Hibike! Euphonium 2

[Ryu]

Title: Sound! Euphonium: Welcome to Kitauji High School's Musical Instrument Club
Japanese: 響け！ユーフォニアム 北宇治高校吹奏楽部へようこそ
Airing date: 7/4/2015 (TV series) and 28/3/2015 (MOVIX Kyoto screening)
Genres: Music, Comedy, Drama, Slice of life, School
Original creator: Ayano Takeda
Original character designer: Nikki Asada
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Written by: Jukki Hanada
Storyboard by: Naoko Yamada
Music by: Akito Matsuda
Character designer: Shōko Ikeda
Animation director: Seiichi Akitake
Episode director: Naoko Yamada
Art director: Mutsuo Shinohara
Sound director: Yōta Tsuruoka
Director of photography: Kazuya Takao
Color design by: Akiyo Takeda
Setting by: Hiroyuki Takahashi (instruments)
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Network: Tokyo MX, SUN, KBS, TVA, BS11, AT-X
Opening theme: "DREAM SOLISTER" by TRUE
Ending theme: "Tutti! (トゥッティ!)" by Tomoyo Kurosawa, Ayaka Asai, Moe Toyota and Chika Anzai
''
Main cast: Kumiko Ōmae (黄前 久美子) voiced by Tomoyo Kurosawa
Hazuki Katō (加藤 葉月) voiced by Ayaka Asai
Sapphire Kawashima (川島 緑輝) / Midori (緑) voiced by Moe Toyota
Reina Kōsaka (高坂 麗奈) voiced by Chika Anzai

Asuka Tanaka (田中 あすか) voiced by Minako Kotobuki
Haruka Ogasawara (小笠原 晴香) voiced by Saori Hayami
Kaori Nakaseko (中世古 香織) voiced by Minori Chihara
Shūichi Tsukamoto (塚本 秀一) voiced by Haruki Ishiya
Noboru Taki (滝 昇) voiced by Takahiro Sakurai

Takuya Gotō (後藤 卓也) voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda
Natsuki Nakagawa (中川 夏紀) voiced by Konomi Fujimura
Yūko Yoshikawa (吉川 優子) voiced by Yuri Yamaoka
Aoi Saitō (斎藤 葵) voiced by Yōko Hikasa
Mamiko Ōmae (黄前 麻美子) voiced by Manami Numakura
Riko Nakase (長瀬梨子) voiced by Miyuki Kobori
Michie Matsumoto (松本 美知恵) voiced by Aya Hisakawa
Azusa Sasaki (佐々木 梓)
TV PV: http://www.youtube.com/embed/-Y6B320TbJk?rel=0&autoplay=1
TV PV (long): http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q9K39h910EQ?rel=0&autoplay=1
TV CM: http://www.youtube.com/embed/DhU8qO-qDhM?rel=0&autoplay=1
TV PV#2: http://www.youtube.com/embed/r_Kk9xhVkB8?rel=0&autoplay=1
Official website: http://anime-eupho.com/

Synopsis: Hibike! Euphonium begins when Kumiko Oumae, a girl who was in the brass band club in junior high school, visits her high school's brass band club as a first year. Kumiko's classmates Hazuki and Sapphire decide to join the club, but Kumiko sees her old classmate Reina there and hesitates. She remembers an incident she had with Reina at a brass band club contest in junior high school.

QUOTE (Shinobu's_Lover @ Jan 31 2015, 12:06 PM)Can someone PLEASE explain to me why Satelight is doing the Yuki Nagano anime and NOT Kyoto Animation? This just feels SO WRONG.

Anyway at least this spring is actually something good to look forward to.

Sound Euphonium

I will give several others the 3 episode rule just to see if anything elsenot really a KyoAni fan as I said, I didn't finish K-on but I'll give this a chance

 

[Klyern]

^ well cheers bro, im dropping this, k-on was epic because of the character designs just as was nodame cantabile, but i'm sick of the music genre, i cant stand it since im so out of topic when im seeing one, sure i love and apreciate music and i ABHOR that some highschools take it out of their curriculums saying art is not necessary, but i can't read a partiture even if my life depended on it. The subject feels way too alien for me to enjoy.

