band is of different skill level, so when they’re not good we can clearly hear the mistakes and if they are good, we can see why it’s better over the other. Even though they only perform probably 2 main pieces during the series, we get to hear different parts of it bit by bit, to appreciate the hard work that one must put into a section of the song they have trouble with. And when it’s time to perform it is amazing to listen to, because it’s great to hear the final polish product after the initial rendition. And it legitimately sounds like an orchestral, because we hear so many different instruments. It really adds to that atmosphere as if you were in the auditorium. Also the opening and ending themes are catchy as hell and I love them. Enjoyment - 9/10 Now I don’t pay too much attention to musical anime, unless their idol anime. But I really enjoyed this show, because it looks and sounded very real. Seeing the improvement of the music as the show progress was good enough for me to keep it entertaining. The story was enjoyable as well, because it was interesting to get an insight on how the concert band members interact with each other and see the conflict that arises within. It’s really fresh to hear a lot of same piece, but played differently by different instruments so we get enough of variety out of the music. I loved watching the characters practice and interact with each other; I loved how the music separates the ones who are good to the ones who aren’t as good, because it really shows how realistic it is. Verdict - 9/10 For the story gets a 9, for being a really authentic story. It may sound like simple concept to begin at first we story aiming for the top and overdramatic moments. But the story overall is very interesting in seeing the devel…

This is a review from a band member to you. (Rhyme intended.) I mean, I originally didn't have a clue what this anime was about; I only watched it because of Kyoto Animation. However, knowing exactly what it's about made me like it more. Although it's not 9-worthy, it came extremely close to it. Is it because I'm a band member at my school? I dunno. (I play flute, in case you're wondering.) Hibike! Euphonium is about a girl named Kumiko Oumae, who just entered Kitauji High School. In junior high, she was a band member who played the euphonium. She checks out her school's band and finds one of her old bandmates, Reina Kousaka, there. Because of a certain incident, the two of them aren't really on the best terms. Still, Kumiko joins band and, of course, gets stuck with the euphonium. As the band members of Kitauji High School works hard to get into the Nationals, Kumiko and Reina slowly but surely become closer to each other. (Oh, how they teased the yuri in this anime!) The story is pretty well-told; it's not perfectly-executed, but it's definitely well-told through the eyes of Kumiko. Most of the characters are well-developed and interesting, as well. However, there are some annoying characters in the mix, too (coughYoshikawacough). The voice acting is very well-done. The ED is very catchy, and I just plain fell in love with the OP! I don't know if it's necessary to say this, but the ED for the last episode was a wind orchestra version of the OP. That's pretty clever, if you ask me. Speaking of which, the way the band music is played in each episode is realistic; they're all improving little by little, just like in real life. Now, here's something I can go on gushing about for hours on end: the art and animation. Obviously, as I've mentioned before, it's from Kyoto Animation. Kyoto Animation always manages to release an anime with beautiful animation, and the animation in Hibike! Euphonium is certainly no exception. With nice, vivid colors and serene animation, I liked the art and animation through and through. I noticed a little change in the characters' design, but this change is so insignificant that it's nothing to rant about. Overall, Hibike! Euphonium is a good anime. If you like a good story accompanied by Kyoto Animation's ever-so-stunning animation, I'd recommend it. I'd also strongly recommend it to those who are or were in band; it might get you pumped up to play whatever instrument you play!

This quite frankly could've been Kyoto Animation's greatest work had it "stood out" a little more. What I mean is, their other titles like Violet Evergarden, Clannad and K-On had elements to them that made them unique and instant fan favorites. Hibike! Euphonium can easily be described as another CGDCT high school club anime, and because of this I am not surprised that it never became as popular as those other titles. Despite this, Hibike! is probably the most consistent and well-put-together storyboard/production that Kyoto has produced. The goal of the characters is simply to win gold in their concert preliminary. Such a basic premise might sound boring (especially to those who have no attachment to band music), however it makes it easier to flesh out the "meat" of the story and address multiple themes and ideas when the audience can easily follow along. Because of this, Hibike! has surprisingly complex characters and deeply emotional scenes, which is fairly unusual for a seasonal club anime. The last episode is the performance itself (which is typical for performing arts anime), meaning that the viewers do not hear the fruits of the band's labors until the very end. The show paces itself accordingly in the buildup to that moment, and even pulls a full circle moment with the opening and final scenes, which really helps to round out the deeper meaning of this arc. The culmination of the final act is certainly something worth investing in, and there is still plenty to look forward to in season 2. A show about music naturally needs good music, and I am not just referring to the pieces that the band members play. Kyoto knocked it out of the park with this story, as the ambient soundtrack of each scene fit the mood perfectly, and their stunning animation really sold the magical elements of it all. To understand what I mean, you'd have to experience it for yourself (especially the bridge scene!). Considering the year this anime came out, it's honestly criminal how no one speaks about the animation quality (it feels as though it's a 2020s anime). Because of this, I believe that even those who do not particularly enjoy band stuff or high school drama can find themselves lost in the momentum that this series carries in each episode. Review Ends Here, Character Analysis Below--------------------------------------- Our dual protagonists of Kumiko and Reina are strong overall characters that experience character growth in their own ways, however it's really 3 of the side characters (in my opinion) that molded the stakes and "band drama" to what it needed to be. The first is the band instructor, Noboru Taki, who depending on who you ask could be considered the antagonist of this story. The reason he is such a great character is because he's polarizing: on one hand his mannerism is too crude and alienating, but on the other he genuinely tries to help his students get better by not being too easy on them. This harsh yet meaningful teaching style generates plenty of plot points that effectively allows Hibike! to function as a story. In other words, without the presence of this character, there wouldn't be conflict or plot progression at all. The other 2 characters are involved in the drama itself, which I will avoid explaining for spoiler reasons. Asuka is integral as a comic relief and mentor figure from the perspective of the protagonist, however we later learn that the reason she is so relaxed is because there is a little spite to her carefree attitude. This reflects how the drama was negatively impacting the mental fortitude of the band members, to the point where they'd rather not address it but dance around it instead. This "elephant in the room" weighs heavily on the atmosphere of select scenes, and overall the tension building was pretty remarkable from a cinematic standpoint. Natsuki is the final character I will mention, because unlike Asuka who grows detached from the petty politics of the band, Natsuki finds herself motivated to jump back in. She isn't initially interested in reaching gold or even practicing in general, but soon finds herself mesmerized by the younger members' zeal. While she doesn't achieve all that she wishes to, it is nice to see the actions of the main cast having a positive impact on members who find themselves on the periphery between "caring" and "not caring". While other characters in the band also go through this, Natsuki stands out because the unofficial "older sister" dynamic she has with Kumiko and the other first year brass players. Despite being a minor character, Natsuki's own little character development helps to enrich the entire narrative, primarily through her actions and not through words.

