A stage greeting event was held in Tokyo on September 12th to commemorate the release of the second part of " Sound! Euphonium! Ayano Takeda : The Final Movement," a theatrical film that reconstructs "Sound ! Sound! Euphonium 3," the third season of the TV anime " Sound! Euphonium," which has continued for about 11 years since the start of the first TV anime in 2015, has finally come to an end with the second part of "The Final Movement," and Tomoyo Kurosawa (voice of Kumiko Oumae), Ayaka Asai (voice of Hazuki Kato), Moe Toyota (voice of Midori Kawashima), Chika Anzai(voice of Reina Kosaka), Haruka Tomatsu(voice of Mayu Kuroe), Haruki Ishitani (voice of Shuichi Tsukamoto), and director Taichi Ogawa spoke about their feelings towards the work.
Ishitani said, "Yesterday, I also saw the second part at the movie theater. My friend gave me a gold trophy from a 100-yen store as a 'gold prize,' so I put it in my bag and came here today." Toyoda said, "I saw it at a preview screening, but I forgot my handkerchief. I thought, 'Oh no, what should I do?' but then I realized I had a big scrunchie on my right hand, so I managed to endure it by wiping my eyes with the scrunchie the whole time."
Kurosawa said, "Just like Kumiko, I kept thinking 'this is the last time' while I was doing the voice recording, so now that it's finally reaching everyone, I'm bewildered by this time lag for the first time in my acting career, because I felt like it was complete for me on that day (of voice recording). It's a really strange feeling to think that everyone is watching it now and experiencing it together with me." Asai added, "After watching it, I reaffirmed how amazing Kyoto Animation is, and I feel like I've gained another anime that I can call my life. Over these 11 years, the three years of high school life have come to a beautiful conclusion, and it makes me feel excited about the future. I couldn't stand up with the feeling that ' Sound! Euphonium' is amazing!"
Toyoda said, "Before the screening, each cast member gave a comment on the theme of ' Sound! Euphonium' and 'Me' (on the official X website). Just reading those comments touched my heart. I realized once again that it has become an important work in everyone's lives, and more than anything, the work is so good that I feel apologetic for not having the vocabulary to express it, but there is so much I want to say." Anzai then said thoughtfully, "It's finally sinking in that this is the end. I didn't feel it at all during the voice recording, and I was even doing interviews like that. But now that I've actually seen it, and seen the audience after they've finished watching it, I really feel that this is the end."
Ishitani said, "I've kept the scripts from the first season, and I looked at them again yesterday, but they've faded a bit because of the time that has passed. I'm sure the scripts for this second part will eventually become the same, but the work ' Sound! Euphonium' hasn't faded for me, so I think it will remain the same for everyone else as well." Tomatsu said, "I feel very relieved. It's the end, but rather than sadness or loneliness, I also felt a sense of accomplishment, like 'I'm glad I was able to see this work.'"
Director Ogawa said with a sigh of relief, "I feel relieved and at ease. First of all, there was the third season of the TV series, and we were determined to complete that third season as well, so I honestly thought it would be difficult to continue making it from there. But I am truly happy that we were able to expand the story further and release it in a way that leaves things open to the end."
Ishitani mentioned that the scenes between Kumiko and Mayu are explored in more depth in the second half. Tomatsu asked, "I think some people may have had a different impression of Mayu after watching the movie compared to when they saw her in the TV anime, but she was always like that, right?" Director Ogawa replied, "In the third season, we were only able to show parts of Mayu, but this time I was able to portray her with a sense of her potential." Tomatsu added, "In the TV anime, there were a lot of tense scenes with just Kumiko and Mayu, but I was happy to be able to portray those slightly more relaxed, heartwarming moments in between."
Kurosawa said, "As Kumiko, not only did I have more scenes with Mayu, but I also had more scenes with Reina. As the scenes with these three gradually increased, the way it was portrayed changed, and I think the overall impression is quite different from the TV anime." Anzai then revealed some behind-the-scenes details about a particular scene between Reina and Mayu, saying, "I started crying when I was reading the script, and I cried during the test recording as well. But then the sound director, Tsuruoka (Yota), said to me, 'Kousaka Reina is only special in front of Kumiko,' and the moment he said that, I thought, 'That's right, I shouldn't cry here.' So I didn't have to cry, or rather, I thought, 'As expected of Tsuruoka-san,' it wasn't just a simple 'don't cry' direction!"
When asked about the scenes in the second half that particularly moved them, Asai said, "There are two. One is the performance scene, but if I had to pick another, it would be the scenery of Kitauji High School that played with the music in the background towards the end. No one was shown, but I was sobbing." Toyoda said, "When Kumiko says 'Thank you for the past three years' to the euphonium, Ayachu (Asai) said to me, 'That's the perspective of someone who played an instrument.' It was a line that was also used in the PV, so I think there were people who thought, 'I can't believe that line is coming up here!' I really love that scene." Ishitani said, "It was the moment when the trumpet phrase 'Crescent Moon Dance' rang out in the performance scene. In this work, they turn off the sound in quiet scenes and cherish the moments when everyone holds their breath, but they also build up the excitement where it's needed, and I was deeply moved by how the performance conveyed the feeling that this was the culmination of everything, and I ended up crying."
Finally, Kurosawa said, "I'm so happy that I've been able to come this far thanks to all of you. When I was cast as Kumiko Oumae, my manager at the time told me, 'Be grateful to everyone. Never forget to be kind and respectful to others,' and I've kept those words in my heart as I've come this far. Kumiko's story has come to a successful end. I have no regrets. From here on, it's all of your stories. I want to leave you with the feeling that 'Now your song begins,' and close my portrayal of Kumiko Oumae. I hope that I'll be able to meet you all again like this someday," as she spoke, overcome with emotion and shedding large tears.
Director Ogawa said, "First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the fans who have watched the show, the cast, and all the staff involved. This is truly a work that you have all helped to nurture, and I feel once again that it will become 'everyone's' work from now on. When you are at a crossroads in your life, or when you are facing hardship, I would be happy if you would remember Kumiko Oumae and remember her strength. I think there will be some events in the future, so I would like the cast to continue running alongside us. Please continue to support ' Sound! Euphonium'."
"Sound! Euphonium" depicts the growth of the brass band members, including euphonium player Kumiko Oumae, at Kitauji High School. The first season of the TV anime aired from April to June 2015, the second season from October to December 2016, and the third season from April to July 2024. "The Final Movement" is a polished version of cuts from the third season of the TV anime, with many new scenes added. The first part was released on April 24th.
