Hibike fans! Euphonium annoyed with Kyoto Animation

There is no doubt that "Hibike! "Euphonium" is one of the most representative works of Kyoto Animation, one of the most popular studios in the industry. And although changes had been made to the original story (mainly because it is impossible to fully adapt a novel to anime), the most recent episode made a tremendous change that has left the fan community divided.

In this new season, the members of the Kitauji Institute concert band are now aiming to win a gold medal in the national competition. For third-year club president Kumiko Oumae and her friends, this is the last chance before graduating. Full of excitement and anxiety, Kumiko worries about whether she will be able to successfully lead the band.

In the midst of all these difficulties, Kumiko meets Mayu Kuroe, a transfer student. From her gentle demeanor to her talent with the euphonium, Mayu was a member of the concert band of the Seira Women's Academy, a regular participant in national competitions. Although Mayu is sympathetic, Kumiko can't help but get an indescribable sense of their encounter.

And that's how we get to the most recent episode, where we see that the protagonist Kumiko Oumae and the transfer student Mayu Kuroe have a confrontation in the national soloist contest, specifically in the audition. In this episode, to the surprise of all fans of the original novel, the protagonist Kumiko Oumae loses completely.

Hibike fans! Euphonium annoyed with Kyoto Animation

And why was it a surprise? Well, because in the original novel, the protagonist achieves victory. It is a tremendous change to the story, and although there is still one chapter to air of this third season, this change has already divided the fan community. However, to begin with, it is necessary to review what Ayano Takeda, the author of the work, thought about it. She wrote on Twitter:

"I'm concerned that some words I've never said are being spread as if they were deeds (I don't think there's any bad intention, so please don't blame those who are sharing them). As for my stance, anime is an independent and very wonderful work in itself, which has been created respecting and reconstructing the original novel. If there are parts that exceed my tolerance, I communicate it and they are reflected in the script, so I am calm and satisfied with the result. In short, "I would like you to enjoy anime as anime and novel as a novel", I hope you can understand it".

On the other hand, Jukki Hanada, screenwriter of the anime adaptation, also shared an update on Twitter:

"I would like to thank director Tatsuya Ishihara for accepting a different development than the original novels. Assistant director Taichi Ogawa for the storyboards, the entire team and, above all, the author Ayano Takeda. The next episode will be the last. I feel very grateful to everyone."

But here comes the most important part, what did the fans think about it?

"Sometimes this person creates masterpieces, but he also ruins other masterpieces that we have followed for nine years with horrible modifications. What happened to Kumiko and Reina's solo that you were looking forward to? Of course they should be chosen for their ability, but I wanted to see Kumiko surpass Mayu."
"Winning a national gold medal is not that easy. In life, you come across a lot of things like this."
"I really wanted to see Kumiko's solo. Very disappointing. Horrible modification."
"I won't see the third season ever again."
"In the original novel, Mayu is just an obstacle for Kumiko, so it's understandable. Hanada-sensei did a great job."
"Hanada-sensei's plot towards the end is as reliable as our current government."
"I love it, but I can understand that those who wanted a happy ending are complaining. Those who read the original novel say that they have cut the Kansai tournament part of the anime a lot to emphasize meritocracy, so there were signs."
"With this, it might be possible for Kumiko to leave the band and not appear in the final episode, and for Reina and Mayu to win the national gold. Hanada has no mercy on the losers."
"Definitely complete garbage. Make the adaptation faithful to the original. It's too unfair."
"It's not about whether the modification is good or bad, there are too many people who don't understand what the value of this anime is. Both scripts are really wonderful. Hanada-sensei has brought out the value of Euphonium impressively. You should not speak from personal preferences."