This anime is a band nerd's dream. After watching K-On! and loving it immensely, I felt it was only right to try out more band anime. And boy am I glad I did. This anime is now one of my all-time favorites. Story - 9 Yeah, it's an average "let's prepare for the huge competition where we're the underdogs" plot, but it's done right. I found myself cheering for the characters out loud during the competition episode, which is something I don't think I've ever done before when watching any sort of anime/movie. Sound- 10 This show gives me so much nostalgia to my band competition days, and soundtrack is no exception. The music in this show, including the intro and outro, are complete bops. Definitely adding all of these to my playlist. Characters- 9 The main characters are very likable and easy to cheer for. They all have their own ambitions and goals and reasons for joining the band. I love all of these guys, even Yoshikawa. Enjoyment- 10 As I said earlier, I found myself cheering out loud for the group. I was absolutely enthralled in the show. I believe that most of my enjoyment of this show comes from how similar it was to my experiences with concert band, so people who've never been in it probably won't enjoy this show as much as band nerds will. Even though I'm a percussionist and they're barely shown in the anime (the only thing I'm still upset about.), I still enjoyed this show a ton and would recommend it to anyone who's been in concert band before.

Sound! Euphonium: Spoiler free review. You're twenty-two years old. Sitting alone at 3 a.m. at a diner just off the main road through town. It's open all night, so there's no hurry to leave. And if you needed to leave, where to? You look at your phone. A message from your friend asking to see you. It was received six hours ago. You didn't respond. You don't know why, you've known them for years. If you called them they'd head to where you are right now. You don't call. It's troubling for you, being so close to someone but feeling so passable. They tell you all the time of your importance. You don't believe them. But you want to. We all want to believe them. We all want to think we are special. We are all getting older and we are all losing the chance to tell them we love them. We appreciate them. We want them around. Because once we are special, even to one person we've made it. We've sung our song. It's incredible what a piece of work can do to a person. A show like this was never one I would jump to, but from the artwork I caved. What I stayed for was the pain. The pain of relating to the drag of normalcy. The pain of the dryness in the throat as we stand in front of the person we love, unable to speak. The pain of wishing for change, only to fall back into bad habits. I never like giving out perfect scores. For one mans perfect is another's bane of existence. And it may be hard to understand how this review has anything to do with the show. But if I were told that a show could make you feel happy about feeling vulnerable, I may have watched this show sooner. I'm sure there's a flaw in the show that the searching will find, but what it succeeds at, what makes it worth watching is how the title speaks for itself. The euphonium is not what is speaking up. We are. We are the Sound!

