HIBIKE! EUPHONIUM

DESCRIPTION

CAST

SPECIAL ComedyHibike! Euphonium: Suisougaku-bu no Nichijou
OVA DramaHibike! Euphonium: Kakedasu Monaka
ANIME DramaHibike! Euphonium 2
MOVIE DramaHibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Koukou Suisougaku-bu e Youkoso
MANGA MusicHibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Koukou Suisougakubu e Youkoso

REVIEWS

• 

  WillQ

  80/100
  Sound! takes some interesting directions which freshen up the stale formula, resulting in quite a unique series.

  Sound! Euphonium is another series that caught me suprised. In essence, it's a show similar to Free! and K-On! in that it's a story about a high school club, produced by the famous KyoAni studio. However, compared to those two shows (which I didn't particularly enjoy), it takes some new and interesting directions which freshen up the stale formula, resulting in quite a unique series.

  

  The most important part of Sound! are the characters. The series follows Kumiko Oumae, a high school freshman, who decided that she "wanted a new start" and therefore go somewhere where not many of her previous schoolmates went. Her two new friends and classmates are Midori and Katou, who are both very upbeat and friendly girls, but also the most generic moe characters in the show. However, Katou serves a certain purpose in the story and Midori is very over-the-top with her silliness and cuteness, which not only makes her a more enjoyable character, but also contrasts with how hardcore she is about playing contrabass (this is a recurring theme). Shuuichi is Kumiko’s childhood friend and a potential love interest. He's one of the few male characters and he's very bland, but his role is very minor, so it's not a big problem. The band advisor, mister Taki, is clearly passionate about the music, and is the type of person who will criticise you with a smile on his face. He has some unusual teaching methods and as a new member of the school staff he has an interesting relationship with the concert band. Furthermore, the section leaders are mostly nice and friendly, Kumiko's teacher is a strict but kind-hearted lady and various band members are mostly background characters. However, some of them get a small amount of screen time without main characters and small bits of personality, which is a nice touch that helps flesh out the world and slow down the tempo, giving the viewer breathing room without boring him.

  The three most interesting characters are bass section leader Asuka, Kumiko herself and her friend Reina. Asuka is also the vice-president of the concert band club, and initially seems like a very outgoing person. She's the one talking the most to freshmen, convincing them to join the band, and later her section. She seems friendly with everyone, but also very full of herself. However, as we learn later, she’s not very reliable. Everyone wanted her to be the the president, but she didn’t want to and only agreed to be the vice-president as compromise. And she doesn’t take sides on any issue, avoids answering questions she doesn’t want to and generally refuses to take responsibility. In fact the times she seems the most honest is when she says “I don’t care”, whatever the topic is. However, she’s smart, good looking and a very good euphonium player, which makes her popular despite those vices. In fact the only time we see her upset is when she’s losing practice time due to teenage drama in the section (note - a major change of the character when with the instrument in her hands). I think she’s quite an interesting character because the longer the series goes, the more mysterious she gets - it’s very unclear what is the natural behaviour for her, and what is just a facade she keeps for whatever reason.

  

  Reina is a talented and hard-working trumpet player, who previously played with Kumiko in a junior high band. On the surface, she’s polite, well-mannered and dutiful, but also distant and hard to read. However, she’s a major example of a character that is much different with the instrument in her hands. Especially because she’s very confident in her abilities, and doesn’t shy away from claiming she’s better than her seniors However, more than for any other band member, the trumpet is a mean to express herself. When band practice stops due to attitude issues, she vents by playing a fragment of Dvorak’s 9th symphony on the school grounds. When the band is nervous before a performance, she changes the atmosphere by playing a loud note on the trumpet, despite the fact they were asked not to play while waiting for their turn. She’s also notorious for practicing more than her fellow band members.

  This contrast is later explained as she opens up to Kumiko and reveals her true nature - she wants to be special. She’s not interested in popularity or meeting expectations, but rather in standing out and living up to her own standard. This means not being afraid to compete against her seniors, not backing out due to peer pressure and practicing more than anyone. We also learn that she does in fact have feelings and empathy, it’s just that she holds them back from most people. And of course Kumiko becomes an exception, as it turns out she’s an opposite of Reina in certain aspects and they grow closer to each other.

