Hibike! Euphonium 2

If I had to thank KyoAni for one thing, it'd be for their ability to prove that it's really hard not to enjoy a good anime, which they've proven many times. Regardless of its art style, the way it presents its characters via voice acting and personalities, the setting of the series, or whatever else it may have that turns a lot of people off (and even causes some to denounce the series completely because of it), KyoAni proves to you that if it's good, it's good. And for that, you will enjoy it. Ultimately, that was exactly how I felt about Hibike! Euphonium's 2nd season. The first season, to me at least, was disappointing in many ways because of various little things like the ones I listed above. To me, the fact that it had an extremely moe art style, characters that played well with the art style, and a very cliche school setting... and the cliches that applied to series' of this type seemed to all apply there as well. Because of all that, I really didn't like the first season a whole lot, though I was very hopeful because I believed a sequel had potential, and luckily I continued onto the end because what I ended up with was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had with anime in my entire life. And with all of that out of the way, let me begin to explain to you why I feel the way I do about this fantastic series. So, before I begin, I want to mention two things, and delve a bit deep into one of those: 1. This is a review of the second season, so expect spoilers of the first. 2. Given that I never actually wrote a proper review of the first season (at least not on MAL, but a very select few of you might have seen my brief analysis of it on the internet at some point), I wanna first talk about my overall thoughts and verdict on the first season before I begin talking about the second. It'll better allow you to understand why I feel the way I do about the second season here. Basically, to kind of repeat what I just said above, Hibike! Euphonium season one in a nutshell, at least to me, was that it just exploited every single possible "generic slice-of-life" (moe) trope that it possibly could. Things like embarrassment, unnecessary dialogue, forced drama, yuri (or yuri bait), CGDCT, and was all wrapped together with a pseudo-story that could even be seen as mildly pretentious because it tried to be far more serious than it actually was, in addition to trying to create more value/importance than it actually had. To me, however, I also believed that the series had a TON of potential just because of how interesting the premise was. Although I wasn't given it even slightly in the first season, I was really (and I mean REALLY) interested in seeing the struggles of making it in an industry as niche as the one of high school concert band. And yes, I understand that it wouldn't necessarily make a ton of sense to use words like "make it" and "industry," since it's an extracurricular group-based activity within high school, meaning you won't be making any money off of it and you also won't be suffering anything too huge (besides maybe psychologically) by failing within it. However, that doesn't change the fact that I'd LIKE to see something serious done with it. Something that depicts the struggles of making it to the top, where as the first season of this series really did just the opposite. Kumiko seemed far too plot-armored to really feel any sense of relating to her on a personal level. It seemed almost like she was given success served on a silver platter, and not necessarily earning it. You also have the fact that concert band seemed to be a second-highest priority for the series, with other events (primarily the yuri bait between Kumiko and Reina) taking top priority. There were way too many episodes completely dominated by fluffy SoL moments and unnecessary dialogue about nothing. There was also very little drama besides the restoration of Kumiko and Reina's friendship, in addition to flashbacks (but I intentionally don't count those because they're, well, in the past). So, for the most part, I didn't like the first season. It ultimately came down to the inability to tell a proper story by always changing itself whenever it felt like it wanted to and by just telling the actual "story" in a way that makes it seem far too forced and plot-armored. To keep it simple, it was very unrealistic, which is a HORRIBLE thing for a series like this that tries to be as realistic as it can be. And now, onto the second season here. Initially, Hibike! Euphonium's second season didn't really leave much of an impression on me simply because I didn't really feel much difference between it and the first season within the first few episodes. Of course, the second season still had better execution; it wasn't far into the second episode that we started to realize that different things really were happening, and that the way the story as a whole would be presented was going to be a lot different. Thus, I really did feel like it was a better series but not a LOT better, possibly worth a 6/10 in comparison to the 5/10 I gave the first season. Ultimately, however, the series really does find a way to pick itself up and become something incredible. Let me explain the main things that it does. Starting off: DRAMA. Yes, Hibike! Euphonium season 2 has a fair bit of drama, and ALL of it is quite well-executed. There are different types of drama, but the type used within the second season actually happens to be my favorite kind: uncomfortable deviations from the "norm" where progress is made by getting things back to where they were. The reason why I like this kind of drama is because it really throws the audience a curve ball. As opposed to progress being made via progression, via constantly becoming better and better, this type of drama demonstrates progress ONLY being made by bringing things back together, meaning your ONLY goal is to make things the way they once were, bring things back to normal. And the primary reason why I absolutely LOVE this kind of drama is because it really helps to flesh out a lot of characters all at once, as you get to see how they react to such an interesting situation. There are a lot of good examples to give on how Hibike! Euphonium demonstrates this kind of drama almost perfectly, but I'll only give one because it leads perfectly into my next point, which is the entire situation of learning about Taki-sensei and his wife. Kumiko learns this news, and it's a lot to take in for her not just because she feels bad, but because she knows how Reina feels about Taki-sensei and knows this kind of news would be huge to her. Thus, we see Kumiko attempting to keep things together, to pretend almost as if she forgot what she was told by burying it deep enough in her heart and mind that she doesn't think about it, all to keep from accidentally slipping it out to Reina. Next: DEVELOPMENT. There was little to no actual character development within the first season, the only "grey area" that could really be given to that claim is within Kumiko and how she goes from not giving a crap about the competitions and making it to nationals to wanting to make it to nationals as much as anybody else. There was definitely no grey area here in season two, however, as it's quite obvious that there is TONS of development going on for everyone, and even including the story itself. The biggest sign of development within the second season here really is when Taki-sensei gets a fair amount of it. I consider this the biggest sign because it was, primarily, the first occurrence of it. Sure, we learned a few minor things about Reina and even a couple other side characters, but I really feel that none were even CLOSE to as important as what we learned about Taki-sensei simply because it did add a lot of much-needed depth to his character. What was mainly just a mysterious character that we constantly questioned about why he acted the way he did and what was up with him, …

It's one thing for this show to queerbait me, but to do it twice? To do it the second time while switching from a love interest who had a developed and meaningful connection with the protagonist, to one who is basically just an impossible-to-read weirdo that no-one in their right mind would be in love with? Awful. Combine that with excessive focus on interpersonal drama between marginal characters with very little payoff or meaning, and a general lack of focus on what should be the crux of the anime - the craft of music itself - and what you get is a waste of time. Looks great, though!

After the disappointing third season of Haikyuu!! I was hoping that Hibike Euphonium would atleast have a good second season that I would've enjoyed. Unfortunately I was wrong. Although not as broken as Haikyuu!! S3, Hibike Euphonium season 2 was still a very disappointing sequel to what was otherwise a great first season. I first want to address the obvious. Yes, the animation is f***ing orgasmic in Hibike Euphonium. However, is this quality of animation necessary for something like Hibike Euphonium? I know that HE season 1 also had great animation, but in comparison to season 2 it was still pretty tame. In this season you have a lot of complicated and beautiful shots for the simplest scenes. It also does this with scenes that were supposed to show the friendship between the two characters, but the way it was animated was so dramatic and over the top that it felt like it was supposed to be a romantic relationship. This led to an incredible amount of people coming to the conclusion that HE2 was just queerbaiting the audience. And I don't think it's wrong to think that because the show was presented like that. The overanimation was also very distracting. It was kind of difficult to take the dramatic scenes seriously or to even pay attention to what was happening. Now let's talk about the story and characters. The story has unfortunately become very standard compared to the first season. The reason why I loved the first season was that almost every conflict or problem were there from the start. And by the end of it almost every problem is solved. In season 2 though most of the main conflicts of the show tend to be problems that have suddenly showed up out of nowhere and there was only one conflict that was there from the very beginning and it's my favorite storyline of the entire second season (it is the conflict between kumiko and her sister). It's also notable that the conflicts appeared one by one. This did not happen in the first season and that's why the first season felt like a breath of fresh air. This kind of story structure made season 2 look like a very well produced by the books highschool anime, but that's not what HE was. I can understand if people don't care about this kind of stuff, but for me it was drag to watch through. It also doesn't help that season 2 has a crap ton of flashbacks which I really hate. The first season was able to avoid most of them but it seems that that kind of writing has been lost in season 2. Some characters in season 2 are completely ruined. Let's take Asuka as an example. The reason why she worked in the first season was that she was a very mysterious big sister kind of character and no one really understood what was going on with her and that's why she was my favorite character. She deliberately acted mysterious for the sake of the concert band. This character is completely ruined because she was the focuspoint of one of the storylines AND she got a backstory. I can talk about more characters who were completely ruined but this review is already pretty long so I'm going to keep it at that. But what about the soundtrack and the sound though? That has to be good right? And to be fairly honest the soundtrack itself is really good. The same is for the sound design. My only problem with the sound is that I sometimes felt that the soundtrack was used way too much in dramatic scenes for EXTRA DRAMATIC EFFECT, but that is just my personal opinion. The sound of concerts is as good as season 1 and the sound of the instruments itself are again very well done. When I look back at my viewing experience of HE S2 I would say that I very rarely enjoyed this sequel. There were moments where I was amazed at what Kyoto Animation had done with this second season but it immediately disappeared as soon as I dived deep into the story. So would I recommend Hibike Euphonium season 2? Well it's difficult to say since I can see why most people would enjoy it. But if you want a well written story with a good structure with fun and consistent characters, I would recommend the first season of Hibike Euphonium. The first season can stand on its own feet since it's a complete story. I would only recommend season 2 to people who really want to know how the story would've continued, but even then I would just recommend reading everything online instead of actually watching the second season. If you're still here after all that gibberish then congrats and thanks for reading this review and not immediately ignore it because of the score!

