2015 Archives - DoubleSama

Bloom into You (Manga)

By DoubleSama | June 10, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

Bloom into You Volume 1 manga cover art — Bloom into You

The Redemption Arc

Bloom into You (Yagate Kimi ni Naru / やがて君になる) is a yuri manga about two high school girls who fall in love. This is also my second time reviewing the series. 15 months ago, in March of 2021, I reviewed the Bloom into You anime.

Now, I’ll be honest, my review of the anime wasn’t received well by certain members of the community. If you want to see what I said about the anime, the review is still there for you to read. I’m not going to change my opinion on a series because some people don’t agree with it.

But, even when I wrote my review of the anime, I conceded that the manga was likely better. So, what better time to give Bloom into You a second chance by reading the manga than during Pride Month?

Before I get into the review itself, there are a few more things I need to make clear. First, I read the manga from chapter 1 — I didn’t pick it up where the anime left off. Not only has it been 15 months since I watched the anime, but I wanted to experience the manga as a whole.

Second, I’m going to do something different and say right here at the start that I gave the manga a 10/10. Usually, I leave my ratings for the conclusion of the review. But, I think it’s important to get that out of the way at the start this time around.

Most of this review is going to be comparing the anime to the manga. So I want it to be clear upfront how significant the difference between the anime and manga is. It’s a 4/10 compared to a 10/10. I knew the manga would be better. But I didn’t expect this.

A Complete Story

The Bloom into You anime has a glaring problem. This problem is such a big deal that even the most diehard fans of the series have to admit it. And those who don’t admit it are lying to themselves.

Of course, I’m talking about the fact it only covers half of the manga.

Bloom into You is 50 chapters long (45 chapters and 5 “bonus” chapters spread throughout). The anime concludes at the end of chapter 24. And it doesn’t have an original ending, either. It ends in the middle of the story.

This is something I pointed out in my review of the anime. As I said back then, the anime actually ends before any of the major character development occurs. And, in fact, the anime ends in the middle of an arc — before the climax of the arc.

Touko falling asleep on Yuu on the train from the manga series Bloom Into You chapter 24 — Touko falling asleep on Yuu on the train

The school festival/play arc is the point at which the character development begins. This is arguably the most important part of the series. But, the anime misses out on that. It builds up the play and then ends before we get to see it. Because of that, the manga is superior by default.

That’s not all the manga completes, though. Even after the play arc, there’s plenty of content left. Yuu’s and Touko’s story doesn’t end with the play. With the manga, we get their complete story. They graduate from high school, go to college, and end up living together.

At the very end of the manga, it’s even implied that the two of them got married (or engaged). There’s a panel of them walking home together and it focuses on a ring on Yuu’s finger. Compared to the complete package that is the manga, the anime is trash.

Manga vs. Anime

Now, it’s time to get into some of the more subjective ways the manga is better than the anime. And first up is the art. The panel screenshots I’ve included in this review don’t do the manga justice. There are some amazing panels with amazing art. And the rest looks good too.

I wouldn’t say that the anime looks bad. But it’s also not great. And, while not something I usually compliment, the Bloom into You manga has some nice paneling. I haven’t read many manga — 6 manga compared to my 530 completed anime. But, I can still recognize nice paneling when I see it.

Moving away from the art, there’s something else the manga did better than the anime, but I can’t quite explain why. One of my complaints about the anime was that it made Touko’s character come off as a groomer. And I got plenty of backlash for saying that.

Sayaka preparing to confess to Touko from the manga series Bloom Into You chapter 37 — Sayaka preparing to confess to Touko

This is another reason why I wanted to read the manga from chapter 1. I wanted to see the depiction of Touko’s initial relationship with Yuu in this medium. And what I found was that their early relationship is the same.

But, reading the manga, I never got the impression that Touko was being too assertive with Yuu. There was still an awkward moment between Miyako and Sayaka. But, Touko’s and Yuu’s relationship was good. I liked the depiction. And I don’t have a solid answer for why I think that now.

So, let’s guess. It could be that the direction of the anime portrayed their relationship in a more toxic way. It could be that the manga gave a better insight into Yuu’s feelings through the art. Or, it could be the voice acting in the anime. Who knows?

Yuu and Touko Get Frisky

Is it weird to say that one of my favorite parts of the Bloom into You manga is when Yuu and Touko have sex? Okay, yes, it’s hot. But, there’s more to why I liked this part of the manga than that.

