The next installment of the Sound! Euphonium light novel series, a short story anthology titled Sound! Euphonium: Kitauji Koukou Suisougakubu no Minna no Hanashi, will be released in Japan on June 27 JST.
The anthology was announced in May with a provisional cover. The proper cover has Kumiko, Hazuki, Sapphire, Reina, and Mayu in aloha shirts.
The 11 short stories in Kitauji Koukou Suisougakubu no Minna no Hanashi (Stories of Everyone from the Kitauji High School Concert Band) are set during Kumiko’s final year at Kitauji. The press release states that the anthology will depict the club’s daily life and post-competition vignettes that weren’t shown in the final two-parter main volume.
One of the stories involves a meeting that determines the next generation of leaders for the Kitauji band, while another will feature those new leaders. Fans of Natsuki, Yuko, Nozomi, and Mizore, who were second-years during Kumiko’s first year at Kitauji, will get to enjoy a story about their trip.
Also highlighted are the male members’ secret love stories and a “battle” between Mayu and Kanade. An Okinawa-set concert performance is teased as well.
The Takarajimasha-published series by Ayano Takeda began in 2013, with the final main volume, Sound! Euphonium: Kitauji Koukou Suisou Gakubu, Ketsui no Saishuu Gakushou Part 2 being released in 2019. A fairly recent entry was 2021’s Natsuki-focused spin-off Tobitatsu Kimi no Se wo Miageru, which received a bunko format release with an additional short story in August 2023. The previous short story anthology (Kitauji Koukou Suisou Gakubu no Honto no Hanashi) was released in 2018.
A Kyoto Animation-produced anime adaptation debuted in 2015 and — following a second season, a few movies (including compilations and a spin-off), and a theatrical OVA — is now on its third season.
Yen Press describes the first Sound! Euphonium volume as:
After a terrible disappointment at the All-Kyoto Concert Band Competition, music has lost its spark for Kumiko. But her first year at Kitauji High School is a chance for a fresh start. So when it comes time to choose a club, she can’t resist joining the band again–even though they’re simply terrible. The strict new club director has promised to whip them into shape to reach Nationals, but the trouble runs deeper than just a lack of practice. Plus, the discord within the club tugs at Kumiko’s old insecurities. Will Kitauji High School find its rhythm before the competition? Will Kumiko?
Sources: Press release, Mantan Web
