Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest is the latest entry in the Kyoto Animation-produced adaptation of Ayano Takeda‘s novels. It was announced in 2022 alongside news that the “Kumiko Third Year” arc will be broadcast on Japanese television in 2024. The “Kumiko Third Year” adaptation was first announced in June 2019.
Tatsuya Ishihara, who directed most of the Sound! Euphonium anime and was chief director on Sound! Euphonium: Todoketai Melody, is directing Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest with Todoketai Melody‘s Taichi Ogawa as assistant director. Like the previous Sound! Euphonium theatrical releases, Jukki Hanada is credited with the script.
The cast members include:
• Tomoyo Kurosawa as Kumiko Oumae
• Ayaka Asai as Hazuki Katou
• Moe Toyota as Sapphire Kawashima
• Chika Anzai as Reina Kousaki
• Haruki Ishiya as Shuichi Tsukamoto
• Ayaka Oohashi as Tsubame Kamaya
The Takarajimasha-published novels began in 2013 and includes several short story anthologies and spin-offs in addition to the main volumes. A manga adaptation by Hami began in 2014 and ended with the “third season” in 2017. The latest Sound! Euphonium light novel is 2021’s Tobitatsu Kimi no Se wo Miageru, which features the perspective of Natsuki Nakagawa.
Yen Press describes the series 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?
The first season of Sound! Euphonium debuted in 2015 while the second season followed in 2016. The Sound! Euphonium movies include 2016’s Sound! Euphonium The Movie-Welcome to the Kitauji High School Concert Band-, 2017’s Sound! Euphonium The Movie -May the melody reach you!-, 2018’s Liz and the Blue Bird spin-off, and 2019’s Sound! Euphonium Movie 3: Chikai no Finale.
The late Shouko Ikeda designed the characters for the main Sound! Euphonium entries. Liz and the Blue Bird featured character designs from the late Futoshi Nishiya with Reiko Yoshida as scriptwriter and Naoko Yamada as director.
Source: KyoaniChannel