For one, I usually watch anime rather than read manga. And in anime, we generally don’t get sex scenes. So, this is an important part of romantic relationships that I don’t get to see depicted often. Romance in anime might get to a kiss scene if you’re lucky.

And, it’s very common for the main characters not to even be in a relationship by the end of the anime. The ending might imply they end up together. But that’s not very satisfying. Seeing Yuu and Touko go all the way is a lot more important than I think many people realize.

Touko and Yuu about to have sex from the manga series Bloom Into You chapter 44 — Touko and Yuu about to have sex

Look, sex is a normal part of romantic relationships. Does every romantic relationship need it? No. But for the majority, it will eventually come with the territory. Depicting that is a good thing. There’s nothing wrong with it. Yuu describes herself as “naughty” when she fantasizes about Touko, but that’s not bad.

Also, let’s not forget that this is a yuri and shoujo ai manga. There’s going to be plenty of LGBTQ+ youth reading this. And seeing Yuu and Touko at this point of their relationship could be very validating. This isn’t a watered-down depiction of a girl-girl relationship that’s left ambiguous.

Oh, and I have to say that the situation in which they have sex for the first time is perfect. The scenario of it happening when Touko’s parents are out is realistic. And the feelings of anticipation and nervousness that both Touko and Yuu have are spot-on.

Conclusion

As I said toward the start of this review, I gave the Bloom into You manga a 10/10. I tried to think of any reason I could come up with to give it a lower score. And in the end, there was nothing. It deserves this rating.

If you’ve read this review for some reason without having seen the anime or read the manga, pick the manga. I know there are people who like the anime. And some people will say to watch the anime and pick the manga up where it leaves off. I’m telling you to skip the anime entirely.

The manga is so much better — and I’m not a manga person.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and Key Mochi for supporting this blog at the Heika and Senpai tiers this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Robot on the Road

By DoubleSama | November 16, 2020 | Comments 0 Comment

Short Film Background

Robot on the Road (Tabi no Robo Kara / 旅のロボから) is a short film presented as part of the Japan Anima(tor)’s Exhibition in 2015. It has a run time of about 9 minutes, meaning that it only requires a small time commitment, even when compared to standard anime episodes.

Additionally, this short film is easily found on YouTube, so the barrier to entry on this is even lower than most other anime. There’s no need to have a subscription to a legal anime streaming site, and there’s no need to visit an illegal anime streaming site if that’s something you’re against.

As for the creator of Robot on the Road, that would be Hiroyuki Okiura. He designed the characters, wrote the script, directed the film, and even did the key animation. But, why should you care about any of that? Well, you may be familiar with some of the other anime Hiroyuki has worked on.

Most notably, he was a key animator on both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Akira, among many other famous anime. He also has had multiple roles as a director, including directing the opening scene of the Cowboy Bebop movie. He’s been working in the industry for a long time and has been part of a lot of great productions.

“But what about the voice actors?” I hear you ask. Good question, dear reader. There are only two characters in this short film, and they’re both voiced by some pretty well-known voice actors: Megumi Hayashibara and Kôichi Yamadera.

If you don’t recognize their names, I don’t really blame you because I certainly didn’t. But either way, you’ve probably seen something they’ve been in, including both the aforementioned Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop.

Characters and Plot

The first of the two characters we see, but the second to be named, in the short film is Robowo, the titular robot on the road. Robowo is allegedly hitchhiking to Central City to get maintenance done by Cyberdydy Corp. However, as the film progresses, it becomes apparent that he has an ulterior motive.

It doesn’t take long to realize that Robowo isn’t the most stand-up robot around. He’s very interested in girls, specifically those in their late teens and early twenties as we learn later on. And, he uses the many features built into his body to catalog the girls he meets on his travels.

His eyes are able to calculate the approximate age of women along with their three sizes. He also has a camera built into his chest which he uses to take voyeuristic photos of these unsuspecting girls in various levels of undress. Finally, he uploads these photos to his multiple blogs and writes about his encounters.

Robowo from the anime short movie Robot on the Road — Robowo

Mina is the woman who picks up Robowo from the side of the road out in the country at the start of the film. She drives an old, red pickup truck and tows a chrome trailer in which she lives. We don’t know where Mari is going, but we do know that she can take Robowo at least part of the way to Central City.

We don’t know all that much about Mina. But, the three things we do know about her are her sizes. Her bust size is 88cm (E cup), her waist is 58cm, and her hips are 86cm. Robowo acquires this information about her within minutes of meeting her.

