If nothing else, a show like sound euphonium is good for the inclusion of classical music in the soundtrack. Of course, that’s not the only good thing about the first three episodes, but its musical basis is certainly the most prominent feature of the show.

Sound! Euphonium focuses on a first year in high school named Kumiko. Kumiko chooses to go to her new high school to start fresh and to escape her old life, including her having played in concert band. She quickly changes her mind; however, when her newfound friends Hazuki and Kawashima decide that they are going to play in Kitauji High’s Concert Band, and she goes along with them. Kumiko is also reminded of her past when Kousaka, a girl that went to her middle school and played with her in band, also join the high school band.

After finishing a couple episodes of this show, I immediately drew comparisons with Your Lie in April, which aired a few seasons before this show. Certainly, Your Lie in April overshadowed this show a lot, as there really wasn’t a whole lot of discussion around Sound! Euphonium after it finished airing, but that isn’t because this is a bad show. Far from it.

Whereas Your Lie in April focused much more heavily on romance, so far, aside from the hinting at a possible relationship between Kumiko and Kousaka, the show mostly seems to be focusing on the band and its newfound drive to win the national competition, something that the two were never able to achieve in middle school.

And it seems like the show definitely wants to keep the focus on music. Much of what we know about the main and supporting characters so far is directly tied to their affiliation with band. Hazuki said that she was doing tennis before and that she wanted to try something different, and Kawashima was playing the contrabass at an all-girls academy. Kumiko has been playing the Euphonium ever since the 4th grade because of her sister, who seems somewhat distant towards Kumiko based on the first few episodes. I suspect something will happen with that later on.

It is, of course, important for a show focusing on music to have a good soundtrack, and in that regard the show does ok. The opening and ending are both j-pop infused with brass instruments and are pretty catchy, and the soundtrack so far has a calm, but determined atmosphere, much like the show.

I don’t have to say much about the animation and art style because this Kyoto animation and anything they touch looks like it was blessed by the gods and given to mortal men as a reward for their admiration.

I am very excited to watch this show because there are already a lot of good places it could go. I honestly wouldn’t mind if Kumiko x Kousaka became a thing, and it would be very interesting to explore the relationship Kumiko has with her sister. I’m already excited that it got a season two.