Spring 2015 was a heavy season. Out of all the shows though, there was one particular that stood out and it’s Hibike Euphonium (Sound Euphonium). Produced by one of the highest quality anime studios ever, the show is still much more than an eye candy fest. So when I heard the series was returning for a sequel, I was ecstatic. Hibike Euphonium 2 is like a gift that keeps on giving. Adapted by Kyoto Animation, the second season hits off with a memorable start. The first episode is actually double length and will easily get the audience back into the mood from season 1. Or perhaps a bit too much? If you’re a fan of Kumiko and Reina’s relationship then it will definitely bring you some popcorn entertainment. In the meantime, the series continuously adds more drama to the story. From the start, we have the conflict revolving about Nozomi, Asuka, and Natsuki. The ideal clashes erupts and it’s evident that it was a sneak peek for more emotional drama to happen. We also find out more about the new characters in this season such as Mizore (who had a very minor role before). I have to admit, getting back into this show for me felt pretty natural. The series has a decent pacing in term of storytelling that feels familiar to the first season. However, one of the focuses in this season is the Nationals. Kumiko realizes the pressure of the competition while the rest of Kitauji High also recognize the mountain they must overcome. The storytelling maintains a balanced mood that bounces between dramatic and humorous while still expressing the personalities of the characters. In the meantime, emotions hits a high note when we learn more about the past of some of the characters. It’s pretty evident that some of the episodes sparks emotional drama from the start. It just takes some buildup to lead to it. The series establishes a firm way of showing those emotions through segments and clever usage of dialogue and narratives. Whether you’re a fan of drama or not, the show know how to structure these emotions to appeal for an audience. In addition, the sequel also handles background storytelling quite well. Asuka, one of the most noticeable band members, reveals her past while we can also clearly see how Nozomi and Mizore’s relationship developed. Of course, the series also focuses on the present as Reina struggles about her personal feelings towards Taki. If you can recall, she has feelings towards Taki and this season made it even more evident with the way she reacted when another female teacher enters the story, who seems to have a past connection with him. This season isn’t just about melancholic drama as the competition evolves. And as the competition evolves, so does the band. In one particular episode, Kitauji shows their talent and how much they’ve improved themselves with a powerful performance. It’s obvious that they aren’t pushovers and that the band members possesses some real talent. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be impressed by the competition as a whole the word “anticlimatic” can easily be summed up regarding the conclusion. I guess in a way, the show already demonstrated that Kitauji doesn’t necessarily need to win trophies and awards to establish themselves as a talented group of individuals. Despite the pressure of the competition angles and emotional drama, the second season also offers a bunch of humor. We have an iconic beach theme episode and a festival one to celebrate Hibike Euphonium’s second coming. Furthermore, character expressions still remain pretty expressive in humorous ways. I mean, who can forget about Reina’s “dead fish” eyes? I can safely say that the sequel definitely got more than enough laughs out of me as the show’s comedy never feels forced. It is what it is and just feels so natural and down to earth. In addition, character chemistry is still pretty charming even as it highlights relationships we are all familiar with, such as the case with Reina and Kumiko. Speaking of relationships, we do see a different side of Asuka this season. While she always remained so strong in the group who showed little weakness, Asuka revealed a more vulnerable side of her. This is evident during the second half of the sequel and Kumiko confronts her about it. In perhaps one of the most memorable segments of the series, Kumiko is able to express her own honest feelings on why she wants Asuka to stay in the band. Family issues becomes evident as it even erupts on Kumiko’s side of the story between herself and her sister. Once again, Kyoto Animation demonstrates their sheer talent into animating a show such as this. The quality production values remains high with great visuals crafted by the talented staff. Every episode showcases high quality in character designs, background setting, or expressions. The directing of the quality also involves character expressions that feels real during the more dramatic moments. Kumiko, Reina, and Mizore are noticeable examples. The only parts that I do find occasionally irritating are a few stiff camera angles although none of that are too distracting. Kyoto Animation still has the “it factor”. As a main element of the show, music shines a lot when it comes to band performances. The second season showcases that as we see characters’ abilities at their best. I’m not a big expert on music but it’s pretty clear that the show explores the true potential of the cast. The way instruments are played show their precise movement with their hands and timing. In addition, the choreography and coordination of the band shows their unison as a whole collectively. The theme songs are naturally performed with its band theme and school setting. After watching the sequel, I was pretty satisfied with what the second season has shown. While the storytelling about the competition itself was far from impressive, the series trumps that with its character drama and emotional angles. To me, this series was never much about winning trophies and prizes but rather at how it makes you feel about the characters. These include Asuka, Mizore, Reina, Nozomi, Yuuko, among others. Also, Kyoto Animation once again proves themselves as a powerhouse studio to adapting visual quality at its high level that few can surpass. And with that, the show may be over but will not be forgotten.

School is the perfect location for coming of age stories. It's a shame that this potential is little utilized. Thankfully, Hibike is an exception. It's an anime with chewed to death school settings, with clichéd competition aspect, that manages to be a fresh breath of air. Hibike is a well-told simple story. In Hibike, the tribulation of the characters is small everyday problems that in general order of things are not that important. The stakes are low. At worst they’ll lose a competition which is hard to relate to. To be honest, they have pretty small individual worlds. But Hibike explores those little aspects of life deeply. Rather than giving a fast-paced adrenaline rush to the top, we see characters face the stress of their situation. The competition itself takes a little time. But the nature of competition is something they actually take time to reflect upon. Competitive events have this ugly side that there is one winner. The hard work of the losing side, their years of sacrifice means less once they lose. The anguish competition creates in real life is a hell of pain, sadness, depression, and wallowing in hopelessness. Most anime on competitions are superficial and tend to sugarcoat that ugly side. In Hibike, we see this insidious problem touched. Hibike has characters with average personalities. Average, but nevertheless human, identifiable, with tiny lives and even tinier problems. I don't undervalue or belittle them. On the contrary, I appreciate the effort put into this anime. It explores school and competition settings thoroughly and gives a new, tender and beautiful depiction of the usual life. The biggest chunk of our life is spent when we are occupied with our daily activities, chattering with friends, lovers, dealing with our teachers, parents, bosses, and others. In Hibike, those moments are exactly when we are closer to life, closer to what we really are despite all the mundane pettiness. But we want to be different. We want to be unique individuals. That’s why sometimes we are hopelessly pretentious. What passes as pretentiousness, scorn for others is really some kind of fear of being really human, because being really human is probably to be unavoidably sentimental and naïve and goo-prone and generally pathetic (this is a quote from David Foster Wallace). Hibike doesn’t hide the pathetic side of life. Thus when a cool character shows her deeper self in an embarrassing way, despite however how shallow and pitiful that depth is, we can understand her. The background and foreground animation, sound, voice acting, are all top notch. Yet, it wasn't those details that captivated me, though their absence would make the anime less appealing. What I loved was the poignancy sprinkled throughout both seasons, a waft of reality, transience of the characters' lives, especially the briefness of their small venture, a handful of people clinging together for a brief time to win a competition, and their painful self-awareness of that fact. Yet Hibike shies away from going further. It doesn't venture far away from its comfort zone. It manages to evoke feelings, and for that I'm grateful, but I can see that it's not a masterpiece.

