Sound! Euphonium watch order
Kumiko Oumae joins the concert band at Kitauji High in Kyoto, a club that hasn't won anything in years until a new adviser sets its sights on Nationals. Kyoto Animation's adaptation of Ayano Takeda's novels follows her three years of high school across three TV seasons, two recap films, two new story films, a theatrical special and a two-part final movie.
First time? Watch Season 1 and Season 2 (Kumiko's first year), then the films Liz and the Blue Bird and Our Promise: A Brand New Day (her second year), the Ensemble Contest special, and Season 3 (her third year). Skip the two recap films.
First-timer order
Everything that tells new story, in order, without the recap films and Blu-ray shorts. The two Final Movie parts at the end are a retelling of Season 3, so they're for after the series.
- Sound! Euphonium
Kumiko's first year: she joins the band, reconnects with Reina from middle school, and the club goes from aimless to aiming for the Kansai competition under its new adviser, Taki. Start here.
- Sound! Euphonium: Ready, Set, Monaka
Sometimes listed as episode 14. A side story about 'Team Monaka', the members who didn't make the cut at the auditions and support the band during Season 1's competition arc. Watch it after the season; it overlaps the last few episodes.
- Sound! Euphonium 2
The rest of Kumiko's first year: the Kansai competition and the push for Nationals. The first few episodes deal with Nozomi and Mizore, the pair Liz and the Blue Bird returns to; the rest is mostly about Asuka.
- Liz and the Blue Bird
A spin-off film directed by Naoko Yamada, set in Kumiko's second year. It follows oboist Mizore and flautist Nozomi as they prepare a duet, with Kumiko barely in it. It runs over the same months as Our Promise, so watch the two back to back.
- Sound! Euphonium the Movie: Our Promise: A Brand New Day
Kumiko's second year, told as a 100-minute film rather than a TV season: she mentors a difficult group of first-years while the band goes for Nationals again. This isn't a recap; there is no TV version of this year.
- Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest
A 58-minute special that opened in Japanese cinemas. Kumiko, now the club's newly appointed president, has to get a small ensemble through the school's preliminaries. It comes after Our Promise and leads straight into Season 3.
- Sound! Euphonium 3
Kumiko's third and final year, as president of a band of more than 90 members, with one last shot at gold at Nationals. A transfer student, Mayu, plays the same instrument.
- Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 1 (optional)
A theatrical re-edit of Season 3 with new and extended scenes, such as a newly animated Sunrise Festival performance and Kumiko taking over as president. Optional if you've seen Season 3; it opened in Japan in April 2026.
- Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 2 (optional)
The second half of the Season 3 film version, which opened in Japan in September 2026.
Story order
Story order is the same as release order: the franchise moves forward one school year at a time. Recap films and shorts sit after the season they come from.
- Sound! Euphonium
Kumiko's first year: she joins the band, reconnects with Reina from middle school, and the club goes from aimless to aiming for the Kansai competition under its new adviser, Taki. Start here.
- Sound! Euphonium Shorts (optional)
Two-minute comedy shorts from the Season 1 Blu-ray and DVD volumes, set around everyday club life. Optional.
- Sound! Euphonium: Ready, Set, Monaka
Sometimes listed as episode 14. A side story about 'Team Monaka', the members who didn't make the cut at the auditions and support the band during Season 1's competition arc. Watch it after the season; it overlaps the last few episodes.
- Sound! Euphonium the Movie: Welcome to the Kitauji High School Concert Band (optional)
A 104-minute film that retells Season 1. Skip it if you've watched the series.
- Sound! Euphonium 2
The rest of Kumiko's first year: the Kansai competition and the push for Nationals. The first few episodes deal with Nozomi and Mizore, the pair Liz and the Blue Bird returns to; the rest is mostly about Asuka.
- Sound! Euphonium 2 Shorts (optional)
Three-minute shorts from the Season 2 Blu-ray and DVD volumes. Optional.
- Sound! Euphonium the Movie: May the Melody Reach You! (optional)
A 115-minute compilation film that retells Season 2. Skip it if you've watched the series.
- Liz and the Blue Bird
A spin-off film directed by Naoko Yamada, set in Kumiko's second year. It follows oboist Mizore and flautist Nozomi as they prepare a duet, with Kumiko barely in it. It runs over the same months as Our Promise, so watch the two back to back.
- Sound! Euphonium the Movie: Our Promise: A Brand New Day
Kumiko's second year, told as a 100-minute film rather than a TV season: she mentors a difficult group of first-years while the band goes for Nationals again. This isn't a recap; there is no TV version of this year.
- Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest
A 58-minute special that opened in Japanese cinemas. Kumiko, now the club's newly appointed president, has to get a small ensemble through the school's preliminaries. It comes after Our Promise and leads straight into Season 3.
