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Hibike! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest-hen is a canon continuation of the Hibike! Euphonium series. Taking place after Movie 3: Chikai no Finale, it is definitely an improvement in pacing since it focuses on one arc only whereas the previous film fit almost a whole year into its runtime. This is a short film that sets up the third season of Hibike! Euphonium remarkably. This review is spoiler-free, feel free to read without worries.

Story:
As I previously mentioned, this film focuses on one arc, the Ensemble Contest. As the new president of the concert band, Oumae Kumiko is faced with struggles on how to lead effectively in her ... role while continuing to refine her skills at the same time. Outside of that, the film centers on the intense preparation and competition for the ensemble contest, exploring the pressures and challenges faced by characters, existing and newly introduced. The film balances these struggles together with the looming competition. In terms of any drama/tension, there is not that much compared to other installments of the series. In this case however, it is not a negative aspect at all. Without giving away any specifics, the story captures teamwork and pursuing excellence, while of course staying true to the heartfelt tone of Hibike! Euphonium. 8/10

Characters:
While the film focuses mainly on Kumiko, it does a good job in building the side characters. Even though it is sad to see some of my favorite characters absent from the band due to exam preparations (some of them do return but I rest my case), the new characters and the current ones we have are still very enjoyable to watch. In this particular film, I must commend the dynamic between Kumiko and Reina. Even though the other films and seasons already had a really good dynamic between them, this film somehow does it better. Their interactions were amazing and their character growth is especially noticeable when compared to the past. New characters had their fair share of development as well. Generally, this part of the film is very well done. Never really felt that there was any rush in development. Kumiko and Reina stole the spotlight for this field but the rest were definitely not undeveloped. 9/10

Art and Animation:
What can I say? It's Hibike! Euphonium. The art and animation are flawless as always. Adopting the same art style as usual (not counting Liz to Aoi Tori), you will not be disappointed if you already love how the series looks. Characters are full of emotions and expressions and everything felt natural. The reflections and colors are beautiful and the environment is so lively. If I were to try and find something to nitpick, I literally cannot. Phenomenal as always, definitely will never be disappointed for this field. 10/10

Music/Sound Design:
Another field that Hibike! Euphonium excels in. The voice acting and music are great as always. The ending song for the credits was really good. However, I do think there wasn't a chance for the music to shine as compared to previous installments. The way they did the performances could have definitely been done better. I was sad I didn't get to hear the full performance. Outside of that however, exceedingly great job. Usually would be a perfect score, but because of the incomplete performances, I will have to rate it lower. 8.5/10

Overall, Hibike! Euphonium delivers once again with its powerful blend of emotional depth, character development and musical excellence. It delves more into the personal journeys of our favorite band members, capturing their experiences without missing a beat. Stunning art, amazing sound design, splendid story and characters. If you have been loving the series thus far, you will not be disappointed. With this leading to season 3 of the show, it does its job by giving a little sneak peek of what to expect in the end.

Kumiko is best girl.

Hibike! Euphonium Movie 3: Chikai no Finale is a continuation from Season 2 of the series. There is a separate film called 'Liz To Aoi Tori', which takes place some time in the middle of the movie. I highly recommend watching that film before watching this film as it makes some moments hit a lot harder. Chikai no Finale is a great film filled with dramatic moments, amazing sound direction and art. It has definitely not fallen in quality when compared to the series that came before. This review is spoiler-free.

Story:
Some might argue that a new season is better than a movie. I do agree ... to a certain extent. Due to its limited runtime of 1 hour 40 minutes, the film could not expand on all of the new characters that were introduced with the second year of Kumiko's school journey. At the same time, there were a lot of events that could not be touched on properly. This film basically has the same events as the series, just that they had to be fit into the small timeframe. Overall, I would say that they did a pretty good job of doing so. For important scenes, they handled them quite well and had the impact they needed to deliver to the audience. The film had many moments with tension that were resolved satisfactorily. Again, it would be better if this was made into a new season, but I am not unsatisfied with their execution. 7.5/10

Characters:
With a new school year, there were first-year characters that were introduced. There was only a few that could really be expanded on due to the runtime of the movie but these characters were fleshed out decently. One in particular, Hisaishi Kanade, I was very happy with. Without spoilers, all I can say is that she was a character that intrigued me from the start and I became quite fond of her interesting attitude and resolve. Other than her, some second-years everyone is familiar with also got their fair share of development. The film does focus more on the first-years though, allowing them to fit in more into the band. Generally, this department of the film was done pretty well, at least for the characters that the audience is meant to focus on. 8/10

