Hibike! Euphonium

Don't really write reviews so this is probably a mess of thoughts about a series I read nearly a year ago in a language I'm not very good at, but no one else had written one, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

This review is based on the novels (I haven't read the manga) which are mostly finished, but a short story collection for Kumiko's third year has been announced, but not yet released.

Obviously most of the novels haven't been translated so if you want you read the full series you will need to know/ learn Japanese. This was the first series I read in Japanese.

This is a very slow-paced and character focused story, following Kumiko through her three years of high school, with the goal of attaining gold at the National competition with her school ensemble. At first she is shown to be a weak-willed protagonist, easily swayed by the opinions of others and only joining the band and continuing to play the euphonium from the pressure of her peers. In early books she is very much a "Keith Shadis" bystander to the events happening around her. She is able to grow, largely thanks to the relationships with the plethora of characters and the conflicts which they overcome together.

The Characters are well developed, with interesting motivations, from which there actions can be explained. The climax for most books was the final performance for the two songs which had been practiced for the whole year. This was always a highlight for me, and from my little knowledge of Japanese it was very well written.

Overall I really enjoyed this series from start to finish. It followed a pattern of introducing new characters and new drama every year, but it didn't get stale. I think it gives you a good sense of the after-school club culture, particularly the sense of setting a goal, which might seem unrealistic, but really trying your best to reach it anyway.