Saishuu Gakushou Hibike! Euphonium - Kouhen

This film is the second half of Sound! Euphonium: The Final Movie, the big-screen ending of Kyoto Animation's long-running school band story. In Japanese it is called Saishuu Gakushou Hibike! Euphonium Kouhen. "Saishuu Gakushou" means "final movement," like the last part of a long piece of classical music, and "Kouhen" means "second part." The first part opened in Japanese theaters on April 24, 2026. This second part followed on September 11, 2026. Tatsuya Ishihara, who has guided the anime from the start, came back to direct.

The two films retell the story of the 2024 TV season, Sound! Euphonium 3. They are not a simple copy of the show, though. The scenario was rewritten, and new scenes were added, including new band performances. Both films are based on the "Final Movement" novels by Ayano Takeda, which tell the story of the last year of high school for the main character.

That main character is Kumiko Oumae, a euphonium player. The euphonium is a brass horn that looks like a small tuba and plays warm, low notes. Kumiko is now a third-year student and the president of the concert band at Kitauji High School in Uji, a city near Kyoto. A concert band is a big school group of wind and drum players. Kitauji's band now has more than ninety members, and keeping them all working together is a heavy load for one student.

Beside Kumiko stands her best friend, Reina Kousaka, a talented trumpet player who serves as drum major. That is the student who leads practice and keeps everyone on the beat. Reina wants the band to be perfect, and she is not afraid to say hard things. Another key figure is Mayu Kuroe, a skilled euphonium player who transferred in from a famous band school. Because Mayu plays the same instrument as Kumiko, the two are rivals for the same solo, even though they get along.

Where the first film built up the tension of the school year, this second part carries the band toward its final push. All year the members have shared one dream: a gold prize at the national contest. Trailers for the film show the band in its last stretch, with long practices, hard choices, and big feelings. The movie looks at what it means to give everything to a goal, and what you do when your plans do not go the way you hoped.

For longtime fans, this film is a goodbye. The anime first aired in 2015, so the final trailer celebrated eleven years of the series. Kyoto Animation is famous for its careful drawing and real-sounding music, and the concert scenes are a big reason people watch on a big screen. Newcomers should start with the TV series, because this film assumes you already know Kumiko, Reina, and their friends. For those who have followed them, it is the last chapter of a story about music, friendship, and growing up.