Final Impressions / First Impressions / Hibike! Euphonium

“Goodbye Competition”


「さよならコンクール」 (Sayonara Konkuuru)

The Power of the Ponytail:

Last week may have been the ‘Kumiko Episode’, but if you look at the subtle details you can really see how much she’s changed over these thirteen episodes. There were a few callbacks to her earlier scenes, making everything feel like it’s come full circle. First off, the ponytail is back! I wrote about that lovely ponytail in my post for the very first episode, and how it was symbolic for Kumiko trying to ‘change’ once she entered high school. It didn’t work back then, because as nice as it looked on her, once she let her hair down – kinks and all – it felt like she was no longer trying to be someone different.

This time around, however, her ponytail is presumably for practical purposes, and she’s past the point of trying to pretend she’s someone else. Just like her rolling down her skirt (when she rolled it up in the very first episode – because that’s what all the girls were doing), it was a nice touch, reaffirming that Kumiko doesn’t need to be anyone another than her true self.

The Build-up:

The final interaction between Kumiko and her sister was a simple one, without any drama on the surface, but I’m sure whenever Kumiko sees her sister she’s reminded of her giving up on her playing. All show, no tell – just how it should be with these sorts of interactions. Equally enjoyable – albeit completely different in tone – is Kumiko and Reina nudging each other on the train. I was a bit worried when I saw them both with their unmoving expressions, barely acknowledging each other; thankfully, their interactions never fail to entertain me.

I think it’s worth mentioning that I write this post in the middle of a heatwave. All day I’ve been sweating and fanning myself, so I had a little laugh when the band members were experiencing similar summer heats. It actually helped me relate to their stress even more – the whole situation is undoubtably a nerve-wracking one, but add on blistering heats and your mind is bound to go dizzy with all sorts of emotions. But Team Monaca brought some effective support to ease the tension and prepare the band for the competition.

From then on we see them tuning their instruments in a hurry, with Taki-sensei giving a short but inspiring speech. Reina asks Kumiko to tie her ponytail, which is a very sensual and personal moment between the two (add it to list of many at this point). But Shuuichi fans need not complain! Kumiko had a charming exchange with him as well: Shuuichi whispering in her ear, Kumiko blushing and giving him a nudge, before fist-bumping with him. It was awkward and endearing, and if I didn’t already think Kumiko and Reina were the better pair, I might be rooting for this relationship as well.

The Performance:

But potential relationships aside, this episode was about the performance to get them to nationals. After building it up for the first half of the episode, I was praying that the payoff would be worth it. And boy, it was. As expected, it was a beautifully animated, and sounded glorious. Their performance was powerful, and you could see the effort they were all putting into their parts. But still, I was waiting for something to go wrong (thankfully nothing went awry). I was practically like Hazuki throughout the whole thing, expect getting to watch them give it their all was an experience of itself. I can’t begin to fault those five minutes of heaven.

From the Sidelines – Hazuki & Natzuki:

When these two didn’t make the auditions, I was prepared to be furious whenever the camera panned to them, unable to directly contribute to the band. Thankfully, I’ve never had to feel that way, because even if they haven’t been the focus of the series in the past few episodes, their scenes this episode gave me hope for them going forward. Hazuki in particular was so enthralled about the performance that I think it’d give her the push to try harder next time. Natsuki’s journey has already been shown, but I’m rooting for this seriously cool senpai to get her chance on the euphonium. Watching from the sidelines isn’t enough for these two. If we ever see them in this situation again, I hope they’re on the stage next time around.

The Result:

The final minutes of this episode had me on the very edge of my seat – literally. We finished like we started, with Kumiko and Reina awaiting the result of their competition, but this time around everything was different. I mentioned it last week, but we really have gone on a journey with Kumiko as she’s come to love her instrument, and genuinely strive for her goal. She didn’t care all that much at the end of middle school, but now she has something to aim for. Like us, she’s invested in this competition – in everything she and her bandmates have put into this.

And it pays off. Reina cries again, everyone hugs, and it’s emotional. Even I was cheering when their school was announced. I was so happy that they got to where they all wanted to be. There was no fake, forced drama; it wouldn’t have made sense for them to lose after playing so wonderfully. They got gold, and they deserved it. It was a perfect finish, if you ask me, made better by the final shot of Kumiko and Reina’s genuine embrace after getting to where they wanted to be.

Overview – Final Impressions:

I have to start off my saying thank you to everyone who has followed my posts. They may have bordered on fanatic at times, but that’s because I genuinely enjoyed it that much. I’m often very critical of shows (even when I like them) and manage to find something to pick apart. But not with Hibike! Euphonium. All I have is sincere affection for this series, for its characters, and its splendid animation. It’s been a treat every week, and I think my posts reflect that. So I must give a massive thank you to those who read what I had to say, even if you didn’t love it as much as I did. If you did, then all the better!

There are so many highlights when I think about Hibike! Euphonium as a whole. It’s easiest to say that its biggest feat is how it looks and sounds. Simply put, it’s perfectly animated, and has fantastic attention to detail. I can’t think of many anime that outdo what KyoAni have done with this one – there were even animators from other studios talking about how blown away they were by last episode. Episode 8 and 12 in particular were packed with one ‘Wow’ moment after another. It’s series like Hibike! Euphonium that reaffirm my love for animation, and how effective it can be as a storytelling medium. I can’t think of any better way to experience this story than through animation, though I’ll assume the novel is just as good or even better, since it is the source material.

