Interest
Sound! Euphonium Author Ayano Takeda Reacts to Anime's Surprise Twist
posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
We all know an anime adaptation of a manga or light novel can differ from their source — sometimes due to catching up to the source material, and needing either filler, a new ending, or both. On rare occasions, the anime does have a full story to work from, but the staff decides to go in a different direction, and whether that decision pays off or ends up being misguided is up in the air.
However, what's even rarer is seeing the response by the original creator. Yet, with social media, it's become far easier to glean those creators' thoughts. And Ayano Takeda, author of Sound! Euphonium novels, had some interesting thoughts on the latest Sound! Euphonium anime episode.
Takeda's remarks came after the airing of the 12th episode of Sound! Euphonium 3 on June 23. On X (formerly Twitter), the author stated she cried the first time she saw the episode. She then went on to say, “Those who have already read the original work will be very surprised. I hope you enjoy the different flavors of each work, the anime as an anime and the novel as a novel…!”
#ユーフォ３期
— 武田綾乃 (@ayanotakeda) June 23, 2024
第12話見ました！
久美子ーーー！😭😭😭
最初にこの回を見た時は号泣しました、みんな本当によく頑張りましたね😭
原作を既に読んでいる方は大変驚いたかと思います
アニメはアニメ、小説は小説として、一作品で違った味を楽しんで頂ければ…！
来週の最終回も楽しみましょう✊
I watched episode 12 of
#ユーフォ３期 [Eupho Season 3]!
Kumiko!😭😭😭
I cried when I first saw this episode. Everyone did a really good job😭
Those who have already read the original work will be very surprised. I hope you enjoy the different flavors of each work, the anime as an anime and the novel as a novel…!
Let's look forward to the final episode next week ✊
This comment shows the respect Takeda has for the staff on the anime. As of the writing of this article, Takeda has received nearly 300 responses to her post. A cursory look at the responses revealed a good mix of her fans saying they were surprised by the twist, and others saying they understand her sentiment. One notable comment came from X/Twitter user Jun Miyada. In his or her response, Miyada wrote (roughly translated):
When I read the final chapter of the original work, I wondered why Mayu and Kumiko were able to get through the Kansai Tournament in such a tense situation, and how the story progressed smoothly with the discrepancy between them. But after watching the 12th episode of the anime, I thought Takeda-sensei had actually planned this story. I was so shocked that I couldn't move for a while. I can't wait to see how the final episode will incorporate the contents of the original work.
Although this is only one comment, many others had similar feelings regarding the latest episode of Sound! Euphonium.
原作最終章を読んでいて、なぜギスギスした状態で関西大会突破できたのだろうとか、真由と久美子のズレがあるまますんなりとストーリーが進んだ原作に、少しアレ？っとした思いがあった中、今回のアニメ12話を観て、むしろ武田先生もこのストーリーを考えていたのでは？と思わせる内容でした。身震いし…
— 三矢田淳 (@Mobile_Phone) June 23, 2024
Fans of both the anime and the original novels will know this wouldn't be the first time the anime has made a deliberate radical change from the novels. The earlier Liz and the Blue Bird film is based on the fifth main volume of the novel series, but elects to focus on the two most important characters in that narrative. It largely sets aside the ensemble cast, creating an entire audio-visual spectacle that puts the main pair's emotions and conflict at the forefront, with details that Kumiko in the novels would not have been present for nor known about.
The final episode of Sound! Euphonium 3 will air on June 30 on NHK Educational TV at 5:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. EDT) in Japan. The series is available on Crunchyroll for those outside of Japan.
Sources: Ayano Takeda's X/Twitter account via Otakumu, Sound! Euphonium's X/Twitter account, Jun Miyada's X/Twitter account
