The official website for Kyoto Animation’s Sound! Euphonium franchise announced on Saturday that the third season, titled Sound! Euphonium 3, is set to premiere on April 7. The anime will air on NHK Educational on Sundays at 5:00 p.m 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 in high school. The new character Mayu Kuroe will be voiced by Haruka Tomatsu.
The original light novel author, Ayano Takeda, crafted the narrative for Kumiko’s third year in high school, spanning two novel volumes. The first volume was released in April 2019, followed by the second volume in June 2019.
Spoiler Alert: In the novels, the focus of the band shifts towards achieving gold at Nationals once again. Kumiko assumes the role of the new band president, accompanied by her ex-boyfriend Shuuichi Tsukamaoto as vice president and Reina Kousaka as the drum major.
The narrative introduces new first-year students and transfer students, including Mayu Kuroe, a talented euphonium player from Seira Girls School and a significant presence in the school competition circuit, particularly in Sapphire’s former school.
The Sound! Euphonium franchise, known for its compelling narrative surrounding the Kitauji High School Concert Band, has had a rich history in anime adaptations.
The initial 13-episode television series premiered in April 2015, followed by the Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu e Yōkoso “flashback” film in April 2016. A sequel series, Sound! Euphonium 2, comprising 13 episodes, debuted in October 2016, with the Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Todoketai Melody compilation film released in September 2017.
Expanding the narrative, the Liz and the Blue Bird film, centering on characters Mizore Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasaki, premiered in Japan in April 2018. The subsequent 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 continued to captivate audiences with Tokubetsuhen Hibike! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest, a theatrical anime adaptation of the “Ensemble Concert” arc, which opened in Japan on August 4, 2023, across 74 theaters. This film marked the first new sequel anime in four years for the Sound! Euphonium franchise.