But no matter how gorgeous it looked, the animation was still not the highlight for me. It was the characters – mainly Kumiko and Reina. I’m not going to delve into what their relationship truly is, because I think everyone has their own thoughts on the matter, and they’re unlikely to change at this point. But as individuals, these two are superb characters. I never expected to like Reina at all, since she wasn’t focused on much in the earlier episodes, and felt a little too emotionless for my liking. But I was proven wrong by episode 8, when she warmed to Kumiko and showed her true self. She’s an oddball, but believable in her ambitions. I was rooting for her all the way, even if she came across as arrogant at some points.

Kumiko, however, was the absolute star of the show. Just read my posts for episode 1 and episode 12 to get a full understanding of how much I love her as a character. For me, she’s the most believable anime character in years. She’s authentic in all her quirks, thoughts, and feelings. She went on a journey of self-discovering, accompanied by Reina and her euphonium. She’s an understated main character who didn’t always stand out when the drama got heavy. But she observed, and the series itself was seen through her lens. Particularly in the opening episodes, when the shots and depiction of the characters were aligned with what Kumiko was seeing and thinking. But she grew to love being in that band, and was inspired to succeed. From the very first scene to the very last, she never stopped developing. She was wonderful.

Aside from the leads, the side characters also surprised me. I never even remembered most of their names in the first couple of episodes. In fact, I felt most of them were flat as pancakes, and I didn’t care much for them at all. But just like Kumiko, my thoughts on those band members changed as I got to know them better. By the end, they all stood out as individuals with a different place in the band. Through all the politics and drama that got us to this point, we saw so many of these girls (and boys, but mainly girls), in their peaks and lows. By the end, I have a liking for all of them and think any would be a sore miss if they weren’t part of the journey.

Asuka in particular is an interesting one. She was declared ‘Best Girl’ from her introduction, and I could understand why. She was funny and easy to like. But that was all I thought she was, until her mask began to crack and we saw that she’s not as confident and outgoing and happy-go-lucky as she appears. The final episode showed her accepting that they’d already lost, that she wished this summer could last forever. It was arguably her most sincere scene to date, and the closest to who she truly is. It’s sad to think about what might be causing her to act so different around her classmates, but she certainly has piqued my curiosity. I have to admit, she was one of the best characters of the show by the end.

The art, the animation, the characters, the journey to Nationals… I couldn’t have asked for more. Hibike! Euphonium has ended up my favourite anime of the year so far, and landed a place in my top 5 anime of all time. Yep, I enjoyed it that much. This is a total return to form for Kyoto Animation, and I can only hope they make more series like this from now on. Hopefully we’ll get a second season or a movie sequel announced at some point. KyoAni’s 30th anniversary is coming up next week, so they’re bound to make some big announcements on their future projects. We’ve seen hints in this episode – from Taki’s picture, to the focus on some still to be introduced characters who will have more importance down the line – that there’s still more to come.

Thankfully, Kumiko’s final words give me hope.

“And so, our piece goes on!”

End Card

Full-length images: 06, 16.

79 Comments

  3. This was quite the unique KyoAni anime. Heavy on the drama, with an unusual main character who is not afraid to speak her mind and yet becomes flustered easily.

    https://randomc.net/image/Hibike!%20Euphonium/Hibike!%20Euphonium%20-%2013%20-%20Large%20End%20Card.jpg

    I would also love to see more development into the other characters, even the unnamed ones. KyoAni always makes everyone look unique enough for any of them to potentially be a main character.

    Overall, a very enjoyable watch and I would love to see a second season.

    MasterDragonKnight
    Reply

  5. The finale has all the set-up of a second season so I do hope there’s going to be one. The picture on Taki-sensei’s notebook is really intriguing me. Not to mention, that one other mystery that is Asuka.

    https://randomc.net/image/Hibike!%20Euphonium/Hibike!%20Euphonium%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2008.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Hibike!%20Euphonium/Hibike!%20Euphonium%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2020.jpg

    Based on these two pictures, I can’t help but assume that maybe Asuka is actually a worrywart or even a pessimist by nature and she really just hides all that behind a cheerful personality. They haven’t started playing and already she thinks it’s their last performance, and it’s now Kumiko who’s encouraging her.

    And speaking of Kumiko, it’s really awesome how she changed over the course of the season. Samu already said most of the reasons but I’ll also add that compared to before, Kumiko isn’t as hostile to to Shuuichi now compared to before. Sure, she still stomped on his foot, but at least he got a fistbump from her.

    https://randomc.net/image/Hibike!%20Euphonium/Hibike!%20Euphonium%20-%2013%20-%20Large%20End%20Card.jpg

    I would also like a second season to get to know more of the band. There were some really cute designs in there. For some reason, aside from Natsuki, another unnamed who caught my attention in this episode is the purple-haired L.O./R.O-chan. I don’t think her name was given so I just go by the R.O. or L.O. initials.

    https://randomc.net/image/Hibike!%20Euphonium/Hibike!%20Euphonium%20-%2013%20-%20Large%20End%20Card.jpg

    I also gotta give props to Sapphire-chan. For being the shortest of the main cast, she can pretty be tough, assertive, and optimistic. It must be because of her big sister instinct. Sapphire’s little sister is simply so cute.