Not all heroes wear capes; some wear cowboy hats and handkerchiefs.

Should You Watch It?

Considering the people who worked on Robot on the Road, I would recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the anime industry. It has great art, animation, writing, and acting all wrapped up in a 9-minute package. From that perspective, I don’t see a reason not to watch it.

However, I do need to mention that this short film does contain nudity. I don’t mean your run-of-the-mill censored anime nudity, either. I mean full, uncensored nudity. Nothing about Mina’s body is left up to the imagination.

The reason I wanted to mention that is because I know that some people may be inclined to watch this film with others or in a public setting, especially since it’s so readily available on YouTube.

Robowo and Mina in Mina's trailer from the anime short movie Robot on the Road — Robowo and Mina in Mina’s trailer

However, despite this nudity, it’s not like your traditional ecchi anime. The nudity is much more candid than in ecchi anime because Robowo’s role is that of a voyeur. And with that in mind, I would say that the nudity is more artistic and tasteful in how it’s used despite the obvious sexual aspect of it for Robowo.

To me, this short film is just a great example of a writer, director, and animator having fun with their craft. Robot on the Road isn’t going to make you think. It’s a comedy about a robot that hitchhikes around the country as a pretense to take risqué pictures of the women who give him a lift.

It’s a short film about nothing made for a festival, and yet it looks as good and has as much character as any A-list anime movie out there. And that’s how you can tell it was a passion project that Hiroyuki made because he enjoys what he does as a creative.

Conclusion

To me, Robot on the Road is a solid 8/10, and that’s not just because Mina is the ideal female form. Sure, she’s cute and perfect in every way, but this is a review of the anime, not of her. If I had to point out one downside of this film, it would probably be that it’s so short.

I could probably watch an entire, full-length series of Robowo’s travels. There are probably a lot of stories that could be told. But at the same time, perhaps it’s better that there’s so little content. It makes the viewer long for more, which is generally a sign of a good anime.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Lupin III (2015)

By DoubleSama | June 29, 2020 | Comments 0 Comment

Series Overview

Lupin III (2015) is the fourth part of the Lupin III series. I’m just going to keep referring to it as Lupin III (2015) though because technically just Lupin III would refer to the first part of the series. Also, Lupin III is the romaji spelling of the Japanese ルパン三世, but I’m using it over the English Lupin the Third because the English title doesn’t include “(2015)” after it.

Hopefully that all made sense. Basically this review is on the 2015 entry in the Lupin III series.

This is the first entry in the main Lupin III series I’ve seen. Before this, I watched four of the movies and The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. So Lupin III (2015) was a bit different from anything I’ve previously seen. However, if you liked the movies, you’ll probably like the series, and the same is true in the other direction.

The main difference here is that the series is much more episodic than The Woman Called Fujiko Mine was. But, that doesn’t mean there’s not an overarching story at all. There were two main arcs from what I could tell: The San Marino arc and the Da Vinci arc. I’ll be discussing the differences between the two later on.

Regardless of the arc, the vast majority of this series takes place in Europe, specifically Italy and San Marino. There are a couple of episodes that take place in France, and even one that takes place in Japan, but overall this is an Italy-focused series.

I know that Lupin is supposed to be considered a worldwide thief, but I still generally associate him with Japan, so seeing him and the gang explore Italy and San Marino was cool. Also, I just think Italy and San Marino are interesting backdrops for the series.

New Supporting Characters

There were four new supporting characters introduced in this part of the series: Rebecca, Rob, Nix, and later on, Da Vinci. Rebecca and Rob are both allies of Lupin, while Nix and Da Vinci are primarily antagonists, though that isn’t always the case.

Rebecca Rossellini is my favorite of the new characters — and not just because she’s a cute girl. Though, if I’m being honest, that plays a significant role. I actually think Rebecca is cuter than Fujiko, which I’m sure a bunch of Fujiko fans will think is completely out of line.

Rebecca is just more fun and she has a better character design. That’s right, I said it.

But looks aren’t the only thing Rebecca has going for her. She’s also the heiress to some wealthy family (I forget exactly what they do). And in her free time, which is basically all the time, she does whatever she wants — including moonlighting as a thief.

Lupin and Rebecca getting married from the anime series Lupin III (2015) — Lupin and Rebecca getting married

Rob is Rebecca’s handler. He serves as her bodyguard, chauffeur, and general assistant. But arguably his most important job is to keep Rebecca out of trouble so that she doesn’t tarnish the Rossellini name by getting caught during one of her heists.

