Sound! Euphonium Season 1 (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray) Unboxing

I attended MCM Comic Con Birmingham and acquired a couple anime titles! For this unboxing we have the first season of Sound! Euphonium which receives a much cheaper release compared to the US version.

Sound! Euphonium (Hibike! Euphonium) is a 2015 anime based on a novel written by Ayano Takeda and illustrated by Nikki Asada. The anime was adapted by studio Kyoto Animation and published by Pony Canyon.

Much like many of Kyoto Animation’s adaptations and original works, Sound! Euphonium gained popularity with its characters and concept, spawning an anime season sequel and a couple of films along the way. Pony Canyon brought the series over to North America under their US branch across three volumes in a similar vein to Aniplex of America, however their products did not match the quality in contrast.

Meanwhile the franchise never received a home video release outside of the US due to Pony Canyon, however it turns out that Crunchyroll seemly owns the rights to the Pony Canyon US properties. As Crunchyroll has a partnership of sorts with Anime Limited, they were able to acquire the UK & Ireland rights for Sound! Euphonium Season 1 as well as a couple other titles – Rokka -Brave of the Six Flowers- and Welcome to the Ballroom.

The Blu-ray release from Anime Limited covers the first season of the anime – all 13 episodes and an OVA across 2 Blu-ray discs. The audio options available include the original Japanese audio with English and French subtitles. The white subtitles are locked during playback and the discs are compatible with regions B only. This release was authored by French Anime Limited aka @Anime.

Blu-ray Specs:

Languages: Japanese
Audio: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Video: 1080p High Definition Native format with 16:9 ratio
Region: B
Subtitles: English, French
Locked Subtitles: Yes
Discs: 2

Plot Synopsis (via Anime Limited):

After the disappointment of defeat in a major competition during her final year in middle school, brass band music has lost its lustre for Kumiko as she enters high school. Despite vowing to leave music behind and make a fresh start, peer pressure from her new-found friends sees Kumiko once again taking up the Euphonium for Kitauji High School’s band club.

With an ambitious new club advisor at their helm the pressure is on for the club to qualify for the national tournament, but this lofty goal only serves to highlight the fractured relationships between cliques within the group’s existing members. As Kumiko struggles to make sense of this unrest, her attention is inexorably drawn towards former classmate and current club mate, the enigmatic Reina.

Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:

OVA: Episode 14 – Ready, Set, Monaka (Kakedasu Monaka)
The Band Club’s Daily Life shorts (Suisougaku-bu no Nichijou)
TV Commercials
Textless Songs
Trailers