Sounds Good To Me – A Sound! Euphonium Review Sound! Euphonium is utterly fantastic. In a glance, it may look like just an anime that caters to band geeks (I know it did for me, shame on me I’m awful), but it’s actually an astonishing amount more. From characters to visuals to musical direction, I can’t seem to find a single aspect that this show doesn’t nail. A funny, charming, heartwarming, inspirational, down-to-earth show, Sound! Euphonium delivers in a variety of ways, all while giving a subtle, delicately framed view of the human condition. What it means to be special, what it’s like to just fit in, and what it takes succeed as a group and as an individual; Sound! Euphonium has a firm grasp on its themes and loves to smack you in the face with them from the very beginning. The moment the instructor first walked in, he put it up to a vote as to what their goal as a band would be: To make it to Nationals or to just have fun. This of course is a trap, because no one wants to feel left out. The ideal thing to do here is to want to succeed, as defined by the society we live in. Now that they’re tricked into aiming for the top, the class must learn what it takes to reach Nationals. Time, effort, and the determination to commit both of those two things. Most of the class finds the will to push forward in a sense of not wanting to let each other down. And that sense is acutely taken away when auditions are introduced. This is where those who don’t want to fail are separated from those who want to succeed. This is where our characters must find their own reason for progressing. Being around others makes you want to improve, to keep up with those around you and not be left behind. Because when you’re alone, the feeling of content will stand in your way. And competition only adds to this divide as the mentality changes from keeping up with each other to surpassing each other, leaving those who feel inadequate in the dust. With only a few major plot points, the characters of Sound! Euphonium are what really move the story forward. A festival, an audition and an end goal are the only significant points in the story that come to mind. The festival shakes up the relationships in a much more meaningful way than expected, having the Hazuki-Shuuichi romance as a playful misdirect and setup for Kumiko and Reina’s moment on the mountain. It’s here that we get a much more insightful look into who Reina is as a person. The audition is a place for Reina and Kumiko (and everyone else but mainly these two) to prove themselves, and complications arise that manage to bring Reina and Kumiko even closer together. The “complications” are brought up by students, further illustrating their control over the story and where it leads them. The charming playfulness of the characters shines incredibly bright, and I suspect you could tell even if there was no dialogue whatsoever. Every little movement depicts some sort of emotional response or state, be it the way Hazuki’s eyes widen in her awe of playing music in a group for the very first time, or how Kumiko always wears her discomfort on her sleeve. All their actions tend to be cute in some way, but the show never overreaches in an attempt to be “moe”. Even the running animations add to their sense of character, and every character seems to run in their own specific way. The attention to detail in Sound! Euphonium is outstanding. Be it the shine of the instruments or just hair blowing in the wind, sweat dripping down a characters neck or faces turning red after long sessions of continuous blowing, and the accurate finger placement pushed in sync with the music. Sound! Euphonium is an absolute joy to behold from just a visual standpoint. And the backgrounds are very pretty as well. Now let’s talk about my two favorite characters, the first being Reina Kousaka. She’s a cool and stoic individual who’s incredibly smart and skilled, and just all-around a person to strive to be more like. “I don’t try to get close to people who don’t interest me.” Kousaka doesn’t waste her time with formalities and appearances like most other students. She knows that “being relieved to know you’re the same as someone else is stupid” and so she strives to be someone different. What makes her special is the fact that she wants to be special. She doesn’t pretend to be perfect because she’s actually trying to become it, and it’s this determination that puts her above everyone else. Reina acts somewhat cold around others because they mostly don’t interest her, and she wouldn’t want to waste her time on them. Luckily, she has Kumiko Oumae, who was once the epitome of going along with the flow. Kumiko is the one person Reina can be herself around, and because of that we’re allowed to see this other side of her, a side that speaks about some serious issues within our society and then laughs it off mere seconds later to the absurdity of someone actually saying that out loud. Even when it comes to confrontation, Reina manages to keep her cool, but rather than bottling up rage, she just saves it for later, yelling to herself or to her confidant, Kumiko, in a cute an endearing way. It’s this side of her that makes her real, and truly likable as a character. Asuka Tanaka, while still being likable, is sort of the opposite of Reina, being warm and approachable on the outside, cold and spiteful on the inside (I assume). She’s absolutely hilarious when we first meet her, and a little less so nearing the end of the season. I like her upfront and somewhat standoffish behavior, as well as her enthusiasm and sense of humor. “I’m Tubacabra. You were born to blow me.” Her wit and confidence in delivery just blew me away. Plus, sexual innuendos are always funny. Other than her outwardly appearance however, we don’t get to see much of what Asuka is like when she’s alone. There are hints at something being hidden deep down, but I’m afraid this season we didn’t get to delve into what really makes Tanaka tick. But that’s probably just being saved for the second season, and I think like we’ve received more than enough Asuka to hold us over until then. One last note on the music, I quite enjoyed the selection in this season. None of the musical pieces felt contrived or uninteresting, but that may have just been due to my lack of experience with the genre. In relation to another musical anime, I will say that Sound! Euphonium is a lot less about the music than Your Lie In April, which is great because it makes the show much more relatable to broader audience. Sound! Euphonium is loosely about enjoying music with your friends, and it hits on much harder themes that can resonate through many walks of life. I loved Sound! Euphonium and can’t seem to find any reason to dislike it. In every single direction this anime is fantastic. It’s seemingly just a show about a school band trying to make it to Nationals, but it manages to do so much more with such a small premise. Sound! Euphonium avoids hackneyed themes and conclusions like “the power of teamwork”, and instead goes for something more real, subtle and thought-provoking. And that’s pretty cool.