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Klyern @ Apr 14 2015, 5:16 PM)k-on was epic because of the character designs just as was nodame cantabile, but i'm sick of the music genre, i cant stand it since im so out of topic when im seeing one, sure i love and apreciate music and i ABHOR that some highschools take it out of their curriculums saying art is not necessary, but i can't read a partiture even if my life depended on it. The subject feels way too alien for me to enjoy.it's ok I don't blame you ;/ i feel so at times with this genre, it's another reason why i dropped k-on back then yet... after trying ep'2 and 3 i wanna learn more! so far my favorite is Asuka, a hilarious hot megane gal flirting with other girls

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Barbobot @ Apr 10 2015, 06:00 PM)-Sound! Euphonium was plenty enjoyable and a gorgeous looking KyoAni show.
-The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan I'll keep with for now, but watching it does make me miss the visuals of the previous seasonssadly it's starting to happen in me again what Klyern posted, looks like to other FTV people too telling by lack of interest... or maybe is just that most of KyoAni isn't for me, still i enjoyed SunFes in ep'5 so i'm looking forward the Nationals

 

[Klyern]

QUOTE (NecroRyu @ May 11 2015, 11:00 PM) sadly it's starting to happen in me again what Klyern posted, looks like to other FTV people too telling by lack of interest... or maybe is just that most of KyoAni isn't for me, still i enjoyed SunFes in ep'5 so i'm looking forward the Nationals

Yeah its hard following something when your heart is not in it.. i think its preferable to drop something rather than push yourself to do everything. I have around 20 animes and 15 games that i own on my backlog right now, and that is even after dropping stuff.

Its like what Rikka's sister mentioned her grandfather said in Chuunibyou after Rikka sang the Twin Spica ending (epic song), "life is limited, there isn't enough time to do everything you want, so you have to choose the things you want to do"

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Klyern @ May 12 2015, 05:22 AM)its hard following something when your heart is not in it.. i think its preferable to drop something rather than push yourself to do everything. I have around 20 animes and 15 games that i own on my backlog right now, and that is even after dropping stuff.actually i haven't reached that point with this series yet, may be my interest on concert bands by watching Whiplash... lol well isn't like Taki-sensei will insult or throw stuff to students, Reina loves him I think so HazukixShūichi in ep'6 too?

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Klyern @ Jun 16 2015, 2:49 PM)just me or is she reading JoJo?it seems :0 well this topic became unofficially, "Why Kyoani isn't animating that series instead?" so it fits here ;p... btw i can't believe nobody else posted about JoJo S3's epic climax, back to Euphonium only 1 episode left for the Nationals

 

[Ryu]

Sound!Euphonium 2, concert band club's road to the nationals finally continues

QUOTE (gdpetti @ Aug 1 2016, 02:00 PM)did anyone check out the first? Not too often an anime is done with band students.

Of course, these are pretty types, but aren't they always in anime? if not in actual band class?

i'm glad KyoAni is releasing S2, after i saw Musaigen's mandatory beach OVA

 

[Knorris908]

Sorry. I was in band in both middleschool and highschool. Actually PLAYED THE BARITONE (Euphonium for all intents) in middleschool. And I still can't bring myself to care about these students...

This series is a "miss" for me, I'm afraid.

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Knorris908 @ Oct 08 2016,06:13 PM)a "miss" for me, I'm afraid.it's Ok ;p as you notice in above posts I thought alike at first, dropping most of KyoAni series yet it slowly grown on me... or if you want fanservice try the Half obligatory swimsuit ep.2, so a hot teacher debuts but i agree: Asuka is special

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Barbobot @ Jun 25 2015, 11:17 AM)Sound Euphonium is probably the 2nd strongest show this season. It's characters, for the most part, feel more like people with real flaws and not like "anime characters", if that means anything. Hopefully people can understand what I'm going for with thFor me S2 just got even more serious and complicated in that way, introducing Mizore and Nozomi's friendship up to ep.4... nice how their misunderstandings are over, but looks like it'll focus on Asuka and the Kansai competition next

 

[Norren]

I picked this up a few weeks ago on a whim since not much was speaking to me, and I liked some of the character designs...

