The first scene in the anime set the tone brilliantly. In a brief interaction between the protagonists Oumae Kumiko and Kousaka Reina, you can already see their personalities, their role in the story and what the story is about. With hindsight, I consider this one of the best introductions ever in an anime, everything later keeps coming back to this very first scene which seems more and more meaningful as the anime goes on. And the words that seemed harmless at first, appear again to haunt the characters.
Kumiko is an unusual protagonist, she is not an oblivious and dumb character like is so common. She is smart and cynical, despite not being as brilliant as Reina or Asuka, and has more development than any other character throughout the series. Her interactions with other characters and frequent monologues make the plot progress. She is a very realistic and endearing character and that's definitely one of the reasons the show is so good. With all her imperfections and struggles, it's easy for the viewer to identify and empathize with her.
Kousaka Reina, Kumiko's best friend and the best character in the anime for me. Reina is a gifted musician, clever and hard working. At first she seems like a typical perfect girl, but we know the depth in her character as the story goes on. Her proud mentality, her desire to become unique and special, the fact she doesn't let herself be influenced by others and stick with what she believes, everything adds up for an amazing character. I have to say, ever since the first time I watched Hibike many years ago, I developed deep feelings for Reina, and now rewatching it after a long time, I still feel the same or even stronger feelings. Reina is the character I admire and love, and I don't think it will ever change. There are many things I like about Hibike, but for me, nothing compares to her. Maybe I am not suitable to tell all the qualities of this character, considering the feelings I have for her. And then there are the cute scenes that contrast with her character, when she shows her cute and fragile side like in some of her interactions with Kumiko or when she is talking to or about Taki sensei, which makes her seem more human.
Kawashima Sapphire and Katou Hazuki complete the cast of main characters, but in fact, they don't really feel like main characters. They are not as important to the story as Kumiko and Reina, and are sometimes even outshined by supporting characters. That's not to say they are bad, their interactions with Kumiko are some of the funniest scenes in the series. They were like a break from the serious and dramatic scenes, even though Hazuki has an important role at least for 1 episode. Another key character is Taki Noboru, or Taki sensei, the teacher of the band. Being the reason why the band became serious and is trying hard this year, he is definitely an important character. Taki is an interesting character; since the beginning, his reasons and real thoughts are unclear, which makes you wonder what are his real thoughts and reasons. Other than that, there are many great supporting characters, Natsuki, Asuka, Yuuko, Haruka and Kaori are so good that they could be the main characters as well, each one of them is well characterized, with their own personalities and struggles. Some are lovable like Haruka and others can be hateful (if you watched, you know who), but what is important is the anime can make you feel many emotions with those side characters that are as enchanting as the main ones.
You can always expect great things when it comes to art from KyoAni, and this one is no exception. Hibike is usually used as an example of how good KyoAni art can be or even how good anime can look like for people uninformed about anime, many people have seen that scene of Reina's hair flip. The attention to detail is astonishing, making the anime enjoyable even when the story is slow and could be boring otherwise. There are many subtle scenes involving the characters expressions and behaviors, you can perceive many things if you pay attention. The beautiful scenery along with the characters make for some of the most memorable scenes in any anime.
Since this anime is about music, the sound plays a big part and they did a good job in this regard, the pieces the band play are nice to hear and stick with you since you hear parts of it many times as they are practicing. You can see the differences when different characters are playing the same part as well, and identify when there are problems in the play. Seiyuus are impeccable, Anzai Chika voice for Reina was amazing, giving life to the character, with her calm and cool voice. But all the other voices were amazing as well, even for characters like Kaori and Yuuko who were not part of the main cast. And, of course, Hayamin as Ogasawara, a character perfect for her, making me love tha character even more. Opening and Ending were great, both the visuals and songs, especially the opening that is memorable and iconic for the series.
There are many animes I can say I enjoyed, but just a few are life-changing, and Hibike is one of them. This anime is inspiring, the themes brought up about not accepting failure and keeping pushing forward, doing what you want despite other people hit hard. Reina is the character that embodies those ideals the anime wants to convey perfectly; while Kumiko is the one to confront it and grows throughout the series, coming to understand Reina's feelings.