And so the next piece begins...with the second season of Hibike Euphoinum!. Nach und nach belebter und leidenschaftlicher! The second season left off where the OVA finished and really the second season brings in more highschool drama, character development to characters who didn't get it during the first season and OVA as well as in Regionals. Another words...ALOT of s**t gonna happen this season. LA wants to dive right into this so let's start with the characters and their development. The character development at the early start of the season are from the two new characters into the mix of the second season, that being Mizore Yoroizuka voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki and Nozomi Kasai voiced by Nao Touyama and their dilemma throughout the first quarter of the anime revolves around them and with bringing in Kumiko into the mix both helps these new characters (and their subtle yuri undertones) develop as well as the past characters, the most surprisingly character development would be the once annoying harsh Yuuko Yoshikawa into a more honest yet tsundere character, nonetheless all the characters LA noted for the early episodes vastly gets developed and although plot twist as to why their drama started does take time and hinted backstory about the previous third years, they earned their character development (though yes because of the character-focused format of this season, once their development is done, they become little more than cameos and supporting characters...to be expected but as LA said they earned their character development). The next character and arc that REALLY get developed and rather this is LA being rather biased goes to Asuka Tanaka, mainly due to her FINALLY showing her true self, something she guised with her genki behavior, the "perfect character" she was in the first season as well as giving us a complicated drama that doesn't make itself melodramatic (though some might beg to differ) but also showing us why Asuka wants to go to Nationals, not only does Kumiko once again is into the mix, but Asuka's situation also goes in line with Aoi Saitou voiced by Yoko Hisaka's same issue during the first season, just under a bigger len AS well as Kumiko's older sister Mamiko's dilemma hinted at during the first season which finally gets resolved as well as Haruka Ogasawara into being a proper leader to the club, really because of Asuka, the "plot didn't move these characters", it's the characters surrounding Asuka as well as Asuka herself into what they want that moves the anime forward, dramatic or not. If you haven't guessed but because of her drastic amount of character development and how Asuka herself affected soo many characters, Asuka Tanaka was LA's favoruite character and quite frankly earned LA's waifu for Fall 2016. Finally we have Reina Kousaka's arc, that focuses on her crush with Noboru Taki that was hinted at during both Mizore and Asuka's arc (due to bringing up Taki's backstory of some sorts) but FINALLY by Reina's arc, it comes into focus and somewhat strains Kumiko's relationship with Reina because of it. Though Reina's arc comes off as just one big spontaneous surprise but because of how Nationals turned out and Reina being a second-year from this season, her resolution is small and not as impactful due it not really resolving things with Taki-sensei. What can LA say but the character-focused drama in the second season of Hibike Euphonium although slightly tacked on how it's executed at the start, however the drama is there and the character focus not only improves the characters that missed out during the first season, but also towards character who already got their character development but for differing reasons they earned more (those being Reina, Taki and Kumiko), but the plot in itself gains a huge boost to this, what with it being a character-focused highschool drama anime. If there was some form of faults LA could find in this second season, well LA already hinted this during the character development section what with once some of the characters arc finishes the minor characters become nothing or moments within the episode to have their little screentime or conversation with Kumiko but mainly support to the more focused characters unless they are REALLY needed, however the scope of the character development and it's impact that works to it's advantage instead of what the end result is, though yes both due to the huge cast and how the narrative of this season is structured, it's kinda obvious that character screentime towards the unfocused minor characters will be decreased (such as Hazuki, Sapphire, Kaori, Aoi, Shuuichi and Riko) even further but it's HIGH compensation for the characters that further gets developed and the people around them. Well the only other flaw LA could get from this (though LA didn't experience) is the melodrama if taken the wrong way was given and perspective wise, there is a chance that melodrama might sink in during certain character arcs and that might put some people off, but LA pretty much ignored that as the drama was definitely on point this season, sure the structure is like a powderkeg of drama waiting to be set off, but the drama was well done and executed (though the starting points of each of the arcs could have a little work done). The second season does try to reign in it's themes from it's first season (the entire "just have fun?" or "be utmost serious in wanting to win") but it's not completely on the foreground though it does get brought up during Mizore's arc alot. Come Asuka's arc, it brings up wanting to do what you want no matter what, be it if your defeated in this notion or being rebellious into doing it see Asuka and Mamiko respectively for that. However Kumiko does bring in one more theme into the mix, that being you know know what's gonna happen in the future and although Kumiko doesn't exact say it, it's both vague and somewhat subtle in how this theme is presented, but that sense, since the majority of the cast are in highschool so yeah, this theme would come up at some point what with Hibike Euphonium is generally focused on highschool drama. Nonetheless due to how the second season presents their themes into the characters they want to focus at, it's slightly iffy if you'd think the themes were executed right or not which might veer into melodrama. For LA, it's a nice reinforcement into the ideas Hibike Euphonium had and it wasn't all in your face as the characters think and goes through "what if" and they too didn't know the answers to them which impacted for the good or bad of the club (what with Kumiko pretty much being the manifestation of this statement) and was executed quite decently though not overally perfect. The comedic moments does appear through verbal jabbing at times but considering that Hibike Euphonium's 2nd season is chock full of highschool drama, LA won't bash that the comedic moments are sparse in this season, nonetheless when the comedic moments does appear or to calm the tension of a very dramatic moment (helpingly given to Asuka), its a slight relief before the highschool drama spirals in. The animation done once again by Kyoto Ani is expected, from the grand and beautiful and meticulous musical set pieces to the more gorgeous and ambient backgrounding, the animation is SUPERB and it even felt that it outshone it's first season. From the distinct character designs (multiple in fact due to the changing of season thus change of uniforms...yes distinct as in LA can tell from the difference from the uniforms who's who) to even the more emotional "show don't tell" by the characters gestures giving that eye to detail how someone is feeling to the up to an eleven sakuga moments, KyoAni really outdid themselves even further than the previous season with how awestruckingly beautiful the animation is. The voice acting, well damn but once again Tomoyo Kurosawa who voices Kumiko does such a visceral and realistic performance due to Kumiko'…