As a musician, this anime had me hooked from the beginning, but it's not only an anime for musicians, as i can assure you that this anime will also intrigue any non-musicians out there as well. Story 9/10 - Hibike! Euphonium is story involving Kumiko and her friends on a quest to take their band to nationals, as Kumiko had failed at doing that once before in Junior High. I felt that the did this story wonderfully, as well as realistically. It was very nice to see how the band triumphed, as well as how they got to that triumph. Art 10/10- Let me just say, that if any anime does their eyes and hair beautifully, i'm hooked, and Hibike! Euphonium is one of those anime. Not only are the eyes and hair done wonderfully, but the instruments are done really well too. This Anime just makes everything shine with it's animation, from the eyes to the instruments. Sound 9/10 - If you're an anime about music, you better do the music well, or the anime will fall flat on it's face, and thankfully, Hibike! Euphonium serves its purpose well. Any of Reina's trumpet performances are breathtaking, and the growing musical skill of the band itself it well orchestrated though the change in sound. Enjoyment 9/10 - Repeating myself earlier, as a musician i found this anime to be enjoyable and relatable. On the non-musician side this anime is amazing from it's breathtaking art to the characters and their relationships with one another Overall 9/10

Over the years, KyoAni for me is—I dare say it—the Lamborghini of the anime realm. Since this 2015, I metaphorically reviewed anime to cars and I’m very confident to say such. Because think of any car brands, from Toyota to Mercedes-Benz to Ferrari and I can be ascertain that almost no one can reckon each single model made by these automakers. Let’s try on Toyota: okay, we’re just lost on their sea of models. How about Ferrari? We may be able to identify them, but keeping the numbers 430 and 430 Scuderia, 458 Italia and 458 Speciale on our heads is like memorizing a math formula. And let’s forget about the Mercedes-Benz because unless we have brochures, they seem to name each of the car models differently with an AMG equivalent that it’s just impossible to keep up. However, on the Lamborghini, we know them as names of famous bulls: Miura, Islero, Diablo, Murcielago, Gallardo, Aventador and Huracan. Yes, we know what these cars are—they’re the marvel of Italian engineering, they’re Lamborghinis. KyoAni works pretty much like that: they are the phenomenon of Japanese anime. Once you hear K-On!, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai, Hyouka and Tamako Market, Lucky Star and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, you instinctively know it’s all from Kyoto Animation. And whenever KyoAni releases their upcoming anime, the whole anime realm rumbles like the Lamborghini Aventador’s V12 engine. Yet, over the years, KyoAni seems to have transformed into something, well, non-KyoAni. It’s like Lamborghini turning into Audi. Audi and Lamborghini started sharing their car platform with the R8 and Gallardo, respectively. So, the Gallardo is an R8 with the famous bull-badge attached; and buying an R8 was the same as getting a Lamborghini. Strange, it is. And strange it should, because we remembered K-On! which was really magnificent. Then there’s Hyouka and Chuunibyou which brings more of the KyoAni’s soul of moe-goodness, and Tamako Market which may not have met expectations but is still a true KyoAni nonetheless. Things started to turn “Audi” with the Free!, and Kyoukai no Kanata somehow turned 90-degrees, and when Amagi Brilliant Park (Amaburi) arrived, it was like the Gallardo: the Lamborghini with an Audi engine. For lack of better terms, Amaburi honestly was more of a fan-service than the moe-soul. You won’t believe the number of Sento Isuzu doujins around the net, but they’re materials for people who can’t discern KyoAni from hentai. The KyoAni moe-soul morphed thanks to either KyoAni wanting to attract some “mature audiences”, mature audiences who only want to satisfy their “otaku’s takoyaki” rather than respecting the moe-magic that KyoAni is renowned for. Amaburi may not be ecchi, but with the number of showing-skin, armpits, thigh-highs, bikinis throughout the show, all of these eye-candies and innuendos are enough to harden an “otaku’s takoyaki”. Amaburi is generally alright, but wrong KyoAni-wise. It would be better suited for other studios, Collaboration Works perhaps? But KyoAni? No. It was like a story coming from a pervert who was luckily hired to be a KyoAni staff and wanted to introduce harem into the KyoAni essence. Very Collaboration Works-ish. Also, thanks to this matter, I don’t even want to associate Amaburi with the Gallardo—because the Gallardo was awesome. Instead, it’s more like a Honda Civic’s clone. Imagine what it will be if Lamborghini makes an inferior-quality car that looks like a Honda Civic but unsightly. Are you mad, you cretin? And that brings me to this new KyoAni work: Hibike! Euphonium. Least to say this could be the “Huracan” in my metaphor terms. But it’s not. Instead, it’s more of… the Urus—Lamborghini’s SUV. Yes, Lamborghini is now creating an SUV that can reach 200mph! And that’s just unnecessary for an SUV. STORY = 7 The story is as fresh as what KyoAni can draft on storyboards: a high school wind ensemble—or the “wind group” of a symphonic orchestra. Not really remarkable, but is a well-thought plot element. When I first saw Hibike! Euphonium, I had my doubts. But upon knowing the studio behind it, it surely has to be KyoAni or nil—doubts erased, I know KyoAni can pull it off. They had their practices from K-On! after all. The story is not only bringing back the renowned KyoAni moe-soul, it’s upgrading the story elements further: more character interactions and deeper involvement, it was really superb for KyoAni to make it as a slice-of-life in KyoAni trademark with a “coming of age” theme to it. However, there is one thing that bugged me: this kind of element is predominant in PA Works, the studio that brought us Hanasaku Iroha and Tari Tari. Here, KyoAni could be guilty of offering us something like a whisky instead of a brandy: it’s good, but it may not be the kind of liquor we want. ART = 10 Ofc, nothing left to expect if it's KyoAni. CHARACTER = 8 Hibike! Euphonium revolves on Kumiko, an Ui-lookalike who had a hairstyle-change, rendering her a fresh KyoAni face. Fresh faces of Sapphire/Midori, Reina, and Hazuki joined in. And with the coming-of-age theme, their raison d’etres doubled not just on playing music, but on their character dynamics and complexities. Reina brightened up and was able to show what she meant by “special”, Sapphire is not your usual moeblob as she has more determination than cutesy-character showing. Hazuki may be a little left-behind but that is the balance of characterization showing; and best of all is Kumiko—who went dynamic: you can see her character development from detached or passively unwilling, to one who was showing her resolve. Supporting characters were not even left behind—most of them are well-proportioned foil characters: Asuka, Haruka, and Aoi to say at least. Also, even with the farfetched attempt of Taki-sensei pushing high school students to Philharmonic level, it was all sublime for KyoAni to deliver it righteously. It might be farfetched, but never ridiculous. Instead, it was a good plot element on itself, shows much of the characters’ determination and discipline, and the result was the make-or-break trick didn’t turn cliché. SOUND = 10 I could say 20, flat-out honesty. KyoAni mastered the sound in any anime-way achievable. From the seiyuus to opening/ending songs to the rendition of the ensemble and its musical instruments, the attention to the sound was extraordinary. First, let’s talk about the seiyuus: Chaika the Coffin Princess’ seiyuu is voicing Reina; you know Tomoyo Kurosawa as Sylphy from Amaburi, Itsuki from Yuuki Yuna, and that “Love You!” girl in Aikatsu, her role here resounded as she made a great Mai Nakahara-ish voice but is still unique to her own; then there’s Hazuki’s seiyuu Asai Ayaka who also shows talent, and best of all there’s Moe Toyota—the seiyuu I bet to show more promises in the future with her distinct voice to match moe characters. She gives moe characters a new life. Part from the best are the return of Minako Kotobuki who voiced Mugi from K-On! is now voicing Asuka; and Yoko Hikasa who used to be Mio Akiyama, is now voicing Aoi. To complete the seiyuu cast who had their KyoAni returns is Minori Chihara, who voiced Mitsuki in Kyoukai no Kanata. Then there’s Saori Hayami, who’s new to her KyoAni role but—just look at it, it’s Saori Hayami as Haruka-kaichou! For the music itself, like I said, KyoAni mastered it. I used my A4Tech heavy-bass headphones to assess the sound and it is staggering, all well-composed, well-made pieces. Mind you, I’ve not only listened to classic Mozart, but I burned Metallica’s S&M concert in my head, as well as Scorpion’s Berlin Orchestra Live Concert—both heavy metal bands with symphony accompaniment on one of their live albums. The effect of Hibike! Euphonium being able to match the fingerings and sound to be so accurate, with the individual accompaniment of instruments as I dissected to hear each of them from the headphone is just mythical. For an anime to have the concert-like attention, I could say they actual…