Nix is an agent working with the British Secret Intelligence Service known as MI6. He’s kind of like a more serious version of our old pal, Inspector Zenigata. Zenigata is still around, but Nix takes on the role of a more dangerous adversary.

I will say that the one thing I didn’t like about Nix is that when he was introduced he kept on giving near 100% chances of success for himself and then proceeded to fail every time. You’d think that after a few failures he’d learn that he doesn’t have a 100% chance of success.

Da Vinci is an antagonist in the second half of the series. He’s not literally Da Vinci, but rather an experiment that was being performed by MI6 gone wrong. The best way to think of his personality and abilities though is to think of Kars from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2.

San Marino vs. Da Vinci

As previously mentioned, both halves of the series take place primarily in Italy and San Marino. However, the first half was much more focused on San Marino, so that’s what I’m referring to when I mention the San Marino Arc. And the second half, when Da Vinci is introduced, is the Da Vinci arc.

I think the San Marino arc of the story was the better of the two. It was much more grounded in reality, though there were still some less than realistic features such as Nix’s superhuman hearing. Once Da Vinci was introduced, it reminded me of the Lupin movies with the superhuman assassins, and I just don’t enjoy that quite as much.

Da Vinci from the anime series Lupin III (2015) — Da Vinci

Of course, Da Vinci isn’t one of those superhuman assassins, so it’s not entirely the same. But he’s still a recreation of a historical figure who has the ability to alter reality through the use of dreams. So again, it’s pretty unrealistic. And the final episode of the series (excluding the special episodes which I also watched) really went off the deep end.

By contrast, I believe the final episode of the San Marino arc (I could be mistaken) was the one in which Zenigata finally captures and imprisons Lupin.

I thought that was possibly the best episode of the entire season. Sure, there were other episodes with better action or story, including a few with some amazing animation. But I really liked how that episode delved into Zenigata’s character and how once he’s captured Lupin, he doesn’t really know what his purpose in life is anymore.

Conclusion

Lupin III (2015) is a good anime, so it gets a 7/10. I liked some of the movies and The Woman Called Fujiko Mine a bit more, but generally speaking, this series was almost on par with them. I think if the second half of the series was more like the first, I would have liked it more.

I also have to say that I really like both the OP and ED of this series. The OP had some cool visuals, and the ED had a great song. I’m not really sure which I prefer at the end of the day though.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤ down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

My review of the next part is available here.

Non Non Biyori Repeat

By DoubleSama | January 24, 2020 | Comments 2 comments

Overview

Non Non Biyori Repeat (のんのんびよりりぴーと) is a pseudo-second season of the slice of life series Non Non Biyori, which I first reviewed about a year and a half ago. So to say that this review is a little late is a bit of an understatement — but I did just recently finish watching it.

The interesting thing about Non Non Biyori Repeat, or Repeat as I’ll be referring to it from now on, is that it isn’t really a second season of the series. I mean, it is, because it’s the season which came out second. But it’s not a chronological second season.

Instead, Repeat takes place over the same one year time period that the original series did. They both start out at the same point in the year, and while I don’t actually remember the ending of the original series, I assume they both end at the same time as well.

The best way to think about Repeat is that it tells extra stories which were skipped over in the original series. In that regard, both seasons of Non Non Biyori work in the same way that the Kiss x Sis TV and OVA series do — they compliment each other with an interwoven chronology.

But the important thing to keep in mind about Repeat is this: If you enjoyed the original series, then you’re going to enjoy Repeat. And the same is true for the opposite. If you didn’t enjoy the original series, you probably won’t enjoy Repeat.

It’s just more episodes of the same thing.

Difference From Non Non Biyori

There’s really only one difference between the original series and Repeat, and that’s who the “main character” of the series is. Yes, you could argue that Renge, Hotaru, Natsumi, and Komari are all the main characters of the series, and that’s right, but there’s still a protagonist.

In the original series, I’d argue that Hotaru was the protagonist. Although both seasons begin at roughly the same point, that one starts off the series with Hotaru transferring into the school. And she’s the main focus of the majority of the episodes — although the other girls also get their time to shine.

Repeat, on the other hand, focuses much more heavily on Renge. And to be fair, this is the reason why Repeat is better than the original series. Rather than starting with Hotaru’s transfer, Repeat begins with Renge becoming a first grader at the school.

Renge Miyauchi holding a bucket from the anime series Non Non Biyori Repeat — Renge Miyauchi holding a bucket

This focus on Renge also means there’s more of a focus on the other characters who are more closely associated with her. Natsumi, Komari, and Hotaru are definitely still main characters of the series, but Renge’s older sisters and Candy Shop (Kaede) play more of a role this time around.

Also, I don’t know about you, but I was never all that interested in Natsumi, Komari, and Hotaru to begin with. Natsumi and Komari’s older brother, Suguru, is entertaining for his small part in the series though, and luckily he’s still around.

But Hikage, Kazuho, and Kaede are much more entertaining. There’s also Konomi, who I didn’t remember at all from the first season — she’s pretty good too.

How Should You Watch This Series?

Since Repeat doesn’t chronologically come after Non Non Biyori, there are a few different ways in which you could watch the series. So let’s start off with the ways in which I think you shouldn’t watch the series: Repeat first.

As the better of the two seasons, it may be tempting to simply skip over the first season and watch Repeat if you haven’t seen either of them yet. Or, you may tell yourself that you’ll watch Repeat first, and then if you like it, you’ll go back and watch the first season.

The problem I see with this method is that although they cover the same time frame, repeat does expect you to already know the characters and the general background of the series. So without that knowledge, I expect that you would miss out on why the characters interact and act the way they do.

Renge Miyauchi dressed as a teru-teru bōzu from the anime series Non Non Biyori Repeat — Renge Miyauchi dressed as a teru-teru bōzu

So, does that mean you should watch Non Non Biyori first, and then Repeat second? Not necessarily.

That’s how I watched this series, but I don’t particularly think it’s any better than watching the series in chronological order. The only real difference between these two orders is whether you go through the school year once in 24 episodes or twice in two sets of 12 episodes.

And just in case you’re wondering what the chronological order looks like, refer to the chart below.

Non Non Biyori Chronological Order

I Became a First Grader	Season 2 Episode 1
A New Transfer Student Came	Season 1 Episode 1
We Went to the Candy Store	Season 1 Episode 2
We Went to Look at the Stars	Season 2 Episode 2
We Got Motivated During the Holiday Break	Season 2 Episode 3
I Ran Away from Home with My Sister	Season 1 Episode 3
I Made a Teru-teru Bouzu	Season 2 Episode 4
We Ate Okonomiyaki	Season 2 Episode 5
We Made Friends With Fireflies	Season 2 Episode 6
Summer Vacation Started	Season 1 Episode 4
We Bravely Dove In	Season 2 Episode 7
I Pretended I Forgot My Swimsuit	Season 1 Episode 5
I Became a Ghost and Tried Hard	Season 1 Episode 6
My Rice Crackers Turned Into Curry	Season 1 Episode 7
I Took Lunch Duty	Season 2 Episode 8
We Looked at the Moon Together	Season 2 Episode 9
We Cooked Rice at School	Season 1 Episode 8
We Tried Having a Cultural Festival	Season 1 Episode 9
I Practiced Really Hard	Season 2 Episode 10
I Became a Pampered Child	Season 2 Episode 11
We Watched the First Sunrise of the Year	Season 1 Episode 10
We Made Snow Houses	Season 1 Episode 11
Spring Came Again	Season 1 Episode 12
A Year Passed	Season 2 Episode 12

Conclusion

Although I think Repeat is better than the first season of Non Non Biyori, I have to give it a 6/10 just like the first season. It’s an enjoyable watch, but it’s never really something I wanted to go out of my way to watch. That’s why watching Repeat took me 5 months from start to finish.

I also don’t remember the OP/ED for the first season, but I’d imagine they weren’t all that different from the Repeat OP/ED. So I’ll just say that the OP/ED for Repeat are just as good as the ones from the first season.

If you enjoyed this review, or found it to be helpful in any way, remember to click the like button ❤ down below. Also follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And, come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN and CaptainRainbowPizza for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika and Sensei tiers respectively this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of the Non Non Biyori Movie: Vacation is available.

Sound! Euphonium

By DoubleSama | November 18, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Overview

Sound! Euphonium (Hibike! Euphonium / 響け！ユーフォニアム) is a drama series centered around a high school band. No, not a high school rock band like Fuuka, a high school band, band. The kind with the instruments that go toot!

And before you ask, a Euphonium is an instrument. It’s basically a tiny version of the tuba.

So one thing to mention before getting into the anime itself is that this series is animated by Kyoto Animation, which means you can already assume it’s going to be good. I don’t think I’ve seen anything by KyoAni I haven’t liked, and Violet Evergarden by them is one of my favorites.

