Sound Euphonium Director on Full Performances and Character

Sound! Euphonium chief director Tatsuya Ishihara reflected on the series' decade-long journey and its upcoming conclusion during an interview at Anime Expo 2026. The franchise will end this September with the theatrical release of Sound! Euphonium: The Final Movie Part 2, the last installment retelling the TV anime's third season.

Ishihara explained his initial draw to the source material. He was interested because it was not simply a story about cute girls. The series portrays the difficult emotions people experience while growing up, which he found very appealing.

Full-Length Performances in the Final Film

A notable creative decision for the final movie was presenting musical performances in full, rather than as excerpts. Ishihara stated that in the television series, they often showed only parts of the performances largely due to production constraints. With the film, they had the opportunity to present the performances the way they wanted, so they were finally able to show them in full.

When asked about modern viewing habits and shrinking attention spans, Ishihara admitted it was a difficult question. He noted that people's sense of time has changed. He has heard that some people watch films or television anime at double speed. Personally, that makes me a little sad, Ishihara said. I hope there will continue to be works that people watch at their normal pace.

Portraying Universal Emotions

Ishihara discussed how the series makes concert band experiences resonate with a wider audience. He actually does not have much experience with concert band himself, other than music class in school. Because he lacked firsthand experience, he spent considerable time researching before starting the series. The team interviewed people in concert bands, observed rehearsals, and read books about them. Ishihara believes this allowed him to look at that world more objectively.

Kumiko's Evolution and Cast Growth

The director's understanding of the protagonist, Kumiko Oumae, changed significantly over the series. At the beginning, Kumiko was a first-year student where important events happened around her rather than because of her. To be honest, she wasn't my favorite character at first, but that changed during her third year, Ishihara revealed. A key scene for him was an audition where Kumiko, despite not being chosen, stood before everyone and declared, These are Kitauji's best members.

Ishihara emphasized that growth is not only Kumiko's story but something almost every band member experiences. He wanted to show how each character grows in their own way. He contrasted Kumiko with the trumpeter Reina Kousaka, whom he could relate to because she, like his younger self, had a clear future goal early on. Kumiko wasn't like that initially, which made her difficult for him to understand at first.

The Final Creative Challenge

Restructuring the third season's story for the theatrical film presented a specific hurdle. Ishihara said the most difficult part was portraying the characters' feelings, not the animation itself. In particular, director Taichi Ogawa spent a lot of time thinking about how to portray Mayu Kuroe. Expressing the clear difference in how Kumiko and Mayu see things was probably the hardest part.

After more than a decade with the series, Ishihara shared what he hopes endures with audiences. He hopes people remember the idea of what is right for me, a phrase Kumiko uses. Everyone has something that's right for them, Ishihara stated. If you've already found it, I hope you'll treasure it. If you haven't found it yet, I hope you will someday.