    Zhinvu
    Reply

      1. Exactly. I just really can’t understand Asuka. On one hand, a confident and encouraging senpai, and a pessimist on the other. I can only assume what her personality is, and so far for me she might really be a sad person hiding behind a bright personality. Or perhaps she’s the same as Kumiko, only she can hide it better. When Asuka doubted their chances of winning, she reminded me of Kumiko at the start of the series.

        Zhinvu
        Reply

    2. Asuka is also sad, because its her last Year in the Band. Like the President, she is only really happy if Music surround her. As if it triggers Happy Memories of her past. But to tell her Background.. 2nd season stuff?

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

      1. The problem are, the Last Year Students that must Drop out of School. How to continue interact them with the School Band? Alumis just take a Spot of someone active in School. I wonder in how they fit that fair into the Band. Perhaps “sub teacher Senpai’s” in Training. But the Alumis has their own Life and Problems. Perhaps we should see some “Let go”

        WorldwideDepp
        Reply

  6. We can see what that oboe girl is about in vol.2 of the novel.
    And we can see what Asuka truly got made of in vol.3.
    A sequel is desperately needed here, preferably with 26 episodes.

    Saburau
    Reply

  7. I have to put some emphasis on Asuka… Am I the only one who had the feeling that she didn’t expect their concert band to actually make it to the nationals?

    I felt this vibe from her that, in her own personal metric, their performance during practice wasn’t good enough. Her disposition seems to be very distant before the performance. Or to put it bluntly, she’s faking it, unwillingly going with the flow.

    If season 2 come, I hope we get to see how Asuka really ticks inside. She’s the best girl full of mysteries.

    Also, pony tails is justice!

    Reikakou
    Reply

  8. This was a great show.

    I personally have little experience with classical music and even orchestra music for that matter. I wouldn’t know a good performance from a great performance unless there is a striking difference between the two. Neither have I played any particular music instrument so coming in it seemed a bit hard to empathize with the characters.

    Gladly though that wasn’t the case. As the episodes went down there was a healthy focus on the interpersonal relationships between the characters allowing each of them to shine or eclipse in one way or another. This coupled with the focus on the path to the competition rather than the goal was refreshing and something we really need to see more of.

    Sadly it is a fault of many series that follow this general story line to underplay the amount of effort, sweat, sacrifice and tears that comes into entering a competition. Anyone who has seriously tried will know that come competition day it’s only the last spurt that you see. Whatever performance you give it is simply the culmination of all the effort and all the lost opportunities and emotional rollercoaster you have been through. It’s very nice that the anime focused mainily on the path/journey that the band and it’s members took and allowed us to see them in their shining moment.

    I love character driven stories and this was definitely one of them. It harkens back to series like Hyouka which takes the everyday things, something we’ve all experienced or at least can relate to in some degree and looks at it just that little bit deeper to show that we all experience and have stories worth telling. Good job!

    Juan
    Reply

  9. Definitely one of the best anime of the season (alongside UBW). The animation was top notch, the plot and main characters developed without too much unrelated drama (pairings primarily) right down to how they sounded when playing, and it largely felt real.

    As for the small hints for future events, makes me wonder if that’s chibi Reina or Asuka in Taki-sensei’s picture and whether the woman could be Reina’s (face) or Asuka’s (eyes) mother…should make some (hopefully) interesting drama and development at least…

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  10. I hate it when people say there normally a huge critic of something when it’s clearly not the case. Let’s be dead honest, people always roll over for and have 100% praise for Kyoani stuff pretty much all the time. That’s just how it is in these communities nowadays. You can argue something like they deserve it or whatever and it’d be totally subjective, but the objective fact is that people always have nothing but praise for Kyoani, just always. It’s the other shows that actually have to endure things like actual criticism, but nope not them. They’re just up their on that pedestal pretty much all the time and it’s pretty annoying and a picture of a stagnant community to look at.

    Seriously please don’t try to say your a critical person with any sort of special insight. It’s literally all the same praise pretty much anywhere you go all the time. You’re no different.

    HxC
    Reply

    1. It just means the company’s quality control is good, they’re not deviating too much from the company’s expected quality. They’re stable, it may be not entirely good since it means there’s probability of going stagnant, but we can expect at the least they won’t do a half assed work. It’s as simple as that.

      cryarc
      Reply

      1. To put it simply, KyoAni is quite consistent with their animation appearance whereas a number of other studios (not all, but a number) seem to have bouts of good to great animation, then dip down to pretty bad-looking animation out of nowhere for half, if not an entire episode, then back up again.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
        Reply

    2. In other words, you hate Kyoani thus your bias against them means anyone who praises must be be a bias fan boy.

      Please take you hypocrisy elsewhere or give us an actual opinion on the show. Maybe then we can take you seriously.

      fragb85
      Reply

    3. And I just want to add that the name Kyoani is stand for Kyoto Animation, they’re ANIMATION company. If you’re gonna objectively analyzing the company, start with the quality of animation (art quality, gestures, facial emotions, key frames, ANIMATIONS, color grading, etc), objectively they’re top notch. It’s another matter if you’re gonna criticize their company story-wise since they mostly only adapting some literature source materials into animation, the source materials vary from different authors hence the quality of each series’ story they made may vary. As long as I remember they mostly makes anime based on existing piece of literature such as light novels and novels, CMIIW.

      cryarc
      Reply

  11. Well this certainly was one of the true gems from KyoAni. I can’t say AOTS since I haven’t got around with catching up with shows from this season.

