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Sound! Euphonium Franchise Gets Spinoff Novel Focusing on Natsuki
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Publisher Takarajimasha announced on Friday that it will publish a new spinoff novel for Ayano Takeda's Sound! Euphonium franchise on February 13. Takeda is again writing the novel and Nikki Asada is again providing the illustrations. The spinoff, titled Tobitatsu Kimi no Se wo Miageru (Looking Up at Your Back as You Leap Up) will feature Natsuki Nakagawa as the protagonist. Takarajimasha posted a preview for the novel that states, "I am Natsuki Nakagawa, third year student at Kitauji High School. Today I am retiring from the concert band." The novel will also look at the students Nozomi Kasaki, Misore Yoroizuka, and Yūko Yoshikawa from Natsuki's point of view.
Takarajimasha and Asada also each posted an illustration on Twitter on Friday to commemorate the announcement.
Kyoto Animation had announced in June 2019 that the studio had greenlit an anime project that will center on Kumiko's third year in high school. The event did not announce a format for the project.
Original light novel author Ayano Takeda published the story of Kumiko's third year in high school in two novels. The first novel shipped in April 2019, and the second novel shipped in June 2019.
The first 13-episode television anime series for the franchise premiered in April 2015. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired, and Ponycan USA released the series on home video. The anime inspired the Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu e Yōkoso "flashback" film in April 2016.
The 13-episode Sound! Euphonium 2 sequel series premiered in October 2016. Crunchyroll again steamed the series as it aired and Ponycan USA released the series on home video. The sequel series inspired the Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Todoketai Melody compilation film in September 2017.
Kyoto Animation then announced two new anime films for the franchise in 2017. The Liz and the Blue Bird film centering on Mizore Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasaki opened in Japan in April 2018. Eleven Arts screened the film in United States theaters with English subtitles and an English dub in November 2018. Shout! Factory released the film on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in March 2019.
The second new film, Sound! Euphonium The Movie - Our Promise: A Brand New Day (Hibike! Euphonium: Chikai no Finale), opened in Japan in April 2019. The film follows Kumiko as a second-year student. Eleven Arts screened the film in the U.S. in July 2019, and released the film on home video on June 2.
Sources: Takarajimasha's literary Twitter account, Ayano Takeda's Twitter account, Nikki Asada's Twitter account via Hachima Kikō