I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoy it. The depth the characters have is amazing, and complicated characters like Asuka really round out Kumiko's dark nosiness.

After this week's episode, I'm really curious to see what happens with Asuka- I'm pretty sure she didn't show up because her mother stuck her in an all day cram school program.

 

[Ryu]

I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoy it. The depth the characters have is amazing, and complicated characters like Asuka really round out Kumiko's dark nosiness.

After this week's episode, I'm really curious to see what happens with Asuka- I'm pretty sure she didn't show up because her mother stuck her in an all day cram school program.

actually telling by this mom's 'I raised her all by myself', or 'you're playing that instrument to get back at me'... I bet Masakazu Shindo is Asuka's dad but yup, Kumiko is a bit too nosy in ep'8 to be yelled 'i'll sew your mouth shut' twice :lol:

 

[gdpetti]

Crap! I just closed the window! :angry:
As Norren stated, the depth of the characters is a little unexpected... good writing that keeps building in crescendo from S1, which I had to go back and watch first before starting S2, in which the whole dramatic undertone of the '2nd years' issue is mentioned more and more as a backdrop but not really explored up front and personal until this S2, weaving in all the main characters personal issues.. our MC's sister, the band director and his wife, which reminds me of that short series: Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora

^_^ Ok, yes, I was in band back in the day... which originally got my attention on this series... the same similarities exist, though our school wasn't in the competition category (not really), and I would've left if others came along to take my place, as I lost interest in it, and with lower population counts here and in Japan, the same issues show up... being in band simply isn't something most of them do... most today just watch/listen instead of learning to play themselves. I guess many start but never really play too long. Most schools have half the student count and the bands have even less, something I notice when seeing our hometown band on the field practicing... it's probably 1/3 the size ours was back in the day... we had to share lockers, but I assume none of them have to for the last couple of decades. The town has more homes, but less people in them. Typical of most 'developed' nations at this point in the 'rise and fall' curve.

The part mentioned in S1 but finally shown here in S2 about how our MC wanted to play a different instrument but was pushed into a different one due to the overload of kids that already picked that trombone that her sister played was interesting and so accurate... if the teachers didn't, it would be a group of kids learning the same 4 or 5 instruments. :blink:

The writing is well done within this trope of a competition in high school, the carryover issue from losing in jr high etc.... nicely done... handled well, short and bittersweet usually, just enough though a bit more would be better, but that can always be written in later when and if needed. This is based on a novel... and a sequel it seems, with a couple side story novels... that seemed to finish last year... which could be restarted if the money's right, I imagine.... as this story is being told slow enough that it would be 2 seasons for one school year, so 4 more or even more... if it's based around our MC, then it could extend into college if they wanted to continue the series... but K-ON stopped after high school so far... so I wonder if the demographics for these shows remains under 17?

The MC is an interesting mix, nice character setup... compared to the sister who went through a similar concern years before and that whole story... the other girl and her mother... etc... nice collection of characters, without having so many that you get confused or lose interest... and none of their characters issues are really unusual... so very SoL, though more dramatic.. more like one of the high school boy athetic competition animes in setup.

 

[Ryu]

This is based on a novel... and a sequel it seems, with a couple side story novels... that seemed to finish last year... which could be restarted if the money's right, I imagine.... as this story is being told slow enough that it would be 2 seasons for one school year, so 4 more or even more... if it's based around our MC, then it could extend into college if they wanted to continue the series... but K-ON stopped after high school so far... so I wonder if the demographics for these shows remains under 17?

The MC is an interesting mix, nice character setup... compared to the sister who went through a similar concern years before and that whole story... the other girl and her mother... etc... nice collection of characters, without having so many that you get confused or lose interest... and none of their characters issues are really unusual... so very SoL, though more dramatic.. more like one of the high school boy athetic competition animes in setup.

So by hearing Asuka's past, Kumiko said wrong 'sounds like something out of a manga' in ep.9 if it's novel instead ;p... I was right about her dad :0 no wonder why he got divorced, it's up to MC convincing such mom and let Asuka play <_<

 

[Ryu]

The part mentioned in S1 but finally shown here in S2 about how our MC wanted to play a different instrument but was pushed into a different one due to the overload of kids that already picked that trombone that her sister played was interesting and so accurate...

now that 'Asuka quits band' arc finally ends getting she'll regret it, like Mamiko did acting 'adult' it's Reina's turn in ep.11... Showing her 'Love at 1st sight' past and why she's mad with MC, i hope the national competition isn't a 2nd film -_-

 

[gdpetti]

All wrapped up in ep 12, right? wasn't there 13 eps in S1? I'm assuming this ep 12 is the season finale... thought they'd end it in less than 'gold', otherwise, the next season wouldn't be driven to succeed like it is now... competition is always best when earned. The writing is good in this series, nice touches with the adults in a generally H.S. anime.. not something we usually see, as the adults are usually just flat b.g. characters, but the writing here gives them depth.... I thought Asuka's father would make a short appearance, but only a message, guess the writer didn't really want to touch on that subject much? Just enough for characterization, but not enough to make a comment on divorce etc.... hasn't seen him since he left when she was so young? that's interesting.

Maybe next season before she graduates? hard to leave that kind of thing on the table and walk away.... too juicy.

Another tidbit is the onee-san bit at the end, they really drew her sister to be suddenly much more mature... which I think is pushing it a little, but it doesn't really matter.

unless she returns in future eps next season. They left her in the b.g. it seems, like all the parents... she served her purpose and is no longer necessary for our story.

Overall, a good series, didn't originally think it'd be this good, but as usual, it always comes down to the writing... no matter what the genre is... and the MC here is sort of a shared one at times, depending on the episode.... which is another nice buildup in the characterization... also can work at times with the orchestration if they want to use it that way in crescendo to the end... interesting that they chose not to push the performance in the last ep, sort of signalled that they didn't get gold... next season, or will they milk it till our MC is a senior?

Probably, right? Silver then gold.

It's always nice to see good writing that doesn't go wimpy at any time... no shortcuts... which seems to happen when situations are forced.... setting up a new character/situation to push the action. Good writing prevents that crutch, which shows up more in this type of SoL... as some aren't plot driven or even character driven, but atmospheric, though most combine the three. This one will be around for a while... band isn't the usual H.S. subject matter for animes... which makes this one rather unique... nothing 'special', no magical girls, superpowers, dark magic, end of world dystopian nightmares etc... just everyday reality of a few high school kids life.

-------
PS... Ok, there was an ep 13... an epilogue seeing off the seniors... it was ok, but I did tab forward through half of it.... The only thing that got my attention is the difference between here in the States and Japan.... the seniors don't leave band... as it's a class, at least in my school, and not a club activity, so the seniors leave at the end of the school year along with everyone else.... This is a pattern we see often in most anime... the seniors leaving.... not available for the Spring competitions etc.
I guess it was a nice little sendoff episode to finish the school year... emphasizing the lightly falling snow of winter as the saying goes: 'out with the old, in with the new'... setting up the next season.

 

[Ryu]

All wrapped up in ep 12, right?

nop it did today ;p as shown 'And the next piece begins' previously, unlike now because it's titled final episode after all... so aside specials i doubt new seasons by how well its Epilogue was, still for me S3 wouldn't be worth without Asuka

 

[gdpetti]

Well, IMO, the finale seems to imply a S3... the quest for the 'gold award' at the competition.... for themselves and for sensei and his desire/need to complete his late wife's wishes/goals. The show seems ready made for the in their second year in HS, then their senior year... don't you think? Of course, popularity is key... are the ratings good or not?

 

[Ryu]

The show seems ready made for the in their second year in HS, then their senior year... don't you think? Of course, popularity is key... are the ratings good or not?

I guess so ;/ There is a movie, OVA and specials which i suggest you meanwhile:
This crossover pic (Maidragon) trolled me, finding recent S2 special #4 subs <_<