This would be the second anime I'll be reviewing so I do apologise if I make any mistakes in my review that either spoils your enjoyment or breach myanimelists' rules. Now to the actual review. Story (8). The story itself I admit had a K-On-esque feel for the first few episodes with everything being very chilled and relaxed. Towards the later episodes though or maybe towards the 3rd with hintings in the other two, the plot introduced a very interesting plot element, namely politics or more aptly put, group politics into the mix. We're not talking about 2 people bickering over something here but rather factions of groups that normally consists of 5 to 6 people getting into arguments with one another because of a problem. The addition of the element itself did not feel out of place and one can very well imagine such things occurring in real life as well.I found it very interesting to see how these issues developed over time and I did not at any time remember having to stretch my imagination to make what had occurred seem believable (apart from maybe all there issues happening within just one school club). Overall, the story was paced very well but the one issue I had with the anime though would be that the much of the drama felt very isolated and contained. In short, the problems in one area did come to haunt the story later on. This makes the anime feel like it solves a problem and moves on when in reality, a problem never really goes away especially when you're dealing with groups of people given different people have different opinions on what they'd consider the "best" way to resolve a matter. Overall though, this problem didn't interrupt my enjoyment of the anime but I suppose was an element of realism that would have been nice if it had been there. Art(7). The art was done by Kyoto Animation or at least I'm pretty sure the characters were anyway and if you've seen the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, Hyouka or K-On, the character designs are pretty much the same. I don't quite remember anything jarring about the backgrounds either although I do have to take my hat off to the animation of the musical instruments given that it seemed very detailed and there were a lot of them and a few scenes in the anime that sent chills up my spine when i was watching them due to the sheer quality of the animation. Sound (7). Now I'm pretty much a sucker for classical or instrument only music and given that the entire show was about one school band, I have to say I enjoyed the music quite a bit. I hadn't exactly listened to marching band music before and the anime didn't awaken the need to either but I still enjoyed the music while it played anyway. Enjoyment (8). I started watching this anime because a friend and I were trying to decide what we could simu-watch together and I heard that this anime was suppose to be good. I have to admit that once I started, I kind of marathoned the whole thing, leaving my friend in the dust. The anime was a pleasant surprise to what I had originally expected (more relaxed slice of life feel) and would probably re-watch the anime again at some time. Overall (8). This anime was not what I had expected to be honest. What could have easily been another slice of life anime turned out to be something completely different altogether.