Hibike Euphonium getting a sequel was a big surprise for me but I was excited nonetheless. As someone who loved the first season so much (mostly because I'm part of a concert band (Percussionist) ), I had high expectations for the sequel and now that it's over. It definitely lived up to my expectations. (There will be SPOILERS in my review) [Story]: (8.5/10) The 2nd Season of Hibike Euphonium picks up right where the first season ended. The Kitauiji High School Concert Band has won a gold and they now have have a new goal: To reach and win the Nationals. You'll notice something different when you decide to watch the 2nd Season of Hibike. Unlike the first season which focused more on band performances and the Kitauji Band trying to improve so they can win a gold, this season focuses more on character development. That also includes the much needed development for Asuka. The first season also had character development, but it was pretty much focused on Reina and Kumiko. The 2nd Seasons starts off by expanding the whole "2nd/3rd year drama" the first season told us about. I can almost assure you right now that some people won't like this arc and I understand their views towards this arc because it does feel a bit melodramatic. However, I'm probably going to be in the minority when I say this but I liked this arc because of how they handled Mizore's character and her development. To me, watching the arc felt close to home because I experienced something similar that Mizore went through (back in my first year of high school, without the drama) and I sympathized with her character because I knew how she felt. Knowing that Mizore is just "one of" Nozomi's friends and the whole misunderstanding. It felt a bit melodramatic, sure but the arc was still amazing for what it tried to show us. The arc that I really loved the most was the arc that focused on Asuka. It was perfect. It was something that I have been asking for the most since the first season and now that she finally got some focus, I was amazed at how KyoAni (or the author, to be more specific) handled this arc. In the first season, Asuka was shown as someone perfect and someone who you want to admire. She's great at playing the Euphonium and it seemed like she didn't have any personal issues whatsoever. She didn't give a crap about other student's problems and all she wants is for her band group to succeed. However, in this season, the arc finally unmasked her. It shows us why she's good at playing Euphonium and why she wanted to win that gold so badly. It also shows us that Asuka is not as perfect as people might think she is because, after all, she's just a human being. She also has personal issues except she tries her hardest to not show it because she doesn't want other people getting involved with her issues and feeling sorry for her. This is the MAIN reason why I found this arc to be perfectly executed. The fact that she's not perfect and she's just a human being, just like us, gives Asuka more depth and not just some character who is beloved by many just because of her personality. She's now truly the best girl of Hibike in my eyes. I'll talk more about the characters later. I just wanted to get my opinions out for those arcs because they were the highlights for me. Moving on, the dramatic aspect is great just like the first season but it's a bit better, if I say so myself. For example, there was one dramatic scene that was executed really well. The scene that I'm talking about is when Kumiko was trying to convince Asuka to return to the band. Kumiko's VA deserves a pay raise, honest to God. That's mostly the reason why that dramatic scene worked. Part of the reason is, of course, the outstanding cinematography by Kyoto Animation. They really know where to place the shots. Lastly, the band performances or using the technical term "The Wind Ensemble" remains flawless as ever. The attention to detail remains the same and if you're in a concert band, like me, then you'll truly appreciate how much detail KyoAni has put not just on the wind ensemble but also when they tune an instrument. Even the minor mistakes that some of the characters make when they're playing their instruments can be spotted by ear. It truly is amazing! You know what's even more amazing? KyoAni providing a full-on, uncut ensemble with no monologues whatsoever for this season. This is what I have been wishing for since the first season and the Gods of KyoAni granted my wish. It was simply mind-blowing and I was left speechless after the ensemble finished. Hell, I still had goosebumps 15 minutes after the ensemble finished. ______________________________________________________________ [Art/Animation]: (10/10) See? This is why anime studios needs to chillax with their usual 1-2 anime per season. If they do what Kyoto Animation does then they can also achieve beautiful and breathtaking visuals like what we see in Hibike Euphonium. Even though the art and visuals for both seasons of Hibike looks almost exactly the same, it doesn't really matter because they're both simply outstanding to look at so nothing needed to be changed. The animation is also as smooth as it can get. ______________________________________________________________ [Sound]: (10/10) The soundtrack for Hibike is absolute masterpiece. As someone who is a part of a concert band, it is absolutely mind-boggling how amazing and how there's so much attention to detail when they're performing an ensemble. I can tell that the ensembles weren't just played through some electronic computer but rather, a real-life band playing on some sort of sound room to record their musical pieces. I gotta give props to KyoAni for doing all that shit. Now the OP and ED theme song(s) The OP theme song is "Soundscape" by TRUE. I still prefer the first season's OP theme song. What made the 1st OP so unique was that it felt like an ensemble with vocals in it but the 2nd OP felt like your typical J-Pop song. Now don't get me wrong. I still like the 2nd OP for what it is. It still sounded great. The ED theme song is "Vivace!" by Kitauji Quartet. Now, this ED I like. The 1st ED was decent but I didn't liked it that much. The 2nd ED, on the other hand, is a major improvement. Both vocals and the melody/tune. I don't generally review Japanese VA's but I want to for this series. I've already said this but I'll say it again...for a millionth time. Kumiko's VA deserves a huge pay raise. I don't know how she does it but she makes Kumiko sound like a realistic teenage girl and not some typical "Tsundere" or "Onee-chan" girl with a squeaky-ass voice. Her acting is on point and it's how a teenage girl character should mostly sound like. ______________________________________________________________ [Characters]: (9.5/10) The first season didn't really have that much character development, besides the development for Kumiko and Reina. However, this season focuses on A LOT of characters with the most amazing character developments I have seen in this series. Of course, the 2nd season also introduces a few new characters like Mizore, Nozomi and a couple of teachers. While the new teachers were just a bunch of supporting characters, they were useful because we get to learn more about Taki-sensei or Taki Noboru, who I thought was just "some music teacher" (They were also Taki's college friends). In other words, I was surprised when Taki got some focus in this season. We get to learn more about Taki's past and why he's a music teacher right now. His development was definitely impressive and added more depth to this character. Since Kumiko and Reina got the most focus in the previous season, both main characters felt a bit like supporting characters in this season as the show makes way to focus on other characters. That isn't necessarily a bad thing because now, we get to see both Kumiko and Reina having casual conversations and being comfortably close so the development between them in …

You know that awkward moment when all the yuri shipping you did made people think you made a LGBT anime to the point that Crunchyroll had to tweet about it? So what to do? You could leave the ambiguity over their romantic relationships and handle it tastefully or dismantle the relationships between the characters you had climbing over each other in S1 in the most cringeworthy way in S2... Guess what KyoAni did. Apparently it's not gay if it happens in high school/college. The series writers do their best to remind us that Reina liked Kumiko for her passion for music and all that handholding and confessions of love were nothing more--in fact she's yandere for widower-sensei and confesses in one of the most cringeworthy moments in recent memory. Think Graduate meets Nabokov for roofie-laced drinks. Oh and Kumiko isn't playing for the other team, despite checking out Reina in a near lecherous fashion all season 1, then finding herself another girl when she got all stalker-ish. Turns out she just wishes her sister loved her and went looking for that in other girls--yeah that's not creepy. All the while Shuichi gets treated like the buttmonkey that he is. There are some genuine WTF characterization moments, as if the writers went 'oh crap' after rewatching S1 and realized they had made a soft yuri anime and had to undo all that in S2 in the most trite way possible. Oh, and there's a bikini episode, too, because... I kinda left wishing I had not watched S2 and let things be with S1. At least no one died or got cancer, so there's that.

A Sound! Euphonium 2 Review The first season of Sound! Euphonium was “utterly fantastic” (quoting myself from my review of season one). It took me by surprise and delivered something thoroughly thought provoking. Characters were handled flawlessly, hackneyed themes were dodged with grace, and not a moment of my time felt wasted as I embraced its concepts of what it means to be a part of something, and what it means to be special. It was undoubtedly a brilliant season, and unfortunately for KyoAni, the sequel would have to be held to those standards. So that begs the question: Did KyoAni reach or surpass the heights it set for itself with season one? Short answer: No. Long answer? Well, it all starts with the character arcs. Sound! Euphonium 2’s first arc focuses on a character that’s been in the band all along, but hasn’t gotten a single spotlight up until this point. Mizore is an introverted oboe player with a lot of potential despite the deep misery that weighs her down. Without getting too into the details, I found myself actually liking this character a lot, despite how minimal her relevance to the overarching plot may be. At the very least, her story put a couple of important dynamics and themes into play, ones that easily resonate through the rest of the season. It’s during this arc that we begin to see the relationship between Natsuki and Yuuko (which will be important later on), as well as our first closer look into Asuka. The themes are a little more thinly veiled in this arc, as it pretty clearly introduces the ideas of “what people play music for” and “loving or hating competition”. Between the two main story arcs of the season is an interesting and seemingly out of nowhere look at Kumiko’s older sister, Mamiko. The general themes that surround her are ones of regret and misunderstanding adulthood. These of course are conveniently in Kumiko’s mind as she confronts a similar issue with Asuka, who finds herself stuck between the wishes of her overbearing/abusive mother and her own desires. While I’m certainly not a fan of typical ham-fisted attempts at emotional resonance through the introduction of broken homes and public displays of abuse (slap to the face), Asuka’s stupid mother manages to not be visually around long enough to irritate the crap out of me. She only actually appears for one episode, although the presence of her ideals last for far longer. Those ideals happened to be the same ones that deluded Mamiko into thinking that giving up her dreams for studying and the safer bet of a financially stable future through education was the best course of action, only to leave her with nothing but regret. The idea of adult responsibilities and expectations, and how those thoughts can scare and bully people into not taking a chance. Asuka’s mother forces her ideals on her daughter, driven by this delusion as well as an implied spite of Asuka’s father, who actually did obtain the life he wanted as a musician. Luckily, the whole situation is handled without the terrible mother, in a way that stresses Asuka as the only person that can choose for herself, because that’s what it truly means to be an adult (at least, that’s what I inferred). I also like how Asuka understands her relationship with her mother. She hates her but also sees that she’s provided for her, which is enough for Asuka to have some respect for her. It’s certainly better than ignoring the flaws in one’s family. And really, that’s just another part of Asuka’s character. She’s usually so keen on seeing things for what they truly are, but after a while, arrogance keeps her from being able to take a good look at herself. That’s where Kumiko comes in. Kumiko is the shoulder we get ride on as she snoops and stumbles upon every conflict within the band. She’s more of a witness than an active participant in the first half of the season, and while people find themselves more open to talk to her, she doesn’t act the same way back. In the first season, Reina’s determination and attitude inspires her to become a less “go with the flow” kind of gal. In this season, she finds out she’s just as wishy-washy as she’s ever been. Even when she’s alone with Reina, she’s only able to give off a basic idea of what’s on her mind. It’s only when Asuka challenges her that Kumiko finally learns to be open and honest with herself. Reina has some great moments too, dispersed throughout the two main bulks of the season’s narrative. Mostly, her spotlights are to show how close she’s getting to either Kumiko or Taki-sensei. Even so, her presence is done right, which is more than I can say for most of the show’s other “supporting characters”. Midori and Hazuki feel like nothing but comic relief in this season, which is disappointing since Hazuki had such a great OVA. Now it seems they’re just around to remind us of their existence, and to have a quick gag every now and then. Shuichi’s in a similar situation, but it’s not for the sake of comedy. Honestly, I don’t know what he’s there for. Nothing about his relationship with Kumiko is romantic, no matter what seemingly romantic situation they’re thrown into. Kumiko doesn’t even blush at the gift he gives her, and nothing about her thoughts or focus indicate that she has any real interest in him. The only side characters that really come into prominence this season are Yuuko and Natsuki, and that’s for reasons I don’t really want to spoil. I’m beginning to like Yuuko though, she’s much less annoying than when she was first introduced last season. Characters and their plots aside, season two is still about as good as the first in a lot of ways. The animation is fantastic as always, with such an excellent control over body language and subtle physical comedy. Instead of relying on cheap still frames of chibi faces with exaggerated emotion for comedic effect, KyoAni actually goes through the trouble of animating their character’s reactions in excruciating detail. From the direction their eyes race to the way their skirts flap as they turn, it’s totally unnecessary, but a joy to behold. Another aspect carried over from the first season is the totally superfluous sound design. It’s honestly absurd if you think about it, but KyoAni really went out of their way to make their settings feel realistic through sound. They actually gave detail to the reverberation, and you can tell through the way voice and music travel in different scenes. Conversations in a stairwell or an empty room echo, and that’s totally fucking unnecessary, but really cool nonetheless. In terms of moments, I think this season did reach new heights for the series. On the other side however, I believe the show hit some new low points as well. Specifically, I can’t help but feel the show didn’t do a great job of maintaining the relevance of its characters. Or rather, it tried to keep characters relevant when it didn’t need to, and only made them seem like they’re worth a couple of cheap gags rather than feel like meaningful friends and integral roles in the plot of the season. If they didn’t need to be there, they might as well have taken a back seat. And then there’s the new instructors that did almost nothing, which left me questioning why they even bothered to introduce them in the first place. Kumiko, Asuka, Reina, Natsuki, Yuuko, Mizore, Mamiko, and Taki-sensei; These are the only characters that hold any sort of significance in the season’s narrative, and even Mizore kinda just becomes another one of those side characters after her arc is over. If it weren’t for this sad underuse of characters, Sound! Euphonium 2 could easily be considered as good (if not better) as season one. Everything else is still there, be it the development of core characters, touchingly real themes, ridiculously impressive animation and sound design, and a beautiful OST. They even took some opportunities for creative shots (like the scene where they found Mizore behind a desk). It’s too bad the show had p…

