Undoubtedly "Hibike! Euphonium”is one of the most representative works of Kyoto Animation, one of the most popular studios in the industry. And although changes have been made to the original story (mainly because it is impossible to fully adapt a novel into anime), The most recent episode made a tremendous change that left the fan community divided.

In this new season, the members of the Kitauji Institute concert band now aim to win the gold medal in the national competition. For third-year club president Kumiko Oumae and her friends, this is their last chance before graduation. Filled with excitement and anxiety, Kumiko worries about whether she can successfully lead the band.

Amidst all these hardships, Kumiko meets Mayu Kuroe, a transfer student. From her kind demeanor to her talent on the euphonium, Mayu joined the Seira Women's Academy concert band, a regular participant in national competitions. Although Mayu is nice, Kumiko can't help but feel an indescribable feeling from the encounter.

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

And why was it a surprise? Well, because in the original novel, the protagonist achieves victory. It's a huge change in the story, and while there's still one episode left to air in this third season, it's already divided the fan community. However, to begin with, you have to review What did Ayano Takeda, the author of the work, think of this?. She wrote on Twitter:

• «I'm concerned that some words I never said are being spread as if they were facts (I don't believe there is any malicious intent, so please don't blame those who are sharing them). As for my position, the anime is an independent and wonderful work in its own right, which was created respecting and reconstructing the original novel. If there are parts that exceed my tolerance, I communicate them and they are reflected in the script, so I am calm and satisfied with the result. In short, “I wish you would like the anime as anime and the romance as romance”, I hope you can understand».

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

• «I would like to thank director Tatsuya Ishihara for accepting a development different from the original novels. To assistant director Taichi Ogawa for the storyboards, to the entire team, and especially to writer Ayano Takeda. The next episode will be the last. I'm very grateful to everyone.».

But here comes the most important part, What did the fans think about this?

• «Sometimes this person creates masterpieces, but they also ruin other masterpieces we've watched for nine years with horrible modifications. What happened to Kumiko and Reina's solo that I was so looking forward to? Of course they should have been chosen for their skills, but I wanted to see Kumiko surpass Mayu.».
• «Winning a national gold medal isn't easy. In life, you encounter many things like that.».
• «I really wanted to see Kumiko's solo. Very disappointing. Horrible modification.».
• «I will never watch season 3 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 at the end is as credible as our current government».
• «I love it, but I can understand why people who wanted a happy ending might complain. Those who read the original novel say the Kansai tournament part was cut significantly in the anime to emphasize meritocracy, so there were signs.».
• «With this, it's possible that Kumiko will leave the band and not appear in the final episode, and that Reina and Mayu will win national gold. Hanada has no mercy on losers.».
• «Definitely complete garbage. Adapt it faithfully to the original. It's very unfair.».
• «It's not about whether the mod is good or bad; many people don't understand the value this anime shows. Both scripts are truly wonderful. Hanada-sensei highlighted the value of the Euphonium impressively. Personal preferences shouldn't be the issue.».

Source: Otakomu