10 More Programs With Hints of Drama, Life Lessons, or Music!
Sound! Euphonium’s third season has arrived, highlighting Kumiko and her friend’s third-year high school and band endeavors. Although the anime can be a hassle to get into, watch order-wise, this shouldn’t prevent folks from catching up to Kumiko’s colorful, music-centric journey. On top of delivering stellar musical sessions that’ll fill folks with glee, this anime’s drama is top-notch and will engage many audiences.
If you’re currently watching this anime but don’t know of shows/anime that capture its magic, fear not. We’ve searched through the archives to find you 10 more TV shows/anime that offer a similar viewing experience.
Additionally, for each program we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows/anime that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming Sound! Euphonium!
Bocchi The Rock
Similarities – Music & Slice of Life
Bocchi The Rock is a phenomenal music-centric gem that’ll excite audiences as much as Sound! Euphonium did. This 12-episode series follows Hitori Gotou, a socially anxious teenager who joins the colorful Kessoku Band run by a skillful drummer named Nijika. By playing alongside Kessoku Band, Hitori earns the moniker, Bocchi, and we examine her and her companions’ journeys to become phenomenal musicians.
Like Sound! Euphonium, Bocchi The Rock features a star-studded female cast with colorful personalities, aspirations, and techniques. Although this tale centers around Bocchi and her goals of overcoming the insecurities that hold her back, the anime delves into the other characters’ lives, too. This allows the cast to come off as realistic humanoids worth cheering for.
Coupled with insightful, genuine lore on the rock band industry, Bocchi The Rock will wow you.
You can read our thoughts on Bocchi The Rock in our full-season review here!
K-On
Similarities – Music, School Clubs, Slice of Life
Sound! Euphonium isn’t the only anime Kyoto Animation Studios produced featuring a colorful cast of musically gifted characters. Enter K-On, one of the most well-acclaimed “cute girls doing cute things” anime you’ll stumble across today. Like Sound! Euphonium, this anime features its adorable female cast participating in events not too different from the ones you’d encounter with friends.
From goofing around at shops to taking glorious strolls through atmospheric locations, K-On’s cast’s affairs will leave you pampered. However, it’s worth noting that both shows center around different music genres. Essentially, K-On prefers rock and pop music. Sound! Euphonium examines orchestral music. Nevertheless, music enthusiasts will value how these series tackle these musical genres.
Therefore, if you’re looking for another music anime that tackles music and friendship in endearing ways, check out K-On!
Kids On The Slope
Similarities – Music, Drama, Slice of Life
Kids On The Slope is a phenomenal Mappa Studios anime with a coming-of-age storyline that’s on par with Sound! Euphonium’s tale. The anime features two boys named Kaoru and Sentarou. After both males meet for the first time, they agree to form a band. Kaoru and Sentarou vow to bring others joy through the power of music. While this tale starts slow, it gradually becomes one with rich drama, heart, and soul.
Much like Kumiko and Kousaka, this anime develops Kaoru and Sentarou’s connection, giving audiences a heartfelt bond to observe and hold close to their chests. Additionally, the anime features brilliant imagery and beautiful animation. This allows folks to immerse themselves in the different assortment of music our leads and others play.
For those who love music or are thinking about picking up an instrument for the first time, do yourself a favor, and check this out.
A Place Further Than The Universe
Similarities – Drama, Themes, Female Cast
A Place Further Than The Universe may not be everyone’s favorite Madhouse Studios anime, but it’s certainly one of its best. This anime features a group of female friends who venture to Antarctica to solve a mystery regarding one of their mother’s disappearances. Like Sound! Euphonium, this anime tackles the beauty of human connection and experience well.
Before they journey to this icy locale, Mari and her friends encounter many relatable and grounded problems. From raising funds to conquering personal demons, you’ll be enamored by these girls’ determination. Additionally, this anime has that motivating factor, much like Sound! Euphonium. Where Sound! Euphonium will encourage people to play an instrument, A Place Further Than The Universe encourages folks to travel.
Nevertheless, both tackle their respective topics with integrity and will influence viewers to tackle their goals. Coupled with gorgeous visuals, touchy moments, and a pleasant soundtrack, A Place Further Than The Universe is worth your time.
Your Lie In April
Similarities – Drama, Music, Themes
Even though April is upon us (as of this writing), that shouldn’t stop Sound! Euphonium fans from checking out this lovely anime. Although all may appear sunshine and rainbows on the surface, Your Lie In April isn’t afraid to tear fans’ hearts asunder with its captivating drama and saddening developments. This story centers around Kousei, a boy who lost his piano-playing drive due to his mother’s passing.
Fortunately, a cheery and talented violinist named Kaori enters Kousei’s life and plans to reignite his passion for the instrument he held dearest to him. As with Kumiko, Your Lie In April’s Kousei and Kaori are talented anime musicians. They have distinct personalities and great chemistry. These aspects will persuade fans to root for them.
