Sound! Euphonium (Japanese: 響け! ユーフォニアム, Hepburn: Hibike! Yūfoniamu) is a Japanese novel series written by Ayano Takeda. The story is set in Uji, Kyoto and focuses on the Kitauji High School Music Club, whose concert band is steadily improving thanks to the newly appointed adviser's strict instruction.
A manga adaptation illustrated by Hami was serialized on the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web website. Kyoto Animation was in charge of its anime adaptations: it produced two seasons of a television series adaptation in 2015 and 2016, depicting the first high school year of the main character, Kumiko Oumae. Two animated films titled Liz and the Blue Bird and Sound! Euphonium: The Movie – Our Promise: A Brand New Day, both taking place during Kumiko's second year of high school, premiered in 2018 and 2019 respectively. A third season focused on Kumiko in her third year of high school aired in 2024, preceded by the theatrical OVA Ensemble Contest in 2023.
Plot
The Kitauji High School Concert Band Club had at one time participated in national tournaments and was a championship-caliber school, but after the club's adviser changed, they had 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 building up their strength. As they fight over who plays solos, some students give priority to studying and quit the club activities. Finally, the long wished-for day of the competition arrives.
Main characters
Kumiko Oumae (黄前 久美子, Ōmae Kumiko)
Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa (Japanese); Courtney Shaw (Liz and the Blue Bird); Erica Mendez (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
Kumiko, a first-year high school student, is the main protagonist of Sound! Euphonium. She speaks standard Japanese, despite growing up in Kansai. She is easily swayed by the opinions of others and is an indecisive person. She dislikes her personality because she cannot make her wishes known to others nor have the courage to interfere with social affairs. She is a euphonium player in the concert band. She lives near Byodoin Temple with her elder sister and parents.
Reina Kousaka (高坂 麗奈, Kōsaka Reina)
Voiced by: Chika Anzai (Japanese); Cristina Vee (Liz and the Blue Bird); Laura Post (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
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 a dedicated trumpet player 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. She has feelings for her teacher Taki.
Asuka Tanaka (田中 あすか, Tanaka Asuka)
Voiced by: Minako Kotobuki (Japanese); Reba Buhr (English)
Asuka is a third-year student and vice president of the 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 natural beauty with glasses and has a playful personality. However in the second season, this is revealed to be mostly a facade to hide her true feelings from her classmates.
Noboru Taki (滝 昇, Taki Noboru)
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese); Wayne Grayson (Liz and the Blue Bird); Robbie Daymond (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
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 emphasizes independence in his students, and to this end he pushes them to reach their goal of going to the national competition.
Mayu Kuroe (黒江 真由, Kuroe Mayu)
Voiced by: Haruka Tomatsu
Mayu is a euphonium player who transfers to Kitauji High School at the start of Kumiko's third year. Mayu previously attended Seira Girls High School in Fukuoka, a school that is well known for their strong band program.
First-year students
Hazuki Katou (加藤 葉月, Katō Hazuki)
Voiced by: Ayaka Asai (Japanese); Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld (Liz and the Blue Bird); Jennifer Losi (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
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" (チューバカブラ, Chūbakabura; a portmanteau of the Japanese transliterations of tuba as chūba (チューバ) and chupacabra as chupakabura (チュパカブラ)). 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 (Japanese); Cassandra Lee Morris (Liz and the Blue Bird); Kayli Mills (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
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 by 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 upright bass, which she endearingly calls "George", and electric bass.
Shuuichi Tsukamoto (塚本 秀一, Tsukamoto Shūichi)
Voiced by: Haruki Ishiya (Japanese); Christian La Monte (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
Shuuichi 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 previously had a falling out, due to Shuuichi having made a snide remark about Kumiko when they were in their third year of junior high school. He was originally a French horn player, but he gets to play the trombone after winning a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Chikao Takigawa (瀧川 ちかお, Takigawa Chikao)
A first-year student and Shuuichi's friend. He plays the tenor saxophone.
Akiko Yoshizawa (吉沢 秋子, Yoshizawa Akiko)
A first-year student who plays the trumpet.
Lala Hitomi (瞳 ララ, Hitomi Rara)
A first-year student who plays the French horn.
Hiyoko Ueda (植田 日和子, Ueda Hiyoko)
A first-year student who plays the clarinet.
Second-year students
Natsuki Nakagawa (中川 夏紀, Nakagawa Natsuki)
Voiced by: Konomi Fujimura (Japanese); Sarah Anne Williams (English)
Natsuki is a second-year student who plays the euphonium. She is lazy and often found sleeping, but she works hard when something motivates her. She becomes the band vice president in her third year.
Yuuko Yoshikawa (吉川 優子, Yoshikawa Yūko)
Voiced by: Yuri Yamaoka (Japanese); Megan Harvey (English)
Yuuko is a second-year student who plays the trumpet. She adores Kaori and has a begrudging friendship with Natsuki. She becomes the band president in her third year.
Mizore Yoroizuka (鎧塚 みぞれ, Yoroizuka Mizore)
Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki (Japanese); Laurie Hymes (Liz and the Blue Bird) (English)
Mizore is a quiet second-year student who plays the oboe. She was friends with Nozomi in middle school.
Nozomi Kasaki (傘木 希美, Kasaki Nozomi)
Voiced by: Nao Tōyama (Japanese); Stephanie Sheh (Liz and the Blue Bird) (English)
Nozomi is a second-year student who plays the flute. She dropped out of band in her first year.
Takuya Gotou (後藤 卓也, Gotō Takuya)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese); Patrick Seitz (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
A second-year student who is a tall, calm, and taciturn youth. He plays the tuba and sousaphone.
Riko Nagase (長瀬 梨子, Nagase Riko)
Voiced by: Miyuki Kobori (Japanese); Lauren Landa (TV anime/Our Promise: A Brand New Day) (English)
A second-year student and…