The review counts the first season score too! Hibike! Euphonium is a musical anime (woooow, really?), but doesn't shows just music, I would say. The focus doesn't is the music in itself, but in how the music and the effort at the trainings can interfere at socializations between the musicist and your family, school and objectives. That anime is sooooo cute, have an so pretty weather, even when happens the hardest scenes and with psychological fight. Also have comedy, isn't as that slapstick comedy tho, maybe a pinch of Yuri or just fanservice?! Thriller, yes, Thriller, always happens that thriller in what gonna happen and how the characters will feel about yourselves, and mainly, Drama! Dude, what dramatical anime, some episodes will make you do want to cry with the character or just want to give a hugh in them (Your waifu isn't real, idiot). Story - That anime revolves around Kumiko, yes, all what happens in the anime her is in there, being good or bad, and she always have to fix it. Even for this I think she'll be the president when she will have at 3º year. The history is very simple, there is a School who is underestimated, and who have a dream: Go to the National championship. Already at the beggining have a discussion about who really wants to fight to get that objective. Scenes who shows fights with themselves, even the their bodies and their minds doesn't tolerate more training and training. But, neither all are roses, that anime would can approach so much more about the presentations, but they didn't it, I felt as only Kitauji school does strive, and it's definitely bad, they didn't approached that, or barely approached another schools, neither done an interaction with each other, and at ep 12 of s2 they didn't show the final presentation!! Do you believe it? Art/Sound - That's really the strongest point of his anime, all characters are good drawed, all scenes are beautiful (and some scenes were maked with CGI!!!), and they "fit" perfectly in what is happening at the episode. And dude, if a musical anime, doesn't have a good OST, in what he would have? hahaha, I confess, I like a little bit of orquestry already, maybe because Shigatsu Wa Kimi no Uso (Who doesn't is in the subject now), I really liked about the combination of the presentations (scenes showing the members and the music playing), gave me a big feel of reality, they even did the sweat in the characters!!! Really, maybe it was perfect. Character - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, I really liked the characters, and how they were approached (even the characters that I hate), all characters who have your apparition, although is short, they could be developed and shows their personality. Kumiko - First thing of all: I loved her voice, the way she speaks and behaves, seemed so real, dude, simply wonderful!! I did liked as hell her personality, and the way she always try to do the things, and fix the problems, she's like that character type who doesn't call attention for her because she wants to, but always receives our empathy (like Miyamori of Shirobako), she always is prepared to help others, even with the problems appears just for her hahaha, maybe she's a magnet problems xD, poor her. I don't have very things to say about her, when you're going to watching it, you'll feel the same thing as I felt. Reina - Judge me, but I thought her very cliche, but even so, I liked her too, I confess that in the beginning, I didn't like her a lot, but slowly she was conquering me, how she've charisma!! Btw, all character have your own charisma and can conquer our empathy. She's a shy girl, very talented, and who have objectives very "whole", and maybe impossible ambitions xD Asuka - She's the orquestry group vice president, she is so straight, and always, yes, always can manipulate people around her, and does make they "forget it" the why they're correct, she's willing to leave all away to conquer the main objective (really, everything), even for have these quality, she's more noticed than the orquestry group president, and she's most important for the group than the president, no for nothing, she's my fav character of that anime. Enjoyment - Idk for where to begin... Well, that anime is so good and sometimes so tiring, they were get a lot for the opposite side to default of musical animes and with contest, and they were gone to the character development, they spend it precious episodes who develops the characters at the right moment: as Yuuko, dude, what a annoying character, and Kumiko sister, who starts to interfere even indirectely in Kumiko performances. BUUUUT, there are so many sensational episodes, mainly the episodes who envolves Kumiko & Reina and Kumiko & Asuka, when happens the Yuri flirt xD, and also they complement with a music, who serves as clue of how the character is feeling yourselve in that moment, as if it were a vent, just beautiful! Conclusion - Hibike! Euphonium is a musical anime not so musical, the moral of history is about conquer objectives if you get effort to get it, but in the same time shows all problems who happens during the way. With a lot of drama and empathy with characters, watch it and feel yourself through the world at Kumiko's sight!

There's a joke that you watch Hibike! Euphonium for the yuri bait, but stay for the story and characters, and it's completely true. Rarely have I seen a studio pay so much attention to detail in developing character relationships. Chronologically, the second season begins immediately where the first one left off, where the band is faced with increasingly more difficult obstacles as they hope to advance to higher competitions. You'll experience the ups and downs with them as they triumph and fail in their band goals, while learning more about what makes each character tick, and their various motivations for participating in the band. This is developed through masterful usage of symbolism, and what is unique about this show is the studio actually respects the viewer's intelligence enough to not have to over-explain every situation. Instead, they'll put various ambiguous details in the scene and leave it up to you as the viewer to interpret them. This contributes enormously into making the show more realistic, because in real life you can't get a glimpse into everyone's inner monologue; you have to communicate and clarify their intentions. The second season may disappoint some, however, as there is much less focus on Reina and Kumiko's relationship, and more focus on other characters. Despite that, I thought the second season was stronger and more developed. Note that the second season completely adapts the source material for Kumiko's story, so anyone concerned about an unfinished adaptation need not worry. I enjoyed the second season enormously, and any fan of the first season will not be disappointed. Thanks for reading my review, and any feedback is appreciated!