    As much as I wished they animated Rikka’s performance, they already put out a lot. The animation of the performance was really good. Them animating so much parts in 2D is commendable. Remembering Nodame, I feel that the performance was longer and more in quantity however the 3D and still shots really bugged me. Not to say that this show didn’t use 3D, it’s just that they have utilized 3D much better.

    The highlight for this show is not just the animationbor the visuals. The characters are great. The interactions are solid. The flow of the drama and story are well crafted. Each episode had a point that was well emphasized and linked to other scenarios.

    For this episode, the highlights for mr are Reina’s solo, Shuichi and Kumiko’s scene and Hazuki and Natsuki’s inspiration. Reina’s solo was magnificent. I got a little teary eyed when I first saw it. I’m glad I watched it with headphones this time around. I was completely immersed with it.

    Well, that’s that. I wish there was more. Asking for S2 seems not enough for me. The season was closed nicely. There were some setup for more. Things were sneaked in apparently. However, S2 and KyoAni don’t really mix well. So I’m just really happy we got something of this caliber.

    A really special KyoAni work that sits beside Disappearance and Hyouka. I’ll genuinely miss this show.

    megalith
    Reply

    1. ha….. now that you reminded me the fact that whenever kyoani makes a sequel they miraculously destroys their work and amazingly make it a super filler show with half ass writing(with exemptions ofcourse). So if ever they make this a sequel i hope KyoAni would prove me wrong

      bakumon
      Reply

  12. …ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT ALREADY! I’ll watch the thing! Blasted show slipped under my rader until episode 8, and by that point it seemed a bit much to catch up on, but it’s getting too much praise from all quarters. Clearly I need to watch it.

    Wanderer
    Reply

    1. You realize that’s hardly unusually for a Kyoani series right. I stopped taking the constant praise they get with anything more than a grain of salt some time around when Lucky Star was apparently the best anime ever made for a year or so. Sorry I just can’t do it anymore, if I’m going to watch one of their shows it’ll be my own decision, but over the top praise is pretty much just the default reaction to Kyoani shows so it doesn’t mean anything to me as anything to go on.

      HxC
      Reply

      1. However, I am rather familiar with the people doing the praising, and I know what they are and aren’t likely to say. Thus, unlike you, I am not going to come in here and accuse them of blindly parroting praise for a show simply because of who made it, because I happen to know that Samu, and some other folks whose reactions I’ve seen, are not the sort of people who do that.

        Also, if you haven’t watched the series yourself you have zero right to come in here and accuse people of lying about their reviews of it. It’s one thing if you’ve seen it yourself and you had an honset disagreement with the review, but to pretty clearly indicate that you haven’t watched the series and yet still say that you think the reviewer is lying about their review… that’s pretty insulting, both towards the reviewer, and towards the people who are here and who watched the series and liked it. Folks here don’t tend to appreciate that sort of behavior.

        Wanderer
        Reply

      2. Well if you’re so sure and you’re going to watch it anyway and have no qualms why did you even make that post in the first place? You’ve obviously already made up your mind to join the herd and there’s no room for doubt so why are we even talking?

        HxC
        Reply

      3. Also I didn’t say the person was lying, I said don’t try to tell me you’re normally some sort of critical reviewer and this is something special because I’ve seen this exact same storyline play out a dozen times before. I 100% believe that they mean every word they say even if I can’t take it seriously. I know how Kyoani fans are lol.

        HxC
        Reply

    2. Yeah yeah I know, not jumping in and just following the herd is a huge no no, especially when it comes to Kyoani stuff. I’m sorry I guess, this’ll be the last I have to say on this matter, but I stand by all of it.

      HxC
      Reply

      1. Everyone’s allowed to have their own opinion. We don’t (generally) hate on people for having a dissenting view. However, choosing to hate on something when you haven’t even seen it shows that you are just as blind and reactionary as that “herd” you are standing there insulting.

        Watch the series. Make your judgements based on facts rather than unthinking bias. Then, once you actually have the proper knowledge to base opinions on, if you actually do dislike the series you can feel free to come back and explain why, and a proper conversation about it can be had.

        Wanderer
        Reply

      2. Okay for real last post. I appreciate the advice and under normal conditions it would be sound and like something I would even suggest to other people, but I’ve dealt with Kyoani fans before and if there’s one thing I’ve learned pretty fast it’s that they don’t want dissenting opinions like I’ve said. They want unadulterated obedience and adherence to the common belief, which by default is that their latest show is perfect and better than anything else you’d ever like so you’d better just forsake that too. Yeah I could come in having seen the show for myself and probably would have some criticisms here or there, but why bother, I’m already boned either way and going to get hated on even if I mix some positives in with some negatives, because I won’t just parrot the common belief. There’s literally no point.

        Who knows though, I might watch it some day, it actually doesn’t sound too awful, but I know how these things work with Kyoani so again it makes no difference what way I approach things unless it’s towing the line and saying sir yes sir, perfect show to end them all. To look at the reverse, had I or had I not watched the show, had I still come in here and said all the worlds praises and towed the line and wrote some BS that sounded like I was giving the show it’s expected praises I can safely say we wouldn’t be having this conversation and I’d probably even be looking at some positive rep if I cared about that sort of thing. I’m reasonably sure I could have BS’ed across some thing that would please the masses that way.