Fortunately, these characters aren’t flat. They receive enough meaningful development to leave an impact on fans. Regardless, if you seek an anime with storytelling that’ll toy with your emotions, watch this one.
Carole and Tuesday
Similarities – Music, Drama, Female Cast
Considering most critics claimed Shinchiro Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop evoked a sense of musical flare, it makes sense that he’d go on to create an anime centered around music. Carole and Tuesday is a unique music anime though. Unlike Sound! Euphonium, this anime is set in a futuristic ecosystem where humans and AI organisms coexist.
Carole, a hard-working keyboardist and worker, is at the heart of this sci-fi tale. Eventually, she crosses paths with Tuesday, a female runaway who wants to become a talented guitarist one day. When the girls learn of their shared adoration for music, they form a small band, hoping to restore humanity’s love for skillful human musicians.
Sound! Euphonium and Carole and Tuesday showcase their respective authors’ interest in music well. Both contain enchanting performances that’ll soothe and delight audiences. At the same time, both anime aren’t afraid to turn their story’s tension up a notch. Therefore, if you’re interested in Carole and Tuesday, you’re in for a semi-dark yet bright experience.
Nodame Cantabile
Similarities – Drama & Music
If Carole and Tuesday made you fearful of future entries on this list, fret not. Nodame Cantabile’s tale will leave you giggling and smiling with its wonderful stance on romance, comedy, and music. Additionally, this one contains many college-centric outings many university anime lovers will find relatable. Our tale follows Megumi and Shinichi, who must conquer the trials that come their way at their prestigious music college.
Like Sound! Euphonium (in spurts), this anime identifies the school and life-related obstacles that hamper one’s chances of pursuing their goals. Much like some of the first-years in Sound! Euphonium, this anime features its cast enduring challenging training regimes and making notable sacrifices to achieve a victory or subtle praise.
Therefore, expect Nodame Cantabile’s characters to engage in similar, well-crafted competitions, practice sessions, and auditions as the ones inserted in Sound! Euphonium.
Blue Period
Similarities – Drama, Club Life, Themes
Blue Period offers fans an enjoyable tale about art and achieving one’s dreams. It centers around Yatora Yaguchi, who wants to become a fantastic artist one day. Like several Sound! Euphonium characters, Yatora must resolve multiple internal and external hurdles to reach his dream. From relatable family troubles to ensuring he has a tight-knit understanding of his preferred craft, Yatora has much on his plate.
Fortunately, like Kumiko, Yatora will meet folks who’ll assist him on his journey. These supportive individuals carry fun personalities, with some having inner demons that must be defeated. While some Blue Period enthusiasts prefer its manga over the anime, Seven Arcs Studios did their best to give viewers a nice coming-of-age tale to observe.
Therefore, give this anime a watch if you cherish the creative arts.
You can read our thoughts on Blue Period in our full-season review here!
Shirobako
Similarities – Drama, Slice of Life, Themes
As of this write-up, Sound! Euphonium’s third season recently explored Kumiko’s peculiarities regarding her career path. It’d make many question what would happen if Kumiko met Aoi and her friends in Shirobako. Shirobako follows Aoi, Ema, Midori, Shizuka, and Misa. Despite their shared love for animation, Aoi and Ema net themselves a career in the anime industry, while the other three explore different career routes.
Although everything feels bright on the surface for the five, they learn life isn’t afraid to tamper with their pleasant experiences. As with Kumiko and her friends, Shirobako places Aoi and her buddies in down-to-earth scenarios. These scenarios will entice audiences to recall instances where they held impactful discussions with friends and family concerning their distinct hobbies, aspirations, and the unexpected dilemmas that interfere with them.
Moreover, both shows will motivate viewers to tackle life by the horns, never letting go until they arrive at their desired destination. Coupled with having colorful visuals and a nice stance on workplace culture, Shirobako is worth watching.
Love Live! School Idol Project
Similarities – Music, Female Cast, Slice of Life
Love Live! School Idol Project offers a cheery depiction of idol culture. This anime tackles similar ideas and features a memorable female cast, much like Sound! Euphonium. In it, we follow Honoka, a second-year student who forms an idol group with her friends. Together, they must achieve glory at the upcoming Love Live competition, otherwise, their high school will shut down.
Both anime dabble in music, despite tackling different forms of it. Love Live! School Idol Project focuses more on dancing and singing, while Sound! Euphonium opts for concert band and orchestra. Nonetheless, these anime approach friendship and hard work in exciting, relatable ways. At the same time, both anime offer beautiful visuals and animation, ensuring audiences they’ll walk away with visually pleasing experiences.
All in all, you’ll find this anime appealing if you’re into idol groups and music.
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with Sound! Euphonium!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!