Sound! Euphonium

Sound! Euphonium
Cover of the first Sound! Euphonium novel
響け! ユーフォニアム (Hibike! Yūfoniamu)
Genre	Drama, Slice of life
Novel series
Written by	Ayano Takeda
Illustrated by	Nikki Asada
Published by	Takarajimasha
Imprint	Takarajimasha Bunko
Original run	December 5, 2013 – present
Volumes	4
Manga
Written by	Ayano Takeda
Illustrated by	Hami
Published by	Takarajimasha
Magazine	Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web
Original run	November 28, 2014 – present
Volumes	2
Anime television series
Directed by	Tatsuya Ishihara
Written by	Jukki Hanada
Music by	Matsuda Akito
Studio	Kyoto Animation
Licensed by	NA: Ponycan USA
Original network	Tokyo MX, SUN, KBS, TVA, BS11, AT-X
Original run	April 7, 2015 – June 30, 2015
Episodes	13

Sound! Euphonium (響け! ユーフォニアム, Hibike! Yūfoniamu) is a Japanese novel series by Ayano Takeda. The story takes place in Uji, Kyoto, and focuses on the Kitauji High School Music Club, which is steadily improving thanks to the newly appointed adviser's strict instruction. A manga adaptation illustrated by Hami began serialization on the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web website on November 28, 2014. A 13-episode anime adaptation, produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, aired in Japan between April and June 2015.

Plot

The Kitauji high school concert band club had at one time participated in national tournaments and was a champion school, but after the club's adviser changed, they have not been able to even participate in the qualifying tournament. However, thanks to the newly appointed adviser's strict instruction, the students are steadily improving and build up their strength. As they fight over who plays solos, some students give priority to studying and quit club activities. Finally, the long wished-for day of the contest arrives.

Characters

Kumiko Oumae (黄前 久美子, Ōmae Kumiko)

Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa

Kumiko, a first-year high school student, is the protagonist of Sound! Euphonium. She speaks standard Japanese, which is rare in Kansai. She is easily swayed by the opinions of others and is an indecisive person. She dislikes her character because she cannot make her wishes known to others. She is a euphonium player. She lives near Byodoin Temple and is a friend of Shuichi's family. Her school bag is plain, and it seems that she is not interested in over the top, fancy stuff. Kumiko and Shūichi are childhood friends, and they are familiar enough not to talk to each other using the polite form of speech. She likes novels, which contain extreme matters that contrast with her character. She is an in-door type of person and she does not get along with sports-oriented people, except for Hazuki.

Hazuki Katou (加藤 葉月, Katō Hazuki)

Voiced by: Ayaka Asai

Hazuki is a friendly girl who talks innocently. She is Kumiko's classmate and is suntanned because she belonged to the tennis club when she was a junior high school student. She is a beginner at music. She admires the trumpet and joined the concert band club, but ended up playing the tuba, which she calls "Tubacabura" (a portmanteau of tuba and chupacabra). She is a bright, perky mood-maker, and the type of person who prefers standing out over supporting others.

Sapphire Kawashima (川島 緑輝, Kawashima Safaia) / Midori (緑)

Voiced by: Moe Toyota

Sapphire is a girl with soft hair and a delicate constitution. She is often timid due to her lack of self-confidence. She is embarrassed of her own name "Sapphire" (緑輝, Safaia, lit."green brilliancy") , so she tells people to call her "Midori". She is from a junior high school named Seijo (聖女) which has a competitive concert band club. She plays the contrabass, which she endearingly calls "George".

Reina Kousaka (高坂 麗奈, Kōsaka Reina)

Voiced by: Chika Anzai

Reina is a beautiful trumpet player with long black hair. She was a member of the concert band club at the same junior high school as Kumiko. She is regarded as a good student by others. She is a dedicated trumpeter, and goes to the music classroom even outside of club activities. Though she has a polite disposition, she is not viewed so well by others because she usually has a surly expression. She cherishes her trumpet, which was given to her by her parents when she was a junior high school student.

Asuka Tanaka (田中 あすか, Tanaka Asuka)

Voiced by: Minako Kotobuki

Asuka is a third-year student and vice president of concert band club. She plays the euphonium and leads the bass section. Whenever the club is marching, she leads the band as drum major. She is a beautiful girl with glasses, and a playful personality.

Haruka Ogasawara (小笠原 晴香, Ogasawara Haruka)

Voiced by: Saori Hayami

Haruka (Ogasawara) is a third-year student and president of the concert band club. She plays the baritone saxophone and leads the saxophone section. She is a strong-minded character, but has low self-esteem.