        This is simply what I’ve learned about how it works when it comes to Kyoani shows and their fans over the years, which have probably been far more than I thought. Anyway thank you for “rekking” me and again under any other circumstance I’d be wholeheartedly agreeing with your points, but I think I know how it really is in this one particular special instance, much as I wish it weren’t that way. That’s kind of the point I was trying to make more than anything.

        HxC
        Reply

      3. The problem is that your posts are basically saying, “I hate anything KyoAni because other people that like KyoAni disagree with me when I disagree about KyoAni anime”, and acting like anyone and everyone (here or anywhere else) who gives KyoAni any praise must be one of those rabid fanboys/girls who will like anything KyoAni puts in front of them and will devour anyone who disagrees. Are there people like that? Sure, but they’re in the minority from what I’ve seen, and KyoAni is hardly the only studio with such fans (I’m sure Studio Pierrot, Production I.G., Gainax, Nippon, Shaft, A-1, Studio Deen, ufotable, Gonzo, P.A. Works, J.C. Staff, Toei, Madhouse, Sunrise, etc. all have such fans), so trying to single out KyoAni does not help your case.

        It also doesn’t help that you have made it clear that you have not watched any of the series, yet are judging it AND its fans, as if you don’t need to see it in order to judge it, based it solely on the fact that KyoAni was behind it.

        If you read through the entire blog of every episode here, you’d see that the only real praise that mentions KyoAni specifically is in terms of the the animation quality and one cannot deny that the animation quality is top notch after looking at the various imagery (similar praise is given to ufotable with Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works, hence the nickname “Unlimited Budget Works”). However, nobody here is saying this is a groundbreaking masterpiece either, much less specifically due to the fact that KyoAni animated it. People praise the series in general because of the other aspects like the story and the character development and whatnot.

        If you actually made posts with genuine, thought-out criticism of a part(s) of the series AFTER actually watching it without insulting people, other people would take you more seriously.

        Instead, your top-most post does nothing but insult Samu on a personal level while making baseless accusations and assumptions, without mentioning anything about the series itself. Your next highest, up above, does nothing but bash KyoAni, but without any actual specifics on just why KyoAni itself is so bad to deserve it, then your next post goes on to insult any fans of, and anyone who offers any sort of praise, of any and every KyoAni series simply because someone else criticized you because of such other posts.

        I’m sorry if you had bad experiences with other KyoAni fans because you may have thoughtfully criticized another series(‘) developed by them, but that doesn’t give you the right to go to other places that have KyoAni fans, or fans of a series(‘) that was developed by KyoAni, and bash KyoAni, then all those people all as one group when they had nothing to do with what happened with you, and then feel indignant for getting called out and criticized for it.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
        Reply

      4. HxC, No amount of damage control could ever justify your post. I don’t really like KyotoAni that much(personally I like Madhouse, PA and ufotable more) but I acknowledge them for they are great at.

        You claim that the die hard fans are blind and the worst but you yourself are no different. The way you say it seems like you have a valid point about the show. So please have a little shame and stop posting already.

        Uinceq
        Reply

      5. You’ve dug your own grave, mate. You’ve lost any right and every bit of credibility with your opinion in this blog when you admitted that you actually didn’t watch the show. Turn’s out, you’re on the opposite side of the ‘herd mentality’ that you’re accusing on us. A blind and extremely biased KyoAni hater.

        And thank you if this is really your last post in this blog, you’re doing the community a very big favor. So again thank you.

        Summer season just arrived, watch first before posting your opinion on future blogs.

        For the third time. Thank you for stopping your circus act.

        Raiu
        Reply

      6. Bullshit.

        You come in and insult everyone with your condescending holier than thou attitude, and then expect everyone to respect you for “standing by” the bile and venom that you just spouted? Get real.

        echykr
        Reply

      7. Dude honestly you have to chill out a bit. I’m not a big fan of many of the series that come out of KyoAni but every now and then they do come out with good ones. This one was one of them as well as was Hyouka recently.

        Dissing a series purely based on the studio that makes it is plane ignorance and bias if you ask me. Come in here and complain about a series or be critical about it is fine so long as you actually gave it the time of day to show you if it’s worth it or not. I honestly disliked a bunch of the shows KyoAni is famous for such as Lucky Star and K-On as well as Tamako Market but does that mean all that comes out of their studio is trash? Of course not.

        Every studio has good and bad series. Even those like PA Works that usually produce quality stuff also then to have a Glasslip now and then. So honestly get off your high horse.

        Juan
        Reply

  13. Yes, I’m a big fan of Kumiko. And I love how cool is Natzuki, and how sweet and fair is Kaori.

    It has also funny moments, some ridiculously obvious, and some more subtle, like this with Kumiko becoming all fired up… and going to brush her teeth.

    There’s a lot of hints that make me curious about the next developments, and I really hope that a second season come soon. This show deserves that.

    And last but not least, Samu-sensei, good job blogging this show. Arigatou gozaimasu!

    RLeo
    Reply

  14. I enjoyed the hell out of this series. They did a great job of pushing all of my old band nerd buttons. (Especially with the last episode.)

    Kumiko is one of the best characters I’ve seen in a series in a while. Reina is a great foil for her, too.