Sequels are like a double-edged sword. For the good shows, the creators are always under immense pressure to replicate the success from the first season, but if done correctly, will be able to grow the cult following for an even bigger profit. For the bad shows, though there are no such expectations, the need to create a series to a non-existent fan base is illogical. Hibike! Euphonium season 1 was in the middle of the spectrum, dwarfed by the popularity and sales of the likes of K-ON while still having sales and popularity success to be remembered by the anime community for a while. It is a show that has promise, known for beautiful visuals in typical KyoAni fashion, niche concert band soundtrack, drama among friends, and the all but famous YURI vibes between our two wonderful heroines. Those who are curious or eager to watch of season 2 are most likely avid fans of the first series in the first place, and the looming question would always be: ‘Is it as good as season 1?’ as viewers would inevitably draw comparisons from the shows predecessor. Well, is it better? I would sit on the fence here and say that its different. The world setting of this show does not need much of an introduction. We are shown the lives of Kumiko and Co. to experience the life of both a high school student and a member of a highly competitive concert band. When looking at both these aspects together, one would predict that certain problems would naturally arise. The most basic one would be how does one juggle their studies between club and academics? or how does severed bonds or a broken past affect a performance? These are touched upon, albeit in shallow levels in some aspects. A positive note that is easily overlooked would be that all these issues are not just experienced by the MC, but some are shared to the minor characters that were deemed irrelevant in season 1, implying that the show does not completely revolve around the MC, and that other characters are not one dimensional, but are also people who do feel emotions as they are each given their own screen time when facing hardship. The show also doesn’t lose its bread and butter of being a music anime, as we are shown how concert band members struggle and train for long hours by coaches, in training camps, etc. It’s a flare that has not been lost since season 1- A balance between light hearted moments shared by high school students as they casually hangout together and share small conversations, while still maintaining the immense pressure to perform and thus develop drama with heart-to-heart conversations and people yelling and screaming their frustrations out. It is a very different take compared to season 1, who took ample time to introduce us to the world of concert bands as they took their time to introduce the instruments, the training regimes and competitions. The drama involved are also different in their own rights, as they mostly revolve involve the band concert itself, such as the competition to get a prominent role or into the team with limited seats, the dilemma to balance playing to have fun or to win, and the living hell when two sides are at war with one being in the middle wanting to bring both sides together. Season 2 takes the assumption that we clearly know the world of ‘Hibike! Euphonium’ and how it works, and brings the drama to the factors outside the club that could heavily effect one’s performance. Such factors include past mistakes, family background, and even trauma, these factors were not entirely absent from season 1, but are merely brushed upon. This could be refreshing, this could be easily heartfelt by us, the viewers. If done right, this would not bear any complaint. But great ideas need great executions to be shown and illustrated, and in my opinion, this is where it failed to deliver. In almost every drama arc, it felt repetitive, it felt like there was always a pattern, in that the entire group could not do anything to help some troubled companion, and it was always up to Kumiko to be the mediator, to be the one who goes out of the way to help the friend in need. Kumiko then shows vulnerability and confronts the troubled friend, and the troubled friend would always be touched, and hence, mission accomplished. This leaves the impression that Kumiko is the Great Counsellor that could listen and solve everyone’s problems. Is it because she is a good listener due to her personality? Or is it merely because she is the MC? That is debatable. Nevertheless, it does leave me to think that the nature of the drama of season 1 is discarded, as the problems there are usually solved naturally without the need of any intervention whatsoever. It slowly unfolds and finds closure in due time with no saviour or counsellor whatsoever, which beautifully left the underlying message of how not every problem needs a heartfelt speech or hug, but through facing off and let reality decide who is in the right or wrong, eventually finding its own closure. It can be hypothesised that the kind of drama in season 2 could be far more engaging compared to season 1, but that is entirely subjective to the viewer. Personally, I love the characters so much that even though I am aware of the execution flaws, the drama was satisfactory for me, but if one looks at it through an objective lens, this could be very off-putting. In typical KyoAni fashion, the art is nothing to be scoffed at. We are shown astonishing backgrounds that could be easily mistook to be meant for wallpapers: The grand stage of the competition with wonderful lighting, the birds eye view of the city lights from the mountains, the scene of a character playing its instrument in a conveniently beautiful scenery, these are the eye candies that made season 1 such a delight to see, and the sequel does it justice. Simply breath-taking and wonderful. Characters are their usual pretty selves with introductions to characters who are just as pretty. Frame qualities are excellent especially at where it counts, with the fluid movement of fingers pressing against the instrument valves during soloes to the well portrayed yelling and crying of the characters in distress. It is by no means perfect though, as the usual plague of modern anime remains, with distorted character faces especially when the characters are far from a shot, a predicament of a studio who is rushing through frames with no time for checks. It is unfortunate that this is the norm nowadays with tight deadlines to meet. A notable highlight of the quality of the art is how beautifully the instruments are drawn, be in in shining gold or silver, as the artist leaves no detail left behind. With music as the main foundation that the world of this show builds upon, this anime is indeed a delight to the ears with quality coming in spades. The soundtrack of the series is relatively the same as season 1 and does not fail to bring up the atmosphere, be it a cheerful or solemn one. Sometimes there is no soundtrack at all, as it gives centre stage to the wonderful melodies played by the concert band instruments. What’s wonderful is that most of the time during conversation, there are no soundtracks whatsoever, as we are then able to focus on the tones of the character’s speech, this control of knowing when to have a soundtrack and when not to is a huge surplus itself. The main highlight of this show, which is the pieces performed by the ensemble, are up to the standards that we expect to be, marvellous performances that we the viewers are tempted to give a round of applause to. Songs like the ‘Crescent Moon Dance’, and Japanese jazz like ‘Takarajima’ by T-Square opens up a whole different world from the usual anime music that we listen to, and if one is an avid fan of Japanese music outside of the usual J-pop, they could probably pick up more songs than I could that were being performed in the series. A totally refreshing sound that differs from the usual electric guitar and drums. Even if you…

Band has becoming a dying medium as the importance of academics and becoming a top student have gained importance. It's come to the point that many schools have cut off art programs like these entirely simply because they either no longer have the budget to support it, or see it as something that has no real importance in students' lives. So, at the time of this review, while we still have the concept of the school band alive, we return back to KyoAni's adaptation of Hibike! Euphonium, the drama-filled band with aspirations as big as their sound. Story: Picking up from the first season, Hibike! Euphonium 2 continues the same plotline as the first season. Our merry band of...band members at Kitauji high school continue their journey towards Nationals in hopes of winning the event and taking home gold for the school while dealing with a myriad of personal stories given to us by our characters. What separates season 2 from its predecessor are the stories that we're given, and pretty much nothing else. This time around however, we focus more on the protagonists of the story and their internal struggles more so than some other members of the band. As such, Season 2 acts a lot like a knot tier to all of the show's loose ends from the first season, and presents them all at an even pacing with a healthy amount of detail and care put into every story. As a result of this, the emotional impact that we see from these characters and how each event impacts them is well crafted and culminated to a graceful end. Character development for this season in particular is well blended together and doesn't feel as arcic or choppy as the first season did. Multiple stories are developed alongside each other, and given the story's pacing, has reasonable quality despite some maybe I wish getting a little more attention than they deserved. All in all, Hibike! Euphonium 2 was a journey through a school band with twists and turns that culminated into a very satisfying end. Characters' stories had satisfying ends, the music was great, and the overarching story ended well enough that I could at the very least accept the result. Wasn't the best result, but it was good enough. Overview: + Tied up a lot of loose ends + Good pacing + Finished the story Characters: Characters really don't differ very much from the first season. Aside from a few additions that made up the majority of the first arc, the characters are largely the same and the cast has very few significant shifts in them in terms of importance. Most prominently for changes comes with the addition of Yoroizuka Mizore, the most prominent new character of the series. The oboe player for the band, Mizore's main role is to start the series off with a blast and create her own ripple in the story with events that have happened in the past. Her story is interesting, but her character really isn't all that prominent, especially since the rest of the series focuses on already introduced characters whose stories have already been developing since the first season. Aside from her, new additions come few and far in between and really don't have all that much gravity or impact. If anything, they mostly fill up spots to help progress the story along or relate back to a specific character. The one thing I found strange is how both Hazuki and Sapphire were even less prominent than they were before. The series didn't really give them the time of day to begin with, and I find it strange how they're marked as main characters despite being virtually absent from everything that's been going on. Overview: + Old characters all return and have similar standing from S1 +/- New additions are good but a lot less impactful Art: Produced by KyoAni, Hibike! Euphonium comes back in full force with the company's bright, moe artstyle with crystal clear colors and incredible detail and fluidity. Everything from the backgrounds to the individual character designs for each and every member of the band, and even the attention to detail for the instruments are all animated very well to the point that I can find very few flaws, if any, for the animation. Sound: The soundtrack for S2 has a similar tone to the first season with bright and happy music for its OP and ED with a host of different band songs for the characters' ensemble. I don't really have any complaints about the music personally, but I do feel like the OP and ED this time around aren't as memorable as the S1 variants. Personal Enjoyment: As someone who participated in their school band, Hibike! Euphonium was a very enjoyable watch that connected to me personally, as a lot of the events that the characters faced were pretty realistic for people in band, and had the sense of togetherness that 50+ people playing together can have. So all in all, I found this to be a fun, gripping, and all around fun watch from beginning to end. Did I like this series? I loved it. Especially for the characters' personal growths. Each of the characters' stories felt, particularly for the protagonists, felt impactful and meaningful, giving more depth to the show that couldn't exist otherwise. What didn't I like about the series? Shuuichi. Cause honestly, the series doesn't give much of a shit about him, and I feel like he got a little cheated because of that. That and the rest of Kumiko's friends. Talk about being pushed to the side. Would I recommend this series? If you saw Season 1 and liked it, then you probably should be watching this. It finishes the Hibike! Euphonium story and ties it all up rather nicely. Also, if you are or were a band member, then this series is also worth your time. If you're part of neither of those groups, and you want to watch something that's well-paced and emotionally driven, than this series would also be a good fit. Honestly, Euphonium is one of those series that's more than it looks like underneath the surface with fully realized potential that leaves its audience wanting more.