- Sound! Euphonium 3
Kumiko's third and final year, as president of a band of more than 90 members, with one last shot at gold at Nationals. A transfer student, Mayu, plays the same instrument.
- Sound! Euphonium 3: Extra Episodes (optional)
Four-minute extras from the Season 3 Blu-ray and DVD volumes. Optional.
- Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 1 (optional)
A theatrical re-edit of Season 3 with new and extended scenes, such as a newly animated Sunrise Festival performance and Kumiko taking over as president. Optional if you've seen Season 3; it opened in Japan in April 2026.
- Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 2 (optional)
The second half of the Season 3 film version, which opened in Japan in September 2026.
Release order
Every title in the order it came out in Japan. The 2016 and 2017 films retell the first two seasons.
- Sound! Euphonium
Kumiko's first year: she joins the band, reconnects with Reina from middle school, and the club goes from aimless to aiming for the Kansai competition under its new adviser, Taki. Start here.
- Sound! Euphonium Shorts (optional)
Two-minute comedy shorts from the Season 1 Blu-ray and DVD volumes, set around everyday club life. Optional.
- Sound! Euphonium: Ready, Set, Monaka
Sometimes listed as episode 14. A side story about 'Team Monaka', the members who didn't make the cut at the auditions and support the band during Season 1's competition arc. Watch it after the season; it overlaps the last few episodes.
- Sound! Euphonium the Movie: Welcome to the Kitauji High School Concert Band (optional)
A 104-minute film that retells Season 1. Skip it if you've watched the series.
- Sound! Euphonium 2
The rest of Kumiko's first year: the Kansai competition and the push for Nationals. The first few episodes deal with Nozomi and Mizore, the pair Liz and the Blue Bird returns to; the rest is mostly about Asuka.
- Sound! Euphonium 2 Shorts (optional)
Three-minute shorts from the Season 2 Blu-ray and DVD volumes. Optional.
- Sound! Euphonium the Movie: May the Melody Reach You! (optional)
A 115-minute compilation film that retells Season 2. Skip it if you've watched the series.
- Liz and the Blue Bird
A spin-off film directed by Naoko Yamada, set in Kumiko's second year. It follows oboist Mizore and flautist Nozomi as they prepare a duet, with Kumiko barely in it. It runs over the same months as Our Promise, so watch the two back to back.
- Sound! Euphonium the Movie: Our Promise: A Brand New Day
Kumiko's second year, told as a 100-minute film rather than a TV season: she mentors a difficult group of first-years while the band goes for Nationals again. This isn't a recap; there is no TV version of this year.
- Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest
A 58-minute special that opened in Japanese cinemas. Kumiko, now the club's newly appointed president, has to get a small ensemble through the school's preliminaries. It comes after Our Promise and leads straight into Season 3.
- Sound! Euphonium 3
Kumiko's third and final year, as president of a band of more than 90 members, with one last shot at gold at Nationals. A transfer student, Mayu, plays the same instrument.
- Sound! Euphonium 3: Extra Episodes (optional)
Four-minute extras from the Season 3 Blu-ray and DVD volumes. Optional.
- Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 1 (optional)
A theatrical re-edit of Season 3 with new and extended scenes, such as a newly animated Sunrise Festival performance and Kumiko taking over as president. Optional if you've seen Season 3; it opened in Japan in April 2026.
- Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 2 (optional)
The second half of the Season 3 film version, which opened in Japan in September 2026.
Explained
Where is Kumiko's second year?
There's no TV season for it. After Season 2 (her first year), the second year is told in two films: Our Promise: A Brand New Day follows Kumiko and the band, and Liz and the Blue Bird follows Mizore and Nozomi over the same months. The Ensemble Contest special closes out the year. Skip them and Season 3 starts with new juniors, a new president and a lot of history you haven't seen.
Do I need the movies?
Some of them. Welcome to the Kitauji High School Concert Band (2016) and May the Melody Reach You! (2017) retell Seasons 1 and 2, so skip them if you've watched the series. Liz and the Blue Bird, Our Promise and Ensemble Contest are new story and you should watch them. The two-part Final Movie (2026) is a theatrical version of Season 3 with new scenes.
Is Liz and the Blue Bird a Euphonium film?
Yes, though it doesn't look like one. It's a spin-off with a softer art style and a much quieter, slower pace, and the main cast barely appear. It can be watched on its own, but it lands harder after Season 2, which sets up Mizore and Nozomi's friendship.
What is The Final Movie?
Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie is Kyoto Animation's two-part theatrical version of Season 3, released in Japan in April and September 2026. It reworks the season with new and extended scenes and performances rather than telling a new story, so Season 3 is still the complete version of Kumiko's third year.
Anime or novels?
The anime adapts Ayano Takeda's novels, which also include short-story collections and a spin-off about Azusa at Rikka High. Season 3 reworks the third-year novels heavily, and the result of one major audition near the end differs from the books. The staff have said they made that change on purpose.