Kaori Nakaseko (中世古 香織, Nakaseko Kaori)

Voiced by: Minori Chihara

Kaori is a third-year student. She is a beautiful girl with flowing, deep-black hair. She has a gentle character, and is quite popular in the concert band club. She plays trumpet and is the section leader, in addition to being the club accountant.

Shuichi Tsukamoto (塚本 秀一, Tsukamoto Shūichi)

Voiced by: Haruki Ishiya

Shuichi is a first-year high school student. He is Kumiko's childhood friend, and the two went to the same junior high school. He and Kumiko are not classmates in high school because they are studying different courses. They had a falling out, due to Shuichi having made a snide remark about Kumiko when they were in their third year of junior high school. He was originally a horn player, but he gets to play the trombone after winning a game of rock-paper-scissors. He notices minor internal conflicts within the concert band club and tells Kumiko, because a second year student had trouble with a third year student, who did not practice and was not good at playing, by which the number of second years dropped drastically.

Takuya Gotou (後藤 卓也, Gotō Takuya)

Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda

Second-year student, tall, calm and taciturn youth. He plays tuba and sousaphone.

Riko Nagase (長瀬 梨子, Nagase Riko)

Voiced by: Miyuki Kobori

Second-year student, Takuya's girlfriend. She also plays tuba and sousaphone.

Natsuki Nakagawa (中川 夏紀, Nakagawa Natsuki)

Voiced by: Konomi Fujimura

Natsuki is a second-year student who plays euphonium.

Yuko Yoshikawa (吉川 優子, Yoshikawa Yūko)

Voiced by: Yuri Yamaoka

Yūko is second-year student who plays trumpet. She adores Kaori.

Aoi Saitou (斎藤 葵, Saitō Aoi)

Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa

Aoi is a childhood friend of Kumiko, and she is two years her senior. The two often played together, as they lived in the same neighborhood. She and Kumiko drifted apart in junior high school. They are reunited in the concert band club. She plays tenor saxophones.

Noboru Taki (滝 昇, Taki Noboru)

Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai

Taki is the new music teacher in Kitauji High School and serves as the adviser to the concert band club. He is also in charge of Class 5 of the second-year students. He is polite and has a methodical personality. He is popular with the female students. He emphasizes independence in his students, and to this end he pushes them to reach their goal of going to the national convention.

Michie Matsumoto (松本 美知恵, Matsumoto Michie)

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa

Michie is Kumiko's homeroom teacher and is the vice-advisor of concert band club. She is known as a frightening teacher.

Mamiko Oumae (黄前 麻美子, Ōmae Mamiko)

Voiced by: Manami Numakura

Mamiko is Kumiko's older sister. She is college student and a trombone player.

Akiko Oumae (黄前 明子, Ōmae Akiko)

Voiced by: Haruhi Nanao

Akiko is Kumiko and Mamiko's mother. Her name "Akiko" is unrevealed in the original novel.

Azusa Sasaki (佐々木 梓, Sasaki Azusa)

Voiced by: Azusa Tadokoro

Azusa is Kumiko's friend and they went to the same junior high school. She admitted Rikka High School (立華高校, Rikka Kōkō) known for its marching band. She plays the trombone.

Kohaku Kawashima (川島 琥珀, Kawashima Kohaku)

Voiced by: Haruka Chisuga

Kohaku is Sapphire's little sister. She is an additional character for the anime television series and appears in the eighth episode. Her name "Kohaku" means "amber" in Japanese.

Mizore Yoroizuka (鎧塚 みぞれ, Yoroizuka Mizore)

Nozomi Kasaki (傘木 希美, Kasaki Nozomi)

Masahiro Hashimoto (橋本 真博, Hashimoto Masahiro)

Satomi Niiyama (新山 聡美, Niiyama Satomi)

Hirone Torizuka (鳥塚 ヒロネ, Torizuka Hirone)

Third-year student, concertmaster and leader of the clarinet section.

Kotoko Himegami (姫神 琴子, Himegami Kotoko)

Third-year student, leader of the flute and piccolo section.

Juri Sawada (沢田 樹里, Sawada Juri)

Third-year student, leader of the horn section.

Hideri Noguti (野口 ヒデリ, Noguti Hideri)

Third-year student, leader of the trombone section.

Narai Tanabe (田邊 名来, Tanabe Narai)

Third-year student, plays timpani and leads the percussion section.