    They did a great job of sucking me in and getting me riled up– something that a series hasn’t done in a while for me. Taki-sensei’s clumsy handling of the band really made me mad, which made him seem more human, and got me to watch even MORE so. (Well played, KyoAni, well played…)

    Great job blogging it Samu, and I agree–this is easily the best series of the year so far. The art is of course excellent, and the pacing, direction, and writing are also top-notch. Nothing has swept all categories like it so far IMO. (Oregairu has been really close in some areas, but sometimes shaky in art and in its adaptation pacing, but it was also a great series, as was Re-Kan.)

    I really hope they do another cour, or a second season!

    I thought spring was going to be weak, but it was actually pretty good as a whole!

    s_w
    Reply

  15. A fairly predictable ending, I wasn’t sure if they were actually going to go to nationals or not. I find it very unnecessary that they had to cut away from the music we’ve been waiting all season for to inner monologues and cut aways to characters not playing. We should’ve been able to completely focus on the music in its entirety.

    As for the show itself, it was really mediocre. Coming into this I had high expectations, especially with KyoAni’s previous works such as Chuunibyou and Amagi. But this just fell short. Characters ranged from meh to terrible. In a drama, one of the key components is to have characters that are likable and ones that you want to support. Characters here just came off as annoying, stupid, awkward, or just plain unlikable. The only likable ones were the two comedy relief characters who are MEANT to be liked, and Taki-sensei. As for everyone else, they were just too awkward and unlikable to want to get behind.

    I get adding relationships to a story can help add more to the show, but they need to integrate them way better than how they did. The relationships were handled in such a poor and amateur way. Instead of adding, they detracted from the story. In fact, they actually stopped the story every time they came on screen. Specifically Kumiko and Reina’s relationship, it was so one-sided and awkward. Hell, it never even fully resolved to what the hell it even was, it literally flipped back and forth and showed extreme inconsistency.

    Art and animation go without saying, it’s KyoAni. This could be KyoAni’s most aesthetically beautiful work to date.

    Overall, I think this was a misstep on KyoAni’s climb to glory, as their previous works in Hyouka, Chuunibyou, and Amagi were all excellent, but how they handled this it merits nothing higher than a 6.

    Hopefully next time we just get an Amagi sequel instead.

    Todd_
    Reply

    1. Cutting away from the music really put me in the mind of Kumiko, though. Even when you’re trying your hardest to concentrate on a piece, all sorts of thoughts and feelings can be swelling inside you. Likewise, when a piece speaks to you so powerfully, sometimes your immersion into it becomes an immersion into yourself, so I felt like part of the audience as well.

      Thinking all characters have to likeable or supportable is also a pretty limited view of teenage drama.

      JekoJeko
      Reply

    2. Chuu2byou and Amagi are amazing? Excuse me? Both of them, besides Tamako Market and Free! are at best decent and passable in terms of KyoAni’s standard that I nearly lost my interest in the studio. Hibike! Euphonium has managed to regain my trust in the studio again, to tell the truth.

      Hmph!
      Reply

      1. Not sure what there isn’t to like about Chuu-2. Great art, characters, the dramatic shift in plot and tone that ties in perfectly to Rikka’s development. It also did a lot to alter the source material into something that would work well for a 1-cour series.

        Unless you’re including the second season, which most people don’t when praising it.

        JekoJeko
        Reply

      2. Well, it’s of course subjective, but Chuu2 was not very good. Had a good premise and the first episodes were good but the lack of actual progress (romantic or otherwise) is just poor. And some of the characters who started as pretty believable characters ended up not being it at all. Pretty fast it became a cute girls doing cute things and zero progression anime, with a bland and non-decisive MC. I especially take offence to the first seasons final episode being totally disregarded the following episodes in season 2. And that’s where I stopped

        Stoet
        Reply

  19. Best anime of the season and it wasnt even close.

    I hope people remember how brilliant this series was when it comes to anime of the year because this is it people.

    Thundershock81
    Reply

  22. If I have to give a scale of 1-10 of Kyo-Ani works using Clannad After Story (2008) as a benchmark (10/10):

    Haruhi 2 (2009) – 5/10. Endless Eight. Nuff’ said

    K-ON (2009) – 7.5/10. The focus on “moe” puts some people off, yet it was a financial success

    Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi (2010) – Kyo-Ani’s first movie. Redeems the Haruhi franchise and rakes in a lot of money as well

    K-ON 2 (2010) – 7.5/10. See reason for K-ON above

    Nichijou (2011) – 7/10. Sort of the opposite of K-ON, trading moe for absurd humour, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Gained a cult following overseas despite not selling well domestically.

    K-ON Movie (2011) – 7.5/10. Ditto for K-ON and K-ON2. Final chapter of the slice-of-life niceness, raking in even more money than the Disappearance movie.

    Hyouka (2012) – 10/10. Subtlety is the key here, everything, character development to puzzle solving, is conveyed in a subtle and gradual way.

    ChuuniKoi (2012) – 7/10. Kyo-Ani’s first “in-house” production, novel published under their own publishing label. Nothing too impressive, but still enjoyable.

    Tamako Market (2013) – 5.5/10. Focused too much on the slice-on-life but forgotten about the “cute girls/moeness” which made K-ON successful, or romantic elements which Clannad had. (see below for Tamako Love Story)

    Free (2013) – 6.5/10. Not bad for a BL-market oriented story. Kyo-Ani raking in cash from the female audience.

    Kyoukai no Kanata (2013) – 3.5/10. WTF did I just watched?