If you enjoyed other KyoAni series, there’s a very high chance you’ll also enjoy Sound! Euphonium.

Kumiko Oumae from the anime series Sound! Euphonium — Kumiko Oumae

Now, if you’ve read my review of Your Lie in April, another music-focused anime, you’ll know that one of my complaints was about the amount of music play time in the series. I felt that there was too much considering the fact it generally all sounded the same. And although this is contradictory, I felt the opposite about Sound! Euphonium.

Perhaps the second season will have more, but for an anime about a school band, there was a surprising lack of music being played. We’d get little snippets of them practicing here and there, but not much more than that. Even the competition at the end of the season was largely skipped over (though I hear it was expanded upon in the recap movie).

And this next part isn’t really a complaint, but there was a lot of yuri bait with no actual yuri. You can’t just play with my emotions like that, Sound! Euphonium. But aside from that stuff, it’s the characters that make the series what it is.

Main Characters

There are four main first-year students in the band who we know of. These are Kumiko, Reina, Sapphire, and Hazuki. Of the four, only Kumiko and Reina have played instruments before high school. They both played band together at the same middle school.

Kumiko Oumae is the protagonist of the series and player of the titular Euphonium. But, she wasn’t originally planning to join the band in high school. She only joined because her new friends, Sapphire and Hazuki asked her to join with them. She then saw this chance to pick up a new instrument but was stuck with the Euphonium again in the end.

Reina Kousaka is Kumiko’s main love interest (I hope, but I don’t think she actually is). She takes playing in the band very seriously and is the reason Kumiko originally quit band after their middle school lost in a competition. Reina plays the trumpet and is known for her no-nonsense attitude.

Reina Kousaka from the anime series Sound! Euphonium — Reina Kousaka

Sapphire “Midori” Kawashima is a contrabass (bass) player. She’s the only member of the band I can think of who plays a stringed instrument, but there have to be others. There’s no way the only one is a first-year who has never played before. Sapphire prefers to go by the name Midori (Green) because she thinks her given name is too haughty.

Hazuki Katou is the final member of the first-year quartet. She plays the tuba, which she affectionately refers to as Tubacabura. Despite being a bit tomboyish, Hazuki is actually the least gay of all the girls, being the only one to ask a boy out.

Supporting Characters

Natsuki Nakagawa is my favorite character of the series. Her hair is always up in a ponytail, what more could you ask for? But actually, she’s a second-year student who also plays the Euphonium. She doesn’t take band all that seriously, but she enjoys it so she shows up.

Asuka Tanaka is a third-year student who I believe is the fan favorite. She’s the third and final Euphonium player. Asuka also serves as the vice president of the band. Though there are many, including the current president, who believe Asuka would have made a good president, she doesn’t like to be the one in charge.

Takuya Gotou is another third-year student. He plays the tuba, which he likes despite only having bad things to say about it, such as the fact that it’s heavy. He’s also voiced by Kenjirou Tsuda, who I’ve mentioned in a lot of recent series reviews because he’s suddenly been in every anime for the past year. I was surprised to hear his voice in this series though.

The final student I want to mention is Haruka Ogasawara, a third-year who serves as the acting president and director of the school band. She might not be the most outgoing person around, but she was elected because she has that little something that makes her a good leader. The only person who doesn’t realize this is herself.

And, of course, I have to include Noboru Taki, the teacher in charge of the band. I like Taki. He doesn’t mess around and he says what he thinks even when it’s mean enough to make high school girls cry. I think some of the most entertaining scenes of the first season came from Taki being ruthless in his feedback towards the students.

Conclusion

Overall, Sound! Euphonium was a 7/10 for me. Originally I had it at an 8, but I think a 7 is a more appropriate rating after having thought about the season for a while. It was a good anime, but this season was really just the introduction. I’m expecting season 2 to be even better, but who knows when I’ll actually get around to watching that.

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My review of Sound! Euphonium 2 is available now.

The Redemption Arc

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A Complete Story

Manga vs. Anime

Yuu and Touko Get Frisky

Conclusion

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Short Film Background

Characters and Plot

Should You Watch It?

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Series Overview

New Supporting Characters

San Marino vs. Da Vinci

Conclusion

Overview

Difference From Non Non Biyori

How Should You Watch This Series?

Non Non Biyori Chronological Order

Conclusion

Overview

Main Characters

Supporting Characters

Conclusion

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