Short story collection follows story of alumni, band seniors, other characters

Author Ayano Takeda announced on Saturday that she will release a new novel in her Sound! Euphonium series on April 5 titled Hibike! Euphonium ~Honto no Hanashi~ (Sound! Euphonium ~True Stories~).

The new volume will be a short story collection, and will show the stories of the former seniors after graduation, including Asuka, Kaori, Haruka, and Aoi. The novel will also include a story centered on Ririka, Kanade, and the new band freshmen during their vacation day. The "Ensemble Contest" story will highlight the band's parting performance to band president Yūko, and the trouble that once again arises during the selection of performers. The "Tobitatsu Kimi no Se o Miageru" (You Leap, and I Look Upon Your Back) story will portray the graduation of the band seniors Yūko, Natsuki, Nozomi, and Mizore, and is set after the "Turbulent Second Movement" books and the upcoming films. The "Kyōshū no Yume" (A Nostalgic Dream) story will return to band director Taki and Niiyama's time in conservatory. The "Momen no Handkerchief" (Cotton Handkerchief) story will center on Gotō traveling to Tokyo.

Takeda released the first Sound! Euphonium novel in 2013, and the first anime season adapts its story. She followed up the original novel with the Hibike! Euphonium 2 Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu no Ichiban Nagai Natsu (The Kitauji High School Concert Band's Longest Summer) novel in March 2015, then the Hibike! Euphonium 2 Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu, Saidai no Kiki (The Kitauji High School Concert Band's Worst Disaster) novel in April 2015, and then the Hibike! Euphonium 2 Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu no Himitsu no Hanashi (The Kitauji High School Concert Band's Secret Story) short story collection in June 2015. Takeda released the two-part novel spinoff Rikka Kōkō Marching Band e Yōkoso! (Welcome to the Rikka High School Marching Band) in August and September 2016, focusing on the character Azusa Sasaki and Rikka High School (based on the real-life nationally renowned Tachibana High School Marching Band).

Takeda wrote a two-part sequel novel to her Sound! Euphonium novels subtitled "Haran no Dai-ni Gakushō" (The Turbulent Second Movement). The new story takes place during Kumiko's second year. The story introduces new first year characters. The first volume shipped last August, and the second volume shipped last October.

The first 13-episode television anime series premiered in April 2015. 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 streamed both seasons of the anime, as well as the OVA that was bundled with the seventh Blu-ray Disc volume of the first anime series. PonyCan USA released the first season on home video.

The second flashback film in the franchise, Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Todoketai Melody , opened in Japan last September.

Liz to Aoitori , the first of two new films, will open in Japan on April 21. The film, directed by Naoko Yamada, adapts the second novel in "The Turbulent Second Movement" novels (seen above right). The second planned film adapts the first novel. Tatsuya Ishihara (both seasons of Sound! Euphonium) is directing that film.

Yen Press published the first novel in the series last June.