As a band nerd (and someone who plays Euph), I must say that I started this anime almost exclusively because of the title. I didn't have any expectations going in, since I had not watched any KyoAni stuff before watching Hibike! Euphonium.
Story: 9/10
Overall Plot:
In a word: Realistic
The plot of Hibike! Euphonium is rather down-to-earth, in my opinion. In the beginning, the band members and their director, Taki, set a goal to make it to the national competition. At the beginning, the band seems hopeless. They don't practice, they can't play together, their intonation is all over the place, etc. Taki refuses to ensemble the band until they all can play better and take it more seriously. As the series goes on and the characters grow, so does the band. In the end, they compete at the regional competition.
Subplot:
In a word: Tasteful
There is just the right amount of subplot in this anime to add depth, yet not overpower the main plot. Friendships strengthen, past conflict within the band gets uncovered, and Kumiko tries to come to terms with her past. For anyone who was told this is Yuri/Shoujo-Ai and hasn't watched this, I invite you to make that distinction yourself. I'm of the opinion that it is not, since that particular romantic subplot is just that, a subplot. It's not the main focus, and, in my opinion, is not all that important to the story. That's not to say I don't ship it. I do, but I don't think there's enough focus to put it in the Yuri/Shoujo-Ai category.
Art: 10/10
In a word: Detailed
Focus blur, lighting, camera angles, flare, and so much detail was put into making this anime beautiful. I love the art style and really appreciate the time it must have taken to make Hibike! Euphonium stand out, art-wise. I think everything I'd like to say has already been said, so I'm not going to bother with this one that much.
Sound: 10/10
In a word: Euphonious
(Euphonious means having a beautiful sound) The sound is beautiful. Period.
Characters: 9/10
In a word: Deep
I'd like to talk about two characters in particular: Kumiko and Taki.
Kumiko: A euphonium player who said something stupid to Reina in middle school. The memory haunts her, and she wants to quit band going in to high school. She doesn't quit due to Hazuki and Midori urging her to join, and she ends up coming face to face with Reina. She has to come to terms with the incident in middle school, and that drives the subplot for the first bit.
Taki: As a high school band member, I can draw quite a few parallels between Taki and my band director. For starters, both set a goal and an expectation that we will attempt to reach that goal. While Taki has the students "choose" the goal, and my band director creates our goal, I think the goal-oriented nature of both directors is apparent. The expectations set by both Taki and my director drive the work ethic of the students, and in the Hibike!'s case, the plot.
Enjoyment: 10/10
In a word: Biased
I'm a band nerd, I play euphonium, I'm biased. I saw a lot of things I related to because I'm in band. I saw a lot of things I liked because I'm in band.
But
Just because that bias exists doesn't mean you won't enjoy it if you aren't in band. It's engaging and it has some really good writing, art, sound, and characters. It feels real and makes for a great watch.
Overall: 9.6/10
In a word: Recommended
I highly recommend this to anyone who is in or has been in band, anyone looking for a slice-of-life that is in the middle between light and dramatic, and anyone who wants to try slice-of-life.
