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Sound! Euphonium Gets New Anime Project Centering on Kumiko's 3rd Year in High School
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The staff of Kyoto Animation's Sound! Euphonium franchise announced at the "Hibike! Euphonium 5-kaime da yo! Uji de Omatsuri Festival" event in Uji, Kyoto on Saturday that Kyoto Animation has greenlit an anime project that will center on Kumiko's third year in high school. The event did not announce a format for the project.
Anime character designer Shoko Ikeda drew an illustration to commemorate the news.
Original light novel author Ayano Takeda is publishing the story of Kumiko's third year in high school in two novels. The first novel shipped on April 17, and the second novel will ship on June 22.
Note: The next paragraph contains spoilers for the novels.
In the novels, the band once again focuses on getting gold at Nationals. Kumiko is the new band president, with her ex-boyfriend Shuuichi Tsukamaoto as vice president, and Reina Kousaka as the drum major. As with the previous year, new first years and transfer students enter the band with their own quirks, chief among them being Mayu Kuroe, a euphonium player from Seira Girls School. Mayu is a formidable presence in the school competition circuit, and Sapphire's former school.
The first 13-episode television anime series premiered in April 2015. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired, and Ponycan USA released the series on home video. The anime inspired the Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu e Yōkoso "flashback" film in April 2016.
The 13-episode Sound! Euphonium 2 sequel series premiered in October 2016. Crunchyroll again steamed the series as it aired and Ponycan USA released the series on home video. The sequel series inspired the Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Todoketai Melody compilation film in September 2017.
Kyoto Animation then announced two new anime films for the franchise in 2017. The Liz and the Blue Bird film centering on Mizore Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasaki opened in Japan in April 2018. Eleven Arts screened the film in United States theaters with English subtitles and an English dub in November 2018. Shout! Factory released the film on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on March 5.
The second new film, Sound! Euphonium The Movie - Our Promise: A Brand New Day (Hibike! Euphonium: Chikai no Finale), opened in Japan on April 19. The film follows Kumiko as a second-year student. Eleven Arts will screen the film in the U.S. in July.
Sources: Kyoto Animation's YouTube channel, Sound! Euphonium anime's website and Twitter account
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