    ChuuniKoi2 (2014) – 4.5/10. Started strong but suffered from sequelitis of a story that was already completed and outstayed its welcome.

    Tamako Love Story (2014) – 7/10. Basically did what Tamako Market did not, introducing the romantic element to the story made the characters more engaging instantly.

    Free 2 (2014) – 6/10. Remains a financial success due to its BL-centric nature, though I must admit it’s not enough to pull me in.

    Amagi Brilliant Park (2014) – 7.5/10. Reunion of Hyouka’s scenario writer Gatoh Shouji and director Takemoto Yasuhiro makes for a funny and enjoyable show.

    Hibike Euphonium (2015) – 9/10. Yes, I believe with this, the Kyo-Ani of old is back. Combining good drama, cute girls and quality animation.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  24. Pretty much a by the numbers epsiode. I don’t think there was any doubt they would make the qualifications but the build up was great. I especially like how Reina can casually express her friendship with Kumiko now. Those two have come a long way

    https://randomc.net/image/Hibike!%20Euphonium/Hibike!%20Euphonium%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
    I love how half the episode is spent on the bands music piece. Just so we can see all the shots and minutia of all the members and their instrument. I could use less of the white screen filter, but thats just a minior gripe. Even the ones not playing get focus, especially for Natuki being the supportive senpai when everyone is getting jitters.

    I would watch season 2 if it ever gets the green light. I’d like to see more of Kumiko’s journey to the Nationals.

    fragb85
    Reply

  25. … well this was a BASIC finale. I would’ve liked a bit more closure on some other things like Kumiko’s thoughts on her sister, and who that lady in the photo Taki-sensei’s holding is. But I suppose that’s what the later volumes are for. I just feel that for a show so heavy on drama and tension, just ending with them winning gold and that’s it seems to abrupt.

    I had a great time watching this. KyoAni once again shows how stellar they are. This is definitely one of my top 5 favorites from them.

    starss
    Reply

    1. Well it’s a Light Novel so it’s safe to assume there is more content that may or may not have been published yet. Those issues are probably stuff that are being dealt in the actual novel (haven’t read it so I’m not sure where it is in the story). It can also be bait for a second season if there is actually enough content available or if they decide to do an Anime Original

      Juan
      Reply

  28. I thoroughly enjoyed the show all throughout. Solid character development, animation, and plotting. I couldn’t ask for more in an anime.

    There were only two things I didn’t like about this episode:

    1. What was the point of showing Kumiko’s friend from Rikka if we weren’t going to hear their performance?
    2. I could barely hear that section of the piece that Kumiko agonized over in Episode 12 during the main performance. I felt like it was completely overshadowed by the higher-pitched instruments. As a baritone singer in a choir, I know that the bass line should never overshadow the melody. But considering all the angst Kumiko went through, it would have been epic to hear her pull it off perfectly (then again, it might just be my poor hearing).

    AzarelHikaru
    Reply

    1. With point 2, I have no idea, but I reckon the point of showing Kumiko’s friend from Rikka was a way of showing us how she’s come full circle from the beginning half of the anime, in the same way as Kumiko’s ponytail and the scene where they’re waiting for the results does. If it was for that purpose, I think it worked.

      Aki-Chan
      Reply

  29. Show Spoiler ▼

    Todd_
    Reply

    1. Just give it up, “Todd_”, “adolf hitler”, or whoever you’re trying to be today. You’re not fooling anyone.

      Very few people here give a damn about whether a story/character(s) are yuri, much less about the pairings in this series in general, because that is NOT what this story is about.

      The only one who is completely obsessing over the series being hetero or yuri is you, and with the amount you kept spamming this blog throughout the series, it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re either…

      A.) A complete homophobe, to which I say, mind your own damn business because the world isn’t going to stop nor magically change to fit your “pure” image.

      B.) Are in the closet yourself and have a bad case of self-loathing to where you feel you must be out there and bashing anything non-hetero in order to falsely feel better about yourself, to which I say, go talk to a psychiatrist and learn to accept who you are and that there’s nothing wrong with how you were born.

      C.) You’re just a troll, to which I say, get a life and out of the basement. You’re not impressing anybody, you aren’t going to win any prizes or trophies, and you’re not going to get ahead in life. All you’re doing is proving you’re a nobody.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

    2. Oh boy, why don’t you just follow HxC’s example and just shut-up already.

      You’re not convincing anybody no matter how many pseudonames you use or paraphrased paragraphs that you type.

      Have you even read all the post in this blog and saw some yuri fans that you so despise?

      Here we are posting our appreciations about the recently concluded anime while you, on the other hand, are bashing Yuri fans and spouting spoilers that are not even TAGGED as such. So this post better be removed.

      I’m strongly shipping Kumiko and Shuuichi myself despite how many times Samu dismisses those little things between the two of them on his blog (except for this one) but unlike you, I’m not so obnoxious and confrontational about it.

      Raiu
      Reply

  31. A beautiful end to the first series. The animators really went all out in syncing with the music. But, damn it, they really are tempting me to buy the DVD/BD, cause I really can’t hear Sapphire’s contra bass that well. It was really awesome looking at how accurate the percussion players are animated, so Sapphire’s playing really bothered me.

    Character wise, Asuka’s reactions were the most intriguing. Everyone else was as expected, but her, she’s really a mystery. We really hardly know anything about her. Kaori’s expression while watching Reina play speaks louder than all of Asuka’s.

