Kyoto Animation put out a video full of new footage on September 11, 2026, the same day Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 2 opened in Japanese theatres. Part 1 landed on April 24. That closes a story the studio has been telling since 2015 across two TV seasons, a third, four films, a spin-off feature and a pile of shorts — which is exactly why the most common question about this franchise is not whether it is good but in what order you are supposed to watch it.
Quick answer
The correct Sound! Euphonium watch order is: season 1 (2015), season 2 (2016), Liz and the Blue Bird (2018), Chikai no Finale (2019), Ensemble Contest-hen (2023), season 3 (2024), then The Final Movie Part 1 (April 24, 2026) and Part 2 (September 11, 2026). All of it is Kyoto Animation, directed by Tatsuya Ishihara and Taichi Ogawa with scripts by Jukki Hanada, character designs by Shoko Ikeda and Kazumi Ikeda, and music by Akito Matsuda. Tomoyo Kurosawa voices Kumiko Oumae throughout. The TV seasons stream on Crunchyroll in most regions. According to SenpaiRanks, season 2 is the peak of the franchise at an adjusted 7.98, with season 1 at 7.80 and season 3 at 7.47.
The order, entry by entry
1. Hibike! Euphonium — season 1 (2015, 13 episodes)
Start here, no exceptions. Kumiko joins a concert band that has forgotten how to take itself seriously and watches it decide, painfully, to try again. Adjusted score 7.80.
2. Movie 1: Kitauji Koukou Suisougaku-bu e Youkoso (2016) — skippable
A recap of season 1 with some new footage. If you have watched the TV run, skip it. Scores 7.33, which is the usual compilation-film penalty.
3. Hibike! Euphonium 2 — season 2 (2016, 13 episodes)
The best thing the franchise has made. The competition stops being the plot and the question of who gets cut becomes it. Adjusted 7.98 — the highest score on any Euphonium entry we track.
4. Movie 2: Todoketai Melody (2017) — skippable
Season 2's recap film. Same logic as Movie 1. 7.53.
5. Liz and the Blue Bird (2018) — do not skip
Naoko Yamada's side film about Mizore and Nozomi. It looks and sounds nothing like the series — different palette, different sound design, almost no Kumiko. It also scores 7.84, above season 1, and it is the entry people who bounced off the TV show come back for.
6. Movie 3: Chikai no Finale (2019)
Not a recap. This is the second-year story told as a feature, and it is required viewing before season 3. 7.58.
7. Ensemble Contest-hen (2023)
A short feature bridging into the third year. 7.13.
8. Hibike! Euphonium 3 — season 3 (2024, 13 episodes)
Kumiko's final year and the audition arc that split the fandom down the middle. 7.47 — a real dip from season 2, and the discourse around the ending is the reason.
9. The Final Movie Part 1 (April 24, 2026)
The two-part theatrical close. Opened in Japan in April.
10. The Final Movie Part 2 (September 11, 2026)
The end. The video Kyoto Animation streamed on opening day:
Where each piece streams
Seasons 1 through 3 and the spin-off features are on Crunchyroll in most territories — and the English dub situation we covered separately in our Sound! Euphonium English dub guide. Liz and the Blue Bird has circulated through several licensors and its availability moves; check your region rather than assuming. Neither Final Movie part has an international streaming date. Japanese theatrical runs for this franchise have historically taken nine to eighteen months to reach overseas platforms, and 2026 has been a strong theatrical year generally — the box-office picture is in our biggest anime movies of 2026 breakdown.
The short version if you have no time
Season 1, season 2, Liz and the Blue Bird, Chikai no Finale, season 3. That is the spine. Everything else is either a recap you already saw or a bridge short. If you only ever watch one thing from this franchise, make it season 2 — it is the highest-scoring entry on our board and it works reasonably well on its own.
Euphonium sits alongside the rest of the studio's catalogue on our best Kyoto Animation anime ranking, and against the wider genre on the best music anime ranking. Rating any of these entries yourself moves where they land — the board is voted, not editorial.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the correct Sound! Euphonium watch order?
A: Season 1 (2015), season 2 (2016), Liz and the Blue Bird (2018), Chikai no Finale (2019), Ensemble Contest-hen (2023), season 3 (2024), The Final Movie Part 1 (April 24, 2026), The Final Movie Part 2 (September 11, 2026).
Q: Can I skip the compilation movies?
A: Yes. Movie 1 and Movie 2 recap seasons 1 and 2 with limited new footage. Chikai no Finale and Ensemble Contest-hen are not recaps and should not be skipped.
Q: Do I need to watch Liz and the Blue Bird?
A: It is technically a side story, but it covers Mizore and Nozomi's arc in a way the TV seasons never revisit, and at an adjusted 7.84 it outscores season 1. Watch it after season 2.
Q: Where can I watch Sound! Euphonium?
A: Seasons 1 to 3 stream on Crunchyroll in most regions. The Final Movie Part 1 and Part 2 are currently Japanese theatrical only, with no international streaming date announced.
Q: Is Sound! Euphonium good?
A: SenpaiRanks tracks season 2 at 7.98 adjusted and season 1 at 7.80, both of which place them near the top of our music-anime board. Season 3 is the weakest TV entry at 7.47.
Q: When did The Final Movie Part 2 release?
A: It opened in Japanese theatres on September 11, 2026. Part 1 opened on April 24, 2026.