Art and Animation:
Of course, KyoAni never fails here when it comes to Hibike! Euphonium. The art and animation are amazing, polished and smooth. Scenery is beautiful, characters are super expressive, everything is just so pleasant to look at. Nothing much else to say, they did a spectacular job as usual. You can tell KyoAni puts their soul into making this series look good. 10/10

Sound Direction/Music:
Again, another department that never fails to deliver. Music is extraordinary and the voice acting is phenomenal as well. You can really tell how much Kumiko has grown as a character through her voice acting. The pieces that were played are beautiful. Really nothing to complain about, the sound direction is immersive and sucks you into the film. As always for Hibike! Euphonium, one of their strongest points. 10/10

To conclude, Chikai no Finale is a splendid continuation of the series, using its short runtime to a damn good extent. A new season would have probably been better to build on all the new characters and struggles, but overall it left me satisfied and wanting more. Even though some of my favorite characters are no longer here due to them graduating, I am still very happy with the new and current characters. Please do not skip this movie as it is canon and do not forget to watch 'Liz to Aoi Tori', another great film.

PS. Watch the after credits, I did not expect to see that so soon.

"Liz to Aoi Tori" is an amazing film that captures the development of the two characters, Nozomi Kasaki and Mizore Yoroizuka, who plays in the school's concert band. This film is a spinoff from the series 'Hibike Euphonium', which features these two characters that already had their arc. It expands on the short time that these two characters were shown. Even for those that have not watched 'Hibike Euphonium', this is still a great standalone, self-contained film. However, I highly recommend people to watch up to the end of season 2 before watching this film since it not only takes place after that, but you ... will be able to appreciate it a lot more. Now, on to the elements that makes this film amazing. This review does contain spoilers, so take caution.

Story:
The story in this film is told through the two girls, Nozomi and Mizore. They are portrayed as 'Liz' and the 'Blue Bird', which are characters in the storybook, 'Liz and the Blue Bird', which is often brought up. The main premise in this film is that the school band is preparing for a duet based performance on this book. With Nozomi and Mizore being the 'main characters' of this performance, they struggle to find a satisfactory link between their instruments, the oboe and the flute. Mizore and Nozomi's relationship is the core of the narrative, and their personalities reflect the contrasting characters in the book. Mizore is shy and introverted like Liz, while Nozomi is more outgoing, embodying the spirit of the Blue Bird. The story explores themes of emotional dependency, unspoken feelings, and the challenges of change and moving on. Overall, the pace of the movie is slow, which some people might not enjoy. In my case, I enjoyed how slow it was, as it elevated the feelings I had during the scenes. 9/10

Characters:
Again, the main premise in this film is the relationship between Mizore and Nozomi. However, outside of these two characters (who are written extremely well), there features other characters that exist from the series. The film does an amazing job fitting them in between these two characters, enhancing their growth. For Nozomi, it was Yuuko and Natsuki that pushed her forward. For Mizore, Ririka and Niiyama-sensei were her driving forces. This is once again a great area that the film nailed. 9/10

Art:
The art/animation is vastly different compared to the usual series. Naoko Yamada employs a soft, pastel-like color palette that gives the film a dreamlike, almost ethereal atmosphere. Her use of close-up shots and gentle, quiet moments enhances the film's emotional depth. While like many others, I do agree that I prefer the original series' art style and animation, at the same time I still really enjoyed the change. It is more simple compared to the beauty KyoAni usually puts out. 8/10

Music/Sound Design:
Of course, they never fail to deliver when it comes to this department. The score by Kensuke Ushio complements the film's delicate atmosphere, and the classical pieces performed by the characters add emotional weight to the narrative (Mizore playing the piano was a great scene). The sound design is minimalist, often using silence and subtle ambient noises to heighten the emotional tension and make each moment feel more personal and immersive. Music is great as always in Hibike Euphonium fashion. Nothing much else to say, they delivered excellently as usual. 10/10

Overall, "Liz to Aoi Tori" is a poetic, emotionally driven film that stands out for its great storytelling, artistic direction and powerful use of music/sound design. While it might not be a melodramatic or thrilling film, it still remains a moving exploration of friendship, individuality, showing the bittersweet process of growing apart. These characters that were touched on for only a few episodes ended up becoming some of my favorites in this show. Again, I highly recommend watching Hibike Euphonium first before watching this film, since the series itself is also a masterpiece.