    The most disappointing part? That single kanji instead of the usual three letters right before the credits.

    This is my favorite show this season. It even gets priority over UBW, even though they are days apart. Could be Kumiko, could be the plot, could be the execution, whatever it was it has managed to draw my attention every week. Enjoyed every minute of this show.

    theirs
    Reply

  32. I swear my heart goes racing like crazy when the band was preparing for the competition in this one
    XD my best episode of all time ^^ Too bad they ended it just like that, wish i could see more of the aftermath. But anything else thats going on here, Asuka’s dilemma is the series’ greatest mystery. WHAT IS SHE? And Kyoani threw the “Read the novel.” vibe right at us…:/

    Sad to see its over, but that was a good run Hibike!. I bid Saber farewell, now its Kumiko. May we see again.

    #LOVEWINS for Kyoani <3

    onion warrioe
    Reply

  33. Culturally the Japanese bands do things a bit differently than we do here in America….but I think this series has showed many of us who have been in band that many of the emotions, hopes, camaraderie, friendships, relationships and all that still resonate across ALL cultures.

    The scene where everyone’s huddled together in the concert hall at the end waiting for the results…all the hand clasping, praying, tears, screaming, crying, jumping up and down in joy. Although the scenery itself might have been different for each one of us, those who’ve been in that situation certainly remember the anticipation, the nervousness and either the sense of accomplishment or defeat that comes once the results are announced. “Euphonium” did an extremely good job of manifesting those emotions into a highly relatable final scene.

    Takigan
    Reply

  35. Asuka pessimistic behaviour towards the competition is one thing, but I’m more surprised at the reaction at the end. It didn’t look like she was happy even though they won. She looks sad actually, like something is troubling her..

    By the way, where is Shuuichi in the end card?…

    Zyo
    Reply

      1. “Newtype” Character Poll August 2015
        http://i.4cdn.org/a/1436619715486.jpg

        Top 10 male:
        1 Kirito (SAO)
        2 Archer (UBW)
        3 Cranel Bell (DanMachi)
        4 Shirou (UBW)
        5 Producer (Idolmaster CG)
        6 Gilgamesh (UBW)
        7 Koyomi Araragi (Monogatari)
        8 Lelouch (Code Geass)
        9 Yūichirō Hyakuya (Owari no Seraph)
        10 Mikaela Hyakuya (Owari no Seraph)

        Top 10 female:
        1 Saber (UBW)
        2 Rin (UBW)
        3 Asuna (SAO)
        4 Hestia (DanMachi)
        5 Shinobu Oshino (Monogatari)
        6 Nome Sheryl (Macross Frontier)
        7 Shinoa Hiragi (Owari no Seraph)
        8 Haruka Amami (Idolmaster)
        9 Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari)
        10 White (Kekkai Sensen)

        >none of Hibike characters ever charted in the rankings for past three months
        >a Kyoani show not getting top 10 rankings ever

        Even Kanie and Sento placed higher in the ranking when Amagi was airing back then.
        What went wrong?
        Yuribait

        Ufo1985
        Reply

  37. “Newtype” Character Poll August 2015

    Top 10 male:
    1 Kirito (SAO)
    2 Archer (UBW)
    3 Cranel Bell (DanMachi)
    4 Shirou (UBW)
    5 Producer (Idolmaster CG)
    6 Gilgamesh (UBW)
    7 Koyomi Araragi (Monogatari)
    8 Lelouch (Code Geass)
    9 Yūichirō Hyakuya (Owari no Seraph)
    10 Mikaela Hyakuya (Owari no Seraph)

    Top 10 female:
    1 Saber (UBW)
    2 Rin (UBW)
    3 Asuna (SAO)
    4 Hestia (DanMachi)
    5 Shinobu Oshino (Monogatari)
    6 Nome Sheryl (Macross Frontier)
    7 Shinoa Hiragi (Owari no Seraph)
    8 Haruka Amami (Idolmaster)
    9 Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari)
    10 White (Kekkai Sensen)

    >none of Hibike characters ever charted in the rankings for past three months
    >a Kyoani show not getting top 10 rankings ever

    Even Kanie and Sento placed higher in the ranking when Amagi was airing back then.
    What went wrong?

    “Newtype” Character Poll August 2015

    Top 10 male:
    1 Kirito (SAO)
    2 Archer (UBW)
    3 Cranel Bell (DanMachi)
    4 Shirou (UBW)
    5 Producer (Idolmaster CG)
    6 Gilgamesh (UBW)
    7 Koyomi Araragi (Monogatari)
    8 Lelouch (Code Geass)
    9 Yūichirō Hyakuya (Owari no Seraph)
    10 Mikaela Hyakuya (Owari no Seraph)

    Top 10 female:
    1 Saber (UBW)
    2 Rin (UBW)
    3 Asuna (SAO)
    4 Hestia (DanMachi)
    5 Shinobu Oshino (Monogatari)
    6 Nome Sheryl (Macross Frontier)
    7 Shinoa Hiragi (Owari no Seraph)
    8 Haruka Amami (Idolmaster)
    9 Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari)
    10 White (Kekkai Sensen)

    >none of Hibike characters ever charted in the rankings for past three months
    >a Kyoani show not getting top 10 rankings ever

    Even Kanie and Sento placed higher in the ranking when Amagi was airing back then.
    What went wrong?
    Yuribait

    Ufo1985
    Reply

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