First off let me just say that I am in band, specifically a marching band that has a competition part. I absolutely loved this anime, although I may be biased. The thing that I absolutely loved about this anime was that it really took me back to when I was in band. It has a great nostalgic feeling of tension and enjoyment. For instance, when people are trying out for spots in band I had flashbacks of when I was trying out for band. I felt nervous, I always felt like my turn was neither long nor short, that it was just in the present. Then again that's where people may get lost, since all my other friends who watch this were also in band. I don't know what the outside opinion is if you are not in band. The writing is good, like free, but kyoani always does the whole narrating thing like Haruhi. Although, there is less of that this time. The plot may not be interesting if you aren't in band. I think that's what you can say about the show, it great if you are in band. If your not I don't know if you would be too invested in the story, or the characters actions and goals. However, the sound and visuals anyone can appreciate.

Hibike! Euphonium is an anime that will forever hold a special place as my top anime. For starters, I myself was and am a band person, so I could relate to the show on many levels (I play bari sax) so I obviously like Haruka, the baritone saxophonist. The show is very musically accurate, I talked to a few buddies, one trumpet and one trombone and we watched some scenes, and they could verify the fingerings and positions were correct. Also, the sound quality is outstanding. The characters make the show amazing, with the friendships, family and romance settings. To me, my favorite characters are in this order- Haruka Ogasawara because she plays bari sax and is a really nice band president, Shuichi Tsukamoto because he reminds me of me and also plays trombone, Kumiko Oumae because she's the main character and has some good story, Sapphire Kawashima because she is super cool and plays bass and of course, Asuka Tanaka because she is a good mentor to Kumiko and her eyes are amazing. Also, I really like Natsuki, Yuuko, Reina, Hazuki, Goto, Taki-Sensei and Knuckles, and I like all the other characters. If I were you, I'd watch this because the music is out of this world, the characters are fun and it's not too long.

I started watching this series as a result of the terrible arson attack on the Kyoto Animation studio. As someone who considers many of their works a favorite, the news cut me very deeply and made me the most upset I've been in a long time. However, I decided to keep my chin up under all the dark and stressful emotions I along with many others felt, and reminded myself that all the wonderful people working at Kyoto Animation had dedicated their lives towards entertaining their viewers and making them feel happiness through their works. K-On! Is my favorite piece of media I've ever consumed, not just anime, and rewatching it only made me love the series and Kyoto Animation even more. It's a gem I see myself rewatching many, many more times in the future, along with the other fantastic anime Kyoto Animation is responsible for. Hibike! Euphonium is one of the most recommended shows for those who enjoyed K-On!, and I had been meaning to watch this for some time now. I could see through its dedicated and appraising fanbase that I'd be in for a real treat with this anime, so I decided watching it would be the best way for me to pay tribute to those who very unfortunately lost their lives at the studio, as I simply don't have the funds to donate monetarily. I don't have a ton of experience playing in an orchestra or band, so this anime did not evoke much nostalgia for me. I played the cello briefly in elementary school and never got enough experience to get past the ear-screeching and terrible phase that forced me to hoverhand my instrument during the end-of-year concert in my 4th or 5th grade. So the story of Hibike! Ephonium did not hit very close to home for me, but it was still very enjoyable on its own. I understand many people who played in their high school orchestra love this anime and get a wild nostalgia trip from it, a feeling I deeply wish I could experience with this show now. The story of Hibike! Euphonium is nothing special, but nothing uninteresting either. This is sort of a sweet spot for me, as I generally dislike fantasy shows outside of the cutesy slice of life genre, as well as plain boring shows with heavily uninspired characters. Honestly, I dig into most anime with very little reading beforehand (and I encourage others to do the same!), and I sort of expected another K-On! I realized how wrong I was after the first couple of episodes, though this was not a bad thing. While there is some overlap, Hibike! Euphonium focuses on an entire orchestra's worth of students and what they aim to achieve together in the realm of music, and is often heavily dramatic, whereas K-On! focuses more on a small group of friends and how they interact with one another. Comedy and heartwarming wholesome moments have the spotlight instead of Hibike! Euphonium's drama and gripping story. While the story isn't high-octane "saving the world" gripping, the writing managed to make me cheer on certain characters and detest others. I think the story in Hibike! Euphonium was handled very well. I haven't seen many anime in the "music" genre, so I'm not particularly qualified to speak on the subject, but Hibike! Euphonium *feels* like a unique story. I'm sure the story and characters mimic that of many other previous anime, but the effort put into this anime shows, and it doesn't come off as a copycat of anything else. It was a product of the heart, not of the wallet or time constraints. The art is simply breathtaking. Kyoto Animation, as always, looks clean, uncluttered, and high quality. Sticks in the mud always complain about their use of filters, but these same people, to be fair, would also need to complain about every modern film, and the use of applications such as ReShade in video games. The linework and animation is already flawless, and I believe the tasteful usage of filters only take the artwork to the next level. The attention to detail put into the animation and drawing of every individual instrument in the orchestra alone puts Hibike! Euphonium above Koe no Katachi and Violet Evergarden in the artwork department, in my opinion. The sound and music is beautiful. What would you expect from a musically-oriented anime from a highly respected studio? I honestly want to say as little as possible about the music and leave it for you to experience on your own. It's good. If it wasn't good, this music anime would not be nearly as popular as it is. The characters of Hibike Euphonium are not the best, but together, they make for a pretty interesting group. High school students can only get so interesting, but their interactions between each other is where most of the entertainment from this anime comes from. Just like in reality, many students are unique emotional wrecks who sometimes get carried away with toxicity and are confused with what to do in some of the most stressful years of their life. Admittedly, this isn't a perfect 10/10 anime. Kyoto Animation attempted to squeeze some romance and romance-related drama into Hibike! Euphonium, but there just really wasn't enough time in one season to allow for this. The romance felt like it could've gone somewhere, but it falls short without even becoming a halfway important role to the story or its characters. I say all this as someone who has only watched the first season so far, so perhaps it'll come together nicely as I continue to watch the other seasons and films of this series. But for the review of the first season, the romance leaves much to be desired. However, many other aspects of characters excel for quite an entertaining story. I only got into anime recently, and have only been a fan of Kyoto Animation's works for an even shorter period of time. However, less than a year's time was more than enough for me to fall in love with the dedicated and high quality work of this studio. May those who lost their lives at the tragic Kyoto Animation studio incident find ultimate peace wherever they are now. I wish for nothing less than a quick recovery and peace of mind for the rest of the employees who were injured in the incident. Your works will always hold a special place in my heart, and I genuinely hope to see many more works from such an amazing studio with fantastic people.

