Official website of Kyoto Animation’s Sound! The Euphonium franchise announced on Saturday that its third season, titled Sound! Euphonium 3, scheduled to premiere on April 7. The anime will air on NHK Educational on Sundays at 5:00 pm JST and will consist of 13 episodes.
To build anticipation, the first two episodes will have special screenings in Tokyo on March 16 and in Kyoto on March 17. Sound! Euphonium 3 will adapt Kumiko’s experiences during her third year of high school. New character Mayu Kuroe will be voiced by Haruka Tomatsu.
The original light novel author, Ayano Takeda, created the story of Kumiko’s third year of high school, spanning two novels. The first volume was released in April 2019, followed by the second volume in June 2019.
Spoiler alert: In the novel, the band’s focus shifts toward winning the gold medal at Nationals once again. Kumiko takes on the role of new band president, with her ex-boyfriend Shuuichi Tsukamaoto as vice president and Reina Kousaka as drummer.
The story introduces new first-years and transfer students, including Mayu Kuroe, a talented euphonium player from Seira Girls’ School and a significant presence in the school’s competitions, especially in Sapphire’s alma mater.
Sound! The Euphonium franchise, known for its intriguing story surrounding the Kitauji High School Concert Band, has had a rich history of anime adaptations.
The first 13-episode television series premiered in April 2015, followed by Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu e Yōkoso “flashback” film in April 2016. Sequel, Sound! Euphonium 2, consisting of 13 episodes, debuted in October 2016, along with Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Todoketai Melody compilation film released in September 2017.
Expanding on the story, the film Liz and the Blue Bird, focusing on the Mizore characters Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasaki, was released in Japan in April 2018. The follow-up film, Sound! Euphonium The Movie – Our Promise: A Brand New Day, followed in April 2019, focusing on Kumiko as a second-year student.
Kyoto Animation continues to conquer audiences with Tokubetsuhen Hibike! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest, a theatrical anime adaptation of the “Ensemble Concert” arc, opens in Japan on August 4, 2023, in 74 theaters. This film marks the first new anime sequel in four years for Sound! Euphonium franchise.