  What I mean by that is that Reina appears distant on the outside, but is quite passionate and caring on the inside. Meanwhile Kumiko is a nice, friendly and polite girl on the outside, but inside she doesn’t seem to care about all that much. I think it’s very interesting in how that comes out in the series. In public, with her teachers, with her bandmates and even with her new friends, she’s a very bright and modest person. Only with Schuuichi, with her sister, to some extent with Asuka and while alone is when she allows herself to either become absent or hostile towards people. Another example of her naturally distant nature is the fact she tends to space out, and it happens the more often the more she is invested in something. This is evident especially towards the end of the series as she focuses on practicing the concert piece and even her new friends start noticing that she’s becoming distant. But whenever something is bothering her, she pays very little attention to the conversations and her surroundings in general. She also has a habit of speaking her thoughts out loud, as if she forgot that there are people around her. Furthermore, her fellow section members point out that it seems like Asuka is acting a little different towards Kumiko, as if she had more respect for her than for other performers. Which is quite interesting considering that Asuka herself seems like a very distant person, and very strict in how close she lets people near herself.

  But then again you can’t ignore how stressed she gets in more than few situations. At the beginning of the series she is very uncomfortable around Reina, as Kumiko is afraid that she is mad at her for a comment she made back in junior high. However, she is able to comfortably talk about the situation with others - going as far as pointing out that she doesn’t think her comment was out of line, even though it upset Reina. Later she becomes very anxious about having to compete for a spot in the main band with an older, but less experienced euphonium player (as traditionally the players were chosen by seniority), which almost makes her withdraw from the auditions. She also has hard time dealing with her childhood friend quitting the band when the practice time gets too long and starts interfering with her studies. However, in my opinion those emotions don’t necessarily contradict with her distant nature, as in all those cases it’s the fear of being pulled out of her comfort zone and drawn into a conflict that make her uneasy. If her nature is to be distant then it’s only natural that she panics when there’s a risk of being forced to deal with people.

  

  Kumiko also has a very different relationship with her instrument compared to other characters. For starters, at the beginning of the show she doesn’t even want to play euphonium and would rather try something new. The only reason she played it for so long is because it’s an unpopular instrument and her previous bands needed someone to play it, which happens again in high school as well. But as Kumiko matures, so does her relation with the instrument. First she starts to notice the urge to improve, as she pours more and more of herself into practice, even admitting that just like Reina, she also wants to be special. However, it’s only a setback that makes her realise how much she likes the instrument and how important it is to her to become good at playing it (and also how important is it in life to have something you enjoy doing). Once that happens, it seems like she is much more comfortable with showing her true character, which admittedly doesn’t result in a huge change on the outside, but subtly shows the culmination of her growth and maturing throughout the series.

  Something else interesting about KyoAni productions is that they take a very holistic approach to the topics of their shows. In this case, that means showing all parts of life in a concert band - instrument maintenance, transport to the location of performance, tuning instruments, individual practice, group practice, lots of different exercises that musicians do… Overall - trying to show being a part of concert band for what it really is, instead of ignoring the “ugly” parts to make it cooler. And that approach works really well for this show, as it helps set up the nice, slow tempo and generally helps with the immersion. Simultaneously they don’t put too much attention into other parts of characters’ lives, such as their pastimes or studying, only briefly mentioning them when they are somewhat related to the band. On that note, I must also mention that I really liked that romance was a very small part of the series, and whatever we got was very vague - perhaps that’s my personal preference, but I like that the show took a fairly unique approach on that front.

  

  Overall I think the tempo of the show was fantastic. It tackled issues one at a time, only giving hints of what might be a next problem before the previous is resolved. It distributed information very slowly, not afraid of keeping secrets from the viewer when his focus should be on a different thread. The production (backgrounds, animation, voice acting) was flawless and while I’m not a classical music aficionado, I liked the choice of compositions performed in the show.