Writing a review for the second season of Hibike was not an easy task to do. Maybe because I'm a musician, this get even more emotional and hard to express in words. But all I can feel for this anime is love. I have the most deep and fond love for this whole story. So, please, don't expect a totally unbiased review, I really can't talk about it without showing how awesome for a musician is to see a music genre anime like that and not talk about it with passion and even excuse some minor failures. Specially because here I'm talking more as musician than as an anime fan. Even more specially when there are so few animes about concert music. One of the things that enchants me the most in this anime without a doubt is the art: the typical trait from Kyoto Animation purely amazes me. You can lose yourself in the small details of the eyes of the characters, the lights in the landscapes, all the random background scenarios... They're all beautiful. But, do not fool yourself, despite the delicacy of the traits, the plot is a little more deeper than the vast majority of this genre from KyoAni, especially K-on!, that is probably more known and relatable to Hibike. I also want to make it clear that I simply admire a lot the work of a studio that is bound to make an anime of this kind with such dedication and offer the viewers an outcome in which hardly are found visual and aesthetic defects. This enables us to pay more attention to details, let's say, "more important" as the details of the plot. Still, the art is absolutely seductive. Throughout the story all the characters and especially Kumiko had a lot of developing, maturing and growing both intra and interpersonally. It's a fun and interesting process to watch and sometimes this get really exciting, especially for those who like to keep up with musical improvements and friendship strengthening. Also, there is something about each character that gives you the feeling that there aren't really just one main character and some other few supporters. They are all important, they all have background stories, they all matter somehow. The same thing happens when you see an orchestra: all musicians are important, all of them makes a difference and all of them have their special solo moments of shining bright. Then you get lost in the stories and personalities of every one of them, even the annoying and cliché ones. Nevertheless, some shine enough so you'll probably forget the most boring ones. I had a quite funny time paying attention to some characters in particular, though my favorite character, which is Reina, end up stealing this attention several times. There are some characteristics in her personality that blend in me sensations that I feel and some that I really wanted to feel. In fact, talking about the story, Hibike is very focused on relationship issues. You see the characters having all kinds of relationships: lost love, platonic love, unrequited love and pure love. And despite KyoAni appeal, unfortunately there's some fanservice when it comes to love relationship among girls, especially between Kumiko and Reina. All the scenes that they were together saying suggestive things about their relationship made me very happy and cheering for them, so it's a pitty that is seemingly something that only will be there for fanservice. This is why I don't give the story the maximum rate. Forget about fanservice, KyoAni, please. We had enough of it. Also, the pace. Gosh, don't kill me with that slow pace. I can handle drama quite well, just make it fast and end it up okay, for goodness sake. Now, to talk about the sound part is my favorite thing ever in Hibike. That's the part that makes my body shiver from emotion. The first thing I want to say is that if you guys like this kind of music and never been into an orchestra concert before, I strongly recommend that. Because then you can fully understand the feeling of being in a musical presentation and lose yourself in each musical movement of the piece. Only then you can comprehend how it is for a musician being pressured to impress, to touch and reach the heart of the audience. That all the effort until there was worth it. And believe me, it's A LOT of effort. Second thing I want to say is that I'm envious. I really wanted that kind of club when I were at school. Because that kind of effort is really something, to get so far in musical competitions IS a big deal, and to see that this is being taken seriously by students that probably won't all become musicians, you know, seeing non-musicians liking music that much is a heartwarming thing to see. Third thing: the OST is amazing. Really beautiful. The choices they made for the songs for the band to play are incredibly invigorating and astonishing. Matsuda Akito did a wonderful job here, I became a huge fan of him and I'm going to listen to the soundtrack whenever I can. Also, the choices of female characters playing instruments that aren't common or expected to the gender was something that made me very very happy. Seeing girls playing brass and percussion instruments was something inspiring. Finally, I wanted to say that episode five, in especial, brought me to tears. And, of course, made me happy for being a musician and gave me more strength to keep on doing what I love. It's absolutely wonderful to be encouraged to do what you love by something else that you also love. So, Hibike is an anime about the burning desire to make your seemingly impossible ambitions come to life. And that's why I like it so much, and also that's why I was super anxious for this new season. I wanted to feel all of those emotions again. Even though I probably haven't been able to fully explain as well as I would like and demonstrate to you guys how beautiful I found this animation, I really hope each of you, who read this wall-text to the end, can give it a look and be surprised yourselves.

If S1 was merely the opening act of a still-fragmented club, then S2 of Hibike is where human emotions and conflicts reach their peak. This is the part where each character not only faces music, but also confronts themselves, their passion, their pressure, and their most intimate fears. Kumiko is no longer the girl who simply drifts along, she’s now placed in situations that force her to choose between personal feelings and collective responsibility. She grows by learning to listen, to empathize, and to face the unspoken struggles within others, and within herself. Reina, though less in the spotlight than before, shows remarkable maturity. Her journey of overcoming her feelings for her teacher and moving toward her own future is quiet yet deeply meaningful. And Asuka, arguably the soul of this season, stands out as a brilliant but lonely genius. Her story of family, pressure, and her relationship with music invites deep reflection. Asuka and Kumiko mirror each other: one uses music to escape, while the other uses it to find herself. A small yet striking detail is when a student says before going on stage, “I hope we’re not the first to perform.” It made me laugh because it felt so real, that genuine nervousness of school competitions, when everyone secretly dreads going first. That’s the beauty of Hibike!: its emotions are so ordinary, yet portrayed with such authenticity and grace. I was also deeply moved by Kumiko’s sister. Her story raises the question: should we pursue our own passion, or follow the path our parents wish for us? It reminded me of my final school year, standing between two roads, one leading to my dreams, the other to my family’s expectations. The series doesn’t judge or moralize; it simply presents this dilemma with quiet empathy, letting us feel and reflect on our own. From a technical standpoint, Kyoto Animation once again proves their mastery. The visuals, lighting, and character expressions are beautifully crafted. The sound design remains stunning as ever, though to be fair, this season leans more toward emotional introspection, making the pacing slower and the music slightly less central than in S1. Yet that choice feels intentional, shifting focus from the joy of performance to the weight of personal growth and reality. In that sense, Hibike S2 is no longer a rose,tinted story of youth, but a more honest portrait of growing up, where people must learn to face conflict, failure, and loneliness. And that’s precisely what makes it profound. If S1 was the prelude to ambition, then Season 2 is the symphony of emotion and maturity, a season where every note breathes with human warmth: imperfect, fragile, yet sincere and beautiful in its own way.

Oh, brother, this anime made me love classical and orchestral music more and more. I especially like competitions more and more, not just music. Story, Characters, Animation, Soundtrack Story: The story is an extremely good one, even if it is a little sadder than the one from season one, it is still great. And the Ova brothers are brilliant especially the ones with Midori-chan. Characters: The characters are still the same Midori is still excited and stays where she is not her business and returns to her balls, Hazuki-chan is still nice and always with positive thoughts, Kumiko is all Kumiko is always shy and not she goes where she shouldn't just not to hurt them, cum And how could she not say something about our wonderful Asuka-Senpai she still stays in any situation whether she gets sad or not she still has a smile on her face I adore and she is my favorite Waifu from this favorite series, Natsuki and she are nice and kind helping others, especially when she teases that girl, our President is still crying. Animation: Animation is also extremely good, the tools are also brilliant. And in the moments with Asuka-Senpai Soundtrack: it's and take a good one I can't complain, squeak when it has to squeak it sounds perfect when it has to sound perfect, so it's 10/10 I'm not complaining at all. Personal Opinion This anime is a great one, I have nothing to say about it, especially the story, the characters, the animation, Asuka-Senpai so this anime is worth watching by everyone and you must listen to the opening and the ending you will not regret. Short opinion and note: Masterpiece 10/10