Look Back is an amazing film that tells a story between two characters. While it is a very short film only being slightly less than an hour, it made use of its time flawlessly. It is filled with happiness, sadness, tragedy, comedy, and many more emotions. To go into some aspects of how great this film is:

Story: 9/10
It has a straight-forward plotline, focusing on mainly 2 female leads with their dedication to art. These two continuously build each other up and their development is very apparent throughout the film. The comedic scenes are funny, and during serious moments, it definitely does a great job portraying ... its dramatic tone. If you can relate to the issues and incidents that happen in this film, it will definitely hit you hard. There are many references to Fujimoto's past work and I am also guessing that this story is related to Fujimoto's own life.

Art: 9/10
While it may not be Makoto Shinkai level, the art is still absolutely gorgeous. The animation is fluid, the colors are vibrant. If I were to describe it, I would say that its almost like a manga that moves. The characters are super expressive and the backgrounds are great as well. The color shifts to fit the tone and it's nothing short of amazing. Highly recommended especially if you're already fond of Fujimoto's art

Music: 10/10
In my opinion, the music is one of the best parts of this film. It captures the moments so perfectly and it hits hard when it needs to. The sound direction really encapsulates you in that moment. There are sudden stops in the music that makes it that much more dramatic and the scores are so damn good.

All in all, this film is amazing. If you have already read the manga and enjoyed it, you will not be disappointed. This story is very down to earth compared to other Fujimoto works. It has many life lessons that teaches about friendship, moving on and of course, to "Look Back" once in a while. Watch it if you have the time, you will not regret it.

Please release Shark Kick now.

This is the prime example of what an anime should be. This anime single-handedly negates all other anime with only episode one. Crunchyroll really outdid themselves with this revolutionary, state of the art PS2 exclusive.

Everytime the main character, amos, or aimer one of those, went on screen, I immediately start praising the name of this masterpiece. Truly something to behold.

I particularly liked the scene where... Ah apologies I seem to have forgotten the scene. Anyway, this cartoon is really in a league of its own. I liked how they tried to incorporate this manga into real life by using realistic 3D modelling using photoshop.

Studios ... like MAPPA and Ufotable should be on their toes, there's a new GOAT in town. This sets a new standard for new webtoons alike and I cannot wait to see what other shows this novel will inspire. They weren't lying when they said they were declaring war on all Sci-Fi series around the world. This romantic harem show really showed those series whose the boss.

Now let me move on to the things that make this documentary as perfect as it is.

Thank you for reading my review on sex-arm.

This... wow... absolutely incredible

I'm gonna be honest I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi anime but this show completely nullified that part of me. I remember finding a few fight animations of the anime and they looked so good that it would be a crime not to give the show a shot. I am incredibly happy that I did.

I won't go into detail but this show is simply amazing, leaving me speechless after each episode. Each arc in the anime was outstanding and there were very few problems that I could see. The characters are all unique and without noticing it, you are sympathising ... with the characters. Overall a 9/10 for the story and 10/10 for characters.

The music is another aspect of this anime that is incredible. Each soundtrack fits the context and compliments the scenes shown flawlessly. Not much to say for this aspect, it is simply stunning. 10/10 for the sound

The art... Jesus Christ. Absolutely astounding. The characters are drawn so well with unique designs and the use of CGI leaves little flaws. Some moments also include a change in the art style, which are beautiful to the eye. The art is spellbinding and it is hard to look away. 10/10 for the art.

It was a 10/10 for enjoyment, definitely. The way they manage to contrast the fight scenes and actual story so well is beyond belief and kept me hooked every second of the show.

Overall, this anime is a 10/10 for me. Every aspect of this show surprises me and if I could go back and watch this without any memories of it, I would. I am glad the show is getting the recognition it deserves, but I do still think it is underrated. For whoever that showed me the scenes of this anime, I owe you a lifetime. This anime now stands as one of my top 10 of all time and it won't be getting off anytime soon. If you do have time or is interested in this show, please do me a favour and watch it. It is an experience you would not forget and it is worth it. How the show manages to tell such a fascinating story in the timespan of 13 episodes is phenomenal, breathtaking, magnificent, spectacular. There's just not enough words to explain how much I love this show and what I would give to watch it again without memories. Please, watch this show.