  In my opinion Sound! is a coming of age story, more than any other KyoAni show I’ve watched. It deals with themes such as finding your identity, deciding what you want to do in life, maturing, and changing. It shows people’s paths joining, separating and crossing. Its messages are few, simple and told gracefully. Most of all, the series focuses on creating interesting characters and meaningful interactions, and I believe it succeeds at that. I’m not the best person to judge how it fairs in the endless stream of high school slice of life/drama series. But as far as the coming of age stories go, this one is fresh and unique enough to be worth recommending.

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• 

  Zaphkiel

  85/100
  Hibike! Euphonium highlights the some of the best parts of youth

  __The Sounds of Youth__ __Introduction__

  Hibike! Euphonium was the obligatory KyoAni show I picked up during Spring 2015. I had finished exam season so I needed to watch something relaxing. I was reluctant at first since I'm not really a fan of bands (I'm more of an orchestra person) but I was pleasantly surprised. Hibike! Euphonium combines stunning animation with my favorite genre, music.

  __Story__

  The story starts off with the main character, Kumiko, transferring to a new school. She used to play euphonium and ends up joining the school band. Once she does, the focus of the story switches to the band aiming for the national competition. Along the way, we get to know more characters and their reasons for doing band. All in all it's a fairly simple story but one that is well done. Getting to know all the characters still made for a very enjoyable plot. It is also rewarding to see Kumiko and her friends get better at their respective instruments and eventually perform.

  __Characters__

  KyoAni shines in the character design department once again. Our main heroine, Kumiko Oumae, isn't your typically dainty airhead female lead . She's cool and sometimes even sarcastic. Her friends are the type of girls you would think to be the main characters. The other members of the band are just as interesting and fun to meet. Each of their designs is truly unique, especially some of the background characters. The interaction between these characters during sectional practice is great and it's inspiring to see how the camaraderie among these young musicians grows. All in all, the characters were probably one of the standout parts of Hibike!

  __Animation and Sound__

  There isn't much to say regarding the animation of this show. As usual, KyoAni creates backgrounds that are colorful and stunning! I'd say the main highlight would be the animation of the actual band. In Shigatsu wa Kimi Uso, we didn't get to see much animation of the music scenes and the animation in Nodame Cantabile was quite choppy. Hibike! gets it right with its smooth transitions and sequences making performances a joy to watch.

  _Dat bokeh tho_

  I was never really a fan of what high school bands played because from my experience, my high school band plays obscure songs from musicals and "jazz". However, this is a show focused around a high school band in Japan. The music selection is nothing short of incredible! I enjoyed getting to listen to new kinds of music. One of my favorites was the piece played during the marching competition. Of course, if you aren't into the symphony, then this might not be to your liking.

  The soundtrack for the solid. Many tracks have a happy vibe that is reminiscent of being young and some tracks have that good emotional feel. You just need to listen to it. On the official soundtrack, there are even different tracks for the trumpet solo audition. Overall very impressed.

  __Personal Enjoyment__

  This show really hit it home with me. I used to be a member of my school's orchestra so I can understand where many of the characters are coming from. Some characters are new to band, some are stressing out over competitions, most are conducting sectional practice, and some are even experiencing that drama (having to deal with slackers, fear of failure, that special someone in the other section) that comes with being a part of the performing arts. The show especially captured the experience I had during my own sectional practice. Your fellow section members start to feel like family once you spend enough time practicing together. Hibike! Euphonium reminded me of some of my fondest memories of high school. It's a real treat for anyone who has had a similar experience to me.

  

  Even if you know nothing about music, this show is still spectacular. If you don't enjoy the music aspect, then the slice of life will most likely impress you. However, if you don't enjoy music, slice of life, or cute girls playing woodwind and brass instruments, then this probably isn't your show.

  __Conclusion__

  Kyoto Animation is my favorite studio and Hibike! Euphonium is one reason why. The splendid animation, interesting characters, and varied soundtrack all combine for a decent show. I didn't really have any gripes with it. If you love slice of life, you need to watch this, If you love the music genre, you need to watch this. And if you love KyoAni like I do, you need to watch this. Trust me, this show really does end on a high note.

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• 

  ABPAEAE

  85/100
  A modern, dramatic K-On!

  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.

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