Raina Kiramura (喜多村 来南, Kitamura Raina)

Third-year student, leader of the bassoon and oboe section.

Shoko Hagiwara (萩原 笙子, Hagiwara Shōko)

Third-year student, club photographer. She plays clarinet.

Yoriko Souga (雑賀 頼子, Souga Yoriko)

Third-year student, club music notes librarian. She plays piccolo.

Tsune Watanabe (渡辺 つね, Watanabe Tsune)

Third-year student, alumni coordinator. She plays flute.

Media

Print media

Sound! Euphonium is a 319-page novel written by Ayano Takeda, and features cover art drawn by Nikki Asada. Takarajimasha published the novel on December 5, 2013. Two sequel novels were released on March 5 and April 4, 2015. In addition, a short story collection was released on May 25, 2015.

A manga adaptation illustrated by Hami began serialization on the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web website on November 28, 2014. The first tankōbon volume was released on April 3, 2015.

No.	Title	Release date	ISBN
1	Sound! Euphonium: Welcome to Kitauji High School's Wind Ensemble Club Hibike! Yūfoniamu: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu e Yōkoso (響け! ユーフォニアム　北宇治高校吹奏楽部へようこそ)	December 5, 2013	978-4-8002-1747-9
2	Sound! Euphonium 2: The Hottest Summer of Kitauji High School's Wind Ensemble Club Hibike! Yūfoniamu 2: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu no Ichiban Atsui Natsu (響け! ユーフォニアム2　北宇治高校吹奏楽部のいちばん熱い夏)	March 5, 2015	978-4-8002-3906-8
3	Sound! Euphonium 3: The Greatest Crisis of Kitauji High School's Wind Ensemble Club Hibike! Yūfoniamu 3: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu, Saidai no Kiki (響け! ユーフォニアム3　北宇治高校吹奏楽部、最大の危機)	April 4, 2015	978-4-8002-3982-2
4	Sound! Euphonium: Secret Story of Kitauji High School's Wind Ensemble Club Hibike! Yūfoniamu: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu no Himitsu no Hanashi (響け! ユーフォニアム　北宇治高校吹奏楽部のヒミツの話)	May 25, 2015	978-4-8002-4119-1

Anime

A 13-episode anime television series adaptation of the first volume of the novel series, directed by Tatsuya Ishihara and produced by Kyoto Animation, aired in Japan between April 7 and June 30, 2015. The opening theme is "Dream Solister" by True, and the ending theme is "Tutti!" (トゥッティ!) by Tomoyo Kurosawa, Ayaka Asai, Moe Toyota, and Chika Anzai. The ending theme for episode 8 is a trumpet and euphonium duet version of "Ai o Mitsuketa Basho" (愛を見つけた場所, "The Place Where We Found Love") and the ending theme for episode 13 is a wind orchestra version of "Dream Solister". Insert wind music was performed by the Freshman Wind Ensemble (フレッシュマン ウィンド アンサンブル) of the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.

Second Season and Movie

On October 31, 2015, Kyoto Animation announced a second season and movie adaptation.

Insert wind music

No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Abarenbō Shōgun Theme" (暴れん坊将軍のテーマ; episodes 1 and 12)	Shunsuke Kikuchi
2.	"Infernal Galop" (from Orpheus in the Underworld; episode 1)	Jacques Offenbach
3.	"Marines' March" (海兵隊 Kaiheitai; episodes 3-4)	James M. Fulton
4.	"Symphony No. 9" (part II Largo, episode 3)	Antonín Dvořák
5.	"The Fairest of the Fair" (episode 5)	John Philip Sousa
6.	"Funiculì, Funiculà" (episode 5)	Luigi Denza
7.	"Rydeen" (ライディーン; episode 5) (from Solid State Survivor by Yellow Magic Orchestra)	Yukihiro Takahashi
8.	"Crescent Moon Dance" (三日月の舞; episodes 6-13)	Namie Horikawa
9.	"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" (episode 6)	French folk song
10.	"Ai o Mitsuketa Basho" (愛を見つけた場所; episodes 8)	Hanako Oku
11.	"Wind of Provence" (プロヴァンスの風; episodes 10 and 13)	Naoki Tasaka
12.	"Scheherazade" (episode 13)	Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Episode list

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No.	Title	Original air date

External links

• Official website Template:Ja icon
• Manga official website Template:Ja icon
• Anime official website Template:Ja icon
• Anime official website
• Sound! Euphonium (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia