Highlights
- Kumiko reaches her final year as band club president, determined to take them to nationals to fulfill their dreams.
- Season 3 may be the conclusion of Sound! Euphonium, covering Kumiko's last year at Kitauji in a 13-episode sequel.
- Amazing music and animation in Sound! Euphonium continue to captivate viewers, with new characters bringing fresh energy.
After two powerful seasons, a feature film continuation, and a sapphic-tinged spin-off film from director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, K-On!), Sound! Euphonium Season 3 is almost here. Save for the short Ensemble Contest Arc film released last year, it's been quite some time since audiences last saw the band in action, much less a full TV season.
Based on the written work by Ayano Takeda with art by Nikki Asada, Sound! Euphonium's anime adaptation began in 2015, directed by Tatsuya Ishihara and animated by Kyoto Animation. The second season followed in 2016 and then, in 2019, the story continued in the series' third motion picture - and the first that wasn't a recap - Our Promise: A Brand New Day.
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One Last Chance for the Gold
Minor spoilers for the Sound! Euphonium series aheadThe story of Kumiko Oumae reaches its climax as she enters her third year at Kitauji High School, where she is now the president of the band club. In her second year, the club didn't advance to nationals, even after they won gold at Kansai. Now, having witnessed her seniors depart two years in a row, Kumiko feels time running out and longs to take the band to nationals, just as they have dreamed of for years.
With a new year comes not only departures, but arrivals as well. The incoming first-years bring with them boundless enthusiasm and the potential to breathe new life into the ever-changing sound of the club. But when one such talented first-year, Mayu Kuroe, desires to play the euphonium, Kumiko wonders if the sound that takes them to nationals will include her as well.
Is This the Final Season?
Between the emphasis on Kumiko's final year and the poster for Season 3 evocative of the final volume's cover, all signs point to this being the conclusion of Sound! Euphonium. Of the 12 volumes comprising the series, Author Ayano Takeda wrote two chronicling Kumiko's last year at Kitauji. It's likely both will be covered in this upcoming 13-episode sequel.
The Staff Behind Season 3
Tatsuya Ishihara (Clannad, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S), one of Kyoto Animation's most storied directors, returns for the third season. They are joined by Jukki Hanada, who returns to pen the adapted screenplay. Hanada also wrote the series composition for Beyond the Boundary, Love Live!, Steins;Gate, and this season's Sengoku Youko.
The Music
As gorgeous as Kyoto Animation's artwork is, it is matched quite consistently by its music. This is naturally - and especially - true of Sound! Euphonium, where the orchestral production has a symbiotic relationship with the animation production to create immersive performances. There is a flawed, human touch to the music that is integral to its soundscape and how it serves the narrative, and none of it would be the same without composer Akito Matsuda.
Even when Kensuke Ushio composed the score for the spin-off, Liz and the Blue Bird, Matsuda was integral to lending the orchestra sequences the authenticity that fans have come to expect. Equally worthy of praise is Yota Tsuruoka, the sound director for not only Euphonium, but also K-On!, Clannad, Afro Samurai, the Monogatari Series, and much more.
The Animation
The late Shoko Ikeda served as not only the character designer for Euphonium but also its chief animation director, just as she had done with Haruhi Suzumiya in the 2000s. Tragically, hers was one of the many lives lost in the KyoAni arson attack on July 18, 2019. She is survived by her older sister, Kazumi Ikeda, another animator at Kyoto Animation who has carried on Shoko's work, taking over as character designer and chief animation director.
Sound! Euphonium is undeniably one of Kyoto Animation's most iconic works from the 2010s and despite the tragedy that - for some time - put the studio's future in doubt, it continues. It's hard to believe that by the time Season 3 premieres, it will be nine years since the anime began. Now is the perfect time to catch up before it ends.
Sound! Euphonium 3 premieres on April 7, streaming on Crunchyroll.
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Sources: Sakugablog