When I was in high school I always wanted to be in a rock band, I played guitar and piano pretty frequently. However that opportunity never came because the school band was a more of an orchestra\marching band and no one I knew shared my desire to be in rock band the same way I did. It was a pretty big letdown for me, high school in general wasn't all that exciting to be honest. But ya know, don't let darkness consume you and other Yoda shit like that. So I ended up just moving on. Sound Euphonium (and in contrast K on) is a series that I came to admire over the simple fact it that is was quite interesting to see how much effort goes into making music, the kind of diligence and passion that is required to be able to even think of getting good. The character I enjoy the most is the main, Kumiko. Not necessarily is she the most interesting character or even the "best", but rather the one I relate to the most. I tend to develop an affinity towards characters whom remind me of others/things. Kumiko was a lot like myself in my high school days. With all that said, what I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this one. My personal feelings and experiences are not the same for everyone else however, so there may be some of you who are looking for something nice to watch, something that requires your full attention as is the case with most KyoAni shows. Also if your a band geek. I give this recommendation a thumbs up to anyone who seems interested. P.S All that is said here applies to the 2nd season as well.

"Beautiful Music" I know a little more about the brass instrument so I can see the hand gestures, and the music that is presented is very real not an obscure movement. the animation presented is so beautiful that it supports the existing story. I can enjoy every episode there. the music presented is also very good, I can feel the detail of the music when I hear it, it proves how seriously this anime is worked on, and therefore I recommend it. Some stories from the main characters "kumiko" in the music world I've ever experienced, make me always carried away the plot, therefore, I really like the "sound euphonium". including the second season. I will be glad if his male character can be better shown his role even though their numbers are few.

Hibike! Euphonium is, as another reviewer has said, Kyoto Animation at its best. This story is very personally engaging for me, being someone who played in wind ensembles and marching bands all through high school and college; I wish now that I'd been able to take music as seriously--and be around people who take it as seriously--as the ones in this story. Watching the level of dedication and passion these teenagers show really inspires a desire to follow something so wholeheartedly myself. The production values are positively stunning. The music production in particular is great, offering very rewarding distinctions between different players. You can hear the sound improve as the band improves. You can hear individual players improve, and their deficiencies are realistic--whether it's tired lips, poor slurs, a section that's not together, or even just tentativeness in tone; and the music direction even manages to give clear portrayals of the difference between a good player and a great player. Visually the show is no slouch either--in addition to the KyoAni hallmark of adorable but fully realized characters, the color palette used is unique and effective. I love seeing the shades of green in the sky, the changes in the uniforms. Even the occasional bits of obvious 3D CGI are used with sufficient delicacy that it remains cool and not just eye-rolly. But in all I rate this show so highly because I couldn't put it down. There are shows I'll watch for a little amusement value, there are shows I'll watch because they're available and I want to have seen it; there are shows I'll watch three or four episodes at a time. This show kept me from wanting to go to sleep, kept me from wanting to go to work, because I'd rather keep coming back to the story--to these roundly developed characters presented in such a compelling and beautifully rendered world. Congratulations, KyoAni, you made me not only want to join a wind ensemble, but you made me care about high school club drama... and make me float away on imagination of different lives I could've led. What detracts is that, as has likely been widely discussed, the show is very bait-y for people wanting to see certain relationships develop. I have yet to see S2 or the movies, so maybe this will be handled better later on, but it seems to want to have certain things both ways, or to hamfistedly withdraw from what seemed like a strong position. (I'm being deliberately vague to avoid spoilers.) If you go in not expecting a relationship focus, but just appreciating what it means to strive hard for your dreams (and what it can cost when not everyone can achieve them), while watching some beautifully done animation, you will be richly rewarded.