In this review I will review both the first and the second season of Hibike! Euphonium. If you haven't watched the anime I don't recommend reading this review because there will be SPOILERS up ahead. First I'll start with talking about the story, which I give a 9/10. I think the story is really well written. Sometimes in anime drama that has been done the wrong way can cause me to hate a show because all what the characters do is cry and fight over some bullshit reason. In Hibike! Euphoium however this is not the case, when I just started it, I was a bit scared the show would turn out like this, but the show maintained its enjoyment to watch. The drama was done really well there wasn't a moment where I was annoyed by it. The character development in the story was there at the right time at the right place. I don't have any reason to complain about the story. The big difference between the first and second season is the amount of 'Yuribait'. This anime isn't yuri or shoujo ai tagged, but if you've seen the anime you know what I mean. In the first season there's a lot of it spread throughout the whole season and in the second season a lot less with the only obvious bit at the beginning of the season. Personally I think this is a postitive asset of the show, but opinions differ. Next the characters given a 10/10 by me The characters are AMAZINGLY well done. Especially in the second seaon the protagonist, Kumiko, felt like a real person. It wasn't like I was watching a scripted show, but as if I was actually following the high school life of a real person. My favourite character in the show is Reina, whose character development in the first season was brilliant. I'm just a tiny bit disappointed that they made her character in the second season a little bit worse in comparison to the first season. Next I'll go quickly over the rest of the cast. I have zero interest in Hazuki and Kawashima, but they're ok, i guess. Other characters which I like include: Asuka (especially in the second season), Yoriozuka and Taki-sensei. Also I don't like the romantic direction the main characters are going in (TakixReina and KumikoxShuuichi), I hope the yuri ship sails instead, but that is for later in the series. Art: 10/10 There's not much I can say about the art, KyoAni has an amazing artstyle and improves it year by year. At one point I was almost screaming to my screen about how a hairflip could look so dazzling ( reffering to ep 4 s1). The evening scene on the hill has become one of my favourite scenes in all of anime partly thanks to the artstyle ( ep 8 s1). Music/Sound: 9/10 The voice actors did an outstanding performance, absolutely perfect. The OPs and EDs were good but nothing I thought was that awesome, but the OST was a pleasure to listen to. After I finished the first season I just searched on youtube a bit to find the OST and the 19th track of the first disc was something I listened to for at least half an hour. The OST is one of the best anime OSTs I've heard. the instruments sounded really good too, overall they did a great job with the music. Enjoyment: 10/10 I enjoyed the heck out of this show it was a really fun ride or more like an emotional rollercoaster. I'm really looking forward the movie and anything that follows that. Overall: 9.6/10=>10/10 I recommend this show to anyone who likes drama and/or school anime, you don't even have to like music anime to enjoy this masterpiece of a drama anime. For anyone who read this, thank you very much for reading my very first anime review I hope it was at least a little bit helpful.

The second season of Hibike! Euphonium, in my opinion, is better than the first. This season feels like a more refined and concentrated version of what Hibike! Euphonium is, and that improvement alone turns a good anime into a great anime. The story isn't any different on paper. The Kitauji high school orchestra continues working hard to achieve their goal of playing at the nationals. However, this second season shifts the main focus from playing in a respectable competition to the individual characters behind the music, their personal struggles, and giving some insight to the history that made them who they are today, and how it sets them on a path for the future. I think this is a fantastic direction to take this series. As great as the music is in Hibike! Euphonium, the characters all have so much potential to flourish and tell very captivating and emotional stories. Without spoiling anything, the ending for this season is well-written and satisfying, and the meat of the season consisting of character building also makes for a great watch. The art is still consistent with modern Kyoto Animation quality, which doesn't need an introduction assuming you've already watched the first season or other Kyoto Animation works. However, I noticed this season had many more scenic views, which I personally loved. Seriously, some of the scenes in this season are so crisp and high-quality with an immense amount of attention to detail, resulting in gorgeous and lifelike shots of suburban scenery and city night views. The animation and character design is still fantastic, resulting in an all-around 10/10 from me in the art department. The music in this season, though it did not feel like the main focus for me, was still great. The band performances have a tsunami of emotion behind them, and the background music for other scenes is beautiful. There's some fantastic cello pieces that really make me miss playing the cello and even evoked regret for not sticking with it longer. Emotional and impactful music like this can really add depth to anime, and is refreshing to see when most everyone else in the industry considers music an afterthought. As stated previously, character development really feels like the spotlight of this season. Though it's still not perfect, it's much better than the first season and it's still very much enjoyable to watch. There's still plenty of drama to be had, enough to make you feel like a single middle-aged wine cat mom getting invested into her favorite soap opera. However, Hibike! Euphonium's drama, unlike most soap operas, is very high quality. The drama between characters this season, mostly relating to character backstory, feels emotional and realistic. Maybe it was just because I could deeply relate to some moments, but Hibike! Euphonium definitely feels like it's a few steps above the typical high school anime "character A loves character B but character C likes character B as well" character interactions. Romance, while still not a main focus of the series, feels much more substantial and less forced than it was in the first season. It's still not perfect, nor is it what I keep watching the series for, but it definitely adds more than it takes away from the series. Overall, this season was a considerable improvement to an already good anime. The ending was well-written and interesting, and set what feels like a good foundation for future content to the series. I will definitely continue to watch what this series has to offer beyond the second season, and I hope that Kyoto Animation recovers soon to continue doing what they love and making great anime like this.

Since i first saw this anime, i saw the kind of potential i can't see in other music animes. and one might compare every music anime with shigatsu, because it is the most praised one, but shigatsu and this anime show us two distinct views of the music practice. Hibike! Euphonium and Hibiki! Euphonium 2 have a sport anime vibe to it. The way that the obstacles and practices are presented to the watcher are common in the sports anime. This serie as a whole can also be so aware of the music world they are presentig (just open an youtube page of a important music in the series and you will see a lot of comments saying something like "wow, they realliy made the movements realistic"), just as making the conductor conduct right, when he is shown, in the 4/4 time, and show the concert pitch and tuning of the band. As a musician myself, not one in a band for instrument reasons, i can see a lot of things that are correct and somethings that aren't (why would someone train a difficult part playing it fastly?). anyway, this anime is the best anime of music and, why not?, one of the best animes of sports ever made, with amazingly created characters, settings and concepts. an must watch for the genre and niche it is immersed into, amazingly written and directed, a 10/10 for sure.

"And then, the next piece begins." -Kumiko Oumae When season one of Hibike! Euphonium aired back in 2015, anyone who watched it was in for some beautiful animation, band performances, and yuri bait. I only watched it because of Kyoto Animation, but I ended up enjoying it a lot; it really connected with me, considering the fact that I am a flute player in my school's band. When it ended, however, it definitely felt like there should have been more; that was why, when season 2 was announced, it was welcomed with open arms. However, now that season 2 has finished its run, can I honestly say that it lived up to season 1? Yes, it did and more. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my review of Hibike! Euphonium 2. In case you don't already know, Hibike! Euphonium revolves around the concert band at Kitauji High School; they were once a great band, but they have since fallen flat (bad pun alert). However, with the instruction of the new adviser, Noboru Taki, the band ends up getting back on its feet and working hard toward the goal of making it to the Nationals and subsequently getting gold there. The main character, Kumiko Oumae, is one of the first-years who joins the concert band as a euphonium player, although she was originally reluctant due to an incident back in middle school. She ends up reuniting with trumpet player Reina Kousaka, and although they aren't on the best terms at first, they end up being able to get along. The second season focuses on not only the drama involving the concert band, but Kumiko's own family. The first thing I must mention about this anime is its beautiful animation. As always, Kyoto Animation had produced some breathtaking animation, both in the first and second seasons of this anime. Another remarkable thing about this anime is, of course, its music. Whether its the opening and ending themes ("Soundscape" by True and "Vivace!" by the Kitauji Quartet [a.k.a. the voice actresses of Kumiko, Reina, Hazuki Katou, and Midori Kawashima, respectively], respectively) or the performances from the band, there was a lot of great music from this anime; since it is a music anime, this is, of course, a good thing. The voice actors also did a good job at their respective roles. As for the story, my opinion about this season is the same as my opinion of the story in the first season; there were some bumps in the road, but the story was very good overall. This season gave us some great new characters, as well as giving development to some old ones. Among the new characters, my personal favorites were Nozomi Kasaki and Mizore Yoroizuka; not only is the former a flute player like me, but the arc that revolved around them and the character development they got as a result was done splendidly. We also got to learn a lot more about Asuka Tanaka, the vice president of the concert band; I like her a lot more now than I did in season one, and I already did like her in season one! Taki-sensei was also a noteworthy character this season; he was a rather mysterious character in season one, and in season two, we get to learn some more about him, too. Overall, Hibike! Euphonium 2 was a more than worthy successor to Hibike! Euphonium, as well as a solid conclusion to the series. I highly recommend any and all fans of season one to not miss the second. If you'd like to know who I'd recommend the series as a whole to, it'd be to those who appreciate good stories, beautiful KyoAni-style animation, yuri teasers, and most of all, the hard work that concert bands to make a wonderful sound.