I want to start off by just saying that this is not the resurrection of Kyoto Animation. You know why? Because Kyoto Animation never died in the first place. In the last 5 years or so we've seen gems such as Nichijou and Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Even some of their less refined works such as Amagi Brilliant Park and Musaigen no Phantom World were actually pretty decent in their own right. In saying that though it has been awhile since we've had a good character driven narrative show from them. The days of Clannad and the rather excellent K-ON! seem all too distant. So, can Hibike! Euphonium bring them back on track to their roots and give us that narrative driven show we've been waiting for at last? It's review time! Hibike! Euphonium is a music school show in which we follow the story of Kitauji high school's band on their mission to get to the nationals! Ah, such a beautifully simple narrative isn't it? We've seen it done hundreds of times before, both very well and shockingly. The whole 'get to the nationals' narrative is one that many people may describe as overdone but in its defence there's a reason it's so popular. It allows for an effective and dramatic narrative whilst still delivering a relatable and realistic experience to the prime demographic of anime (teens and young adults). There's little use in overly critiquing the basis of this plot as it is only there to encourage other elements of the show to flourish. That brings me onto my first big point in regard to this show. Hibike! Euphonium is not a music show. Well, not really anyway. Yes, yes; they play musical instruments and, yes, the eventual goal is to reach a music related finals. So technically speaking the overriding plot is exclusively musical, but it's not really that simple. The musical setting only acts as a fundamental basis for the character's interactions to shine off of it. The plot's progression is driven by the characters, not the major plot points. For example at one point there is conflict over who should get what role. I'm keeping this vague to avoid spoilers by the way. The overcoming of this conflict is achieved by an individual realising what was best for the band. There is no forced narrative point that carries the plot but rather naturalistic characterisation to do so instead. It's the characters of the show that really allow Hibike! Euphonium to shine. Sadly though for all the pros in regard to the characters themselves, their presentation is a bit more off-kilter. There were some points in the show where characters react so dramatically and emotionally that I honestly felt it completely broke their character's trends as a whole. I couldn't tell if Reina was meant to be the composed and professional type or the overly-emotional type. One moment she'd be acting all cool, giving a dramatic speech showing why she's a bit of a boss and then the next she'd be having an emotional breakdown because someone disagreed with her. Eh? There's absolutely nothing wrong with having three dimensional characters with flexible personalities but at times their behaviours are bordering on clinical multi-personality disorder. Honestly though, if what you are looking for is a very dramatic presentation of characters then this show does that fine. I might be over-analysing this but hey, that's a reviewer's job after all. Whenever I get onto a Kyoto Animation show to review, I always know there's one bit I will get to praise. This is no exception. Actually, this is the rule itself. Hibike! Euphonium is a gorgeous show with both art and animation that is near-unparalleled in anime. Just looking up pictures online makes it so apparent how much talent has gone into this. There were some scenes where I genuinely paused the episode to just take in the beautiful lighting, stellar character design and generally angelic aesthetic that Euphonium presents. This is the best looking piece of art that KyoAni have put out to date and it could very easily claim the title as the best looking anime to date too. There's this one scene where Kumiko is running across a bridge screaming her desire to improve. The quality of animation in this scene is just staggering. It's not even as though it has a particularly high frame count either, it's just that everything and every little detail flows so smoothly. I just love how Kyoto Animation put this kind of effort into the small things. Other studios, cough A1 Pictures cough, should look down in shame at this kind of work. Kyoto Animation never fail to disappoint me in regard to the appearance of their shows.... no, their art. For lovers of openings and soundtracks as a whole, you won't be let down. The opening didn't immediately grab me but I could tell it had potential to grow. I listened and watched it in every episode without a single skip (although to be honest I don't tend to skip openings very often anyway, so that isn't saying too much) and eventually came to the conclusion that it's a very good OP. It matches the show's tone to a peach and gives a lovely presentation of the main cast with 3D spinning images of their instruments in the background. After this we have a lot of slow shots portraying the determination and passion of the character cast, as these are very much reoccurring themes within Euphonium it fits well. The song itself, 'DREAM SOLISTER' by TRUE, is one for the iTunes library in my opinion. It's one of those songs for when you are feeling relaxed and want to hum along to something catchy. The remainder of the soundtrack mostly consists of diegetic music played by the band themselves. Think K-ON! but less pop and more brass. It's an acquired taste of music which probably appeals to those more interested in music as an art form than I am. All in all then Hibike! Euphonium is a fine show. Don't be put off by the 'music' tag like I was for so long. Not watching this show is a bad mistake. You'll be missing out on a fine school drama show that showcases Kyoto Animation's abilities at their near-best. It's far from perfect and at times I felt it was trying too hard to be dramatic but what do you expect really? It's a 'drama' after all, I guess they tend to do that. In short ask yourself these three questions? Do you like Kyoto Animation? Do you like music? Do you like drama anime? If you answered yes to any of these three questions, well, then I guess you better get to work.