History Characters / HibikeEuphonium

Characters from ''Literature/HibikeEuphonium''. Names are listed with the given name before the surname.

[[foldercontrol]]

!Main Characters

[[folder: Kumiko Oumae]]
[[quoteright:167:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8cbd2328ed4dec98403f6a53c472deb5.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Tomoyo Kurosawa

A first-year student and primary viewpoint character. She joins the music club alongside Hazuki and Sapphire, hoping to try out a new instrument instead of having to play the euphonium. Unfortunately, she gets roped into playing the euph by Asuka and winds up in the bass section.
----
* ACupAngst: Revealed to have this in episode 5, when her physical exams reveal that her bust hasn't grown at all. She starts to feel better about it once she realizes that Hazuki and Sapphire aren't very well-endowed either. That is, until Asuka comes along.
* AmbiguouslyBi: In the anime, her bond with Reina is far more prominent (and homoerotic) while Shuichi is somewhat DemotedToExtra, but his plotline remains, and whenever it becomes relevant she's implied to still harbor feelings for him.
* AmbiguousDisorder: She's [[InnocentlyInsensitive unintentionally dismissive]], [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold far more empathetic than her actions imply]], and [[NoSocialSkills rather poor at demonstrating]] [[OpenMouthInsertFoot appropriate emotional responses to situations]], all possible signs of some sort of Autistic spectrum disorder.
* CannotSpitItOut: Has a hard time talking to Reina at all, let alone about the incident in junior high. She sidesteps the topic when she sees Reina is at least willing to talk to her, and later realizes that Reina let it go.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Shuichi. They had a fight in junior high, where Shuichi insulted Kumiko.
** ChildhoodFriendRomance: In the novels, Kumiko isn't ''as'' dismissive of Shuichi as the anime would lead you to believe. This comes to a head by the fourth book [[spoiler:where Kumiko herself finally confesses to Shuichi, and they officially start dating.]]
* TheCynic: It doesn't take much to make her assume the worst out of a person or a situation, and many of her expectations are pretty low. Shuuichi [[{{Lampshade}} lampshades]] this early on.
* DeadpanSnarker: Holy cow is she ever.
* ExperiencedProtagonist: A mundane example compared to others, but Kumiko had been playing the euphonium for 7 years by the start of the story, and was a member of a band that won (dud) gold in the past.
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Subverted. At the competition in middle school and on the first day of high school she wears her hair in a ponytail, possibly as a way to change herself. However, she lets her hair back down the second day onwards.
* HiddenDepths: Reina thinks that even though outwardly Kumiko is kind and friendly, on the inside she is a lot more cold and distant.
* InnerMonologue: There are a lot of details from the original that only make it to the anime adaptation thanks to Kumiko's monologues, such as explanations on band procedure and her own internal character development.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: [[EstablishingCharacterMoment In junior high,]] in response to Reina's frustration over not getting into the Nationals, Kumiko says "Did you really think that we could make the Nationals?". This causes Reina to storm off in tears. Kumiko initially feels guilty about it, but isn't sure if she should apologize to Reina about it. [[spoiler:Turns out Reina likes her better for it.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Hardly an episode goes by without her being callous or dismissive, but she is a well-meaning, empathetic friend at heart.
* TheMuse: For Reina. Kumiko represents the type of person who distances herself from others emotionally, yet at the same time seamlessly fits into the expectations of society.
* ObliviousToLove: Is completely shocked that Shuichi would ask her out.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Kumiko's tendency to talk without thinking combined with her cynicism makes her very prone to this.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: Her and Reina's relationship can be very romantic at times with Kumiko often acting love struck around Reina. Episode 8 is dedicated about romance and it's Reina that Kumiko goes on a semi-date with.
* ShrinkingViolet: Kumiko has an incredibly hard time saying 'no' to people and is easily swayed by peer pressure.
* TakeTheThirdOption: During the vote for whether the club will have "Going for Nationals" as its goal, Kumiko doesn't raise her hand for either nationals or "Just Fun". This reflects her personality in the club very well, she isn't one of the diligent serious players like Reina, nor is she a complete slacker like some of the others, falling squarely in the middle. It also does well in showing her indecision and self-consciousness, because while she thinks she shouldn't put so much effort into something she sees as unattainable (reaching nationals), she doesn't want Reina to think she has no motivation by raising her hand for the latter choice.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Reina Kousaka]]
[[quoteright:125:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d9ea7cae060ae33517095a9e22037aa1.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Chika Anzai

A beautiful trumpet player and Kumiko's former classmate in junior high. Reina and Kumiko were in the same music club, but had a falling out after Kumiko accidentally [[InnocentlyInsensitive said something insensitive]].
----
* AloofDarkHairedGirl: She doesn't seem to interact with other people very much and is often seen by herself.
* AmbiguouslyGay: In the anime she tends to act ''very'' romantic toward Kumiko, and even says that the cold and distant person Kumiko keeps hidden is someone she loves. That said, in both the anime and books she mentions that she is attracted to, even in love with Taki-sensei.
* AscendedExtra: Given a ''much'' more expanded role in the anime compared to her appearances in the first book (which the anime is adapting), especially with regards to her relationship with Kumiko. Indeed, much of the narrative significance that was supposed to have been given to Shuichi was passed on to Reina instead.
* CharacterTic: She pulls some of her hair over her shoulder sometimes while she talks.
* DefrostingIceQueen: At least from Kumiko's point of view, Reina gradually becomes easier to talk to. As far as the rest of the band is concerned, she stays the same.
* EmotionlessGirl: Most of the time, though the emotions seem to just be well-contained as she's prone to releasing them in [[NotSoStoic outbursts, whether it be crying or screaming in frustration]].
* HiddenEyes: Shortly in episode 4 of the anime, to add to Kumiko's assumption that Reina is literally about to murder her at the back of the school.
* HimeCut
* HotForTeacher: In the first book and in episode 10 of the anime, Reina mentions that she's attracted to Taki-sensei. [[AbortedArc The following books seem to forget this little fact though]].
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Reina doesn't think there's anything good about being similar to a lot of people and is uninterested in (possibly even averse to) it. Playing the trumpet is her method of becoming "truly special".
* TheMuse: For Kumiko. Reina represents a person whose singular drive and focus to excel at their chosen craft propels them on to greater things, something that Kumiko herself, who's always been dragged along by the flow, was unable to do.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Kumiko, it slides into AmbiguouslyGay on her part in episode 8.
* SeriousBusiness: Reina seems to take music far more seriously than most of the other members. She practices often and goes to the music classroom even outside of organized practice sessions.
* StealthHiBye: Does this from time to time towards Kumiko, often when she's talking to Shuichi.
* WhenSheSmiles: It can be quite a thing to behold and Kumiko is often awed by it.
* WomanInWhite: She dresses in an all-white dress ensemble for the festival. Kumiko compares her to the [[{{Youkai}} Yuki-onna]], even citing that her feelings at that time might've resembled what it would be like to fall under its charm despite fear.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Grade A in the anime for her winter uniform. In the original novel covers, she wears regular white socks.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Hazuki Katou]]
[[quoteright:127:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f07141f100c9afc8d1a39c2eaf70a369.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Ayaka Asai

Another first-year student and classmate to Kumiko and Sapphire. Hazuki was part of the tennis club in junior high, but decided to try something new in high school. She's very enthusiastic about the music club and wanted to play the trumpet. She ends up playing the tuba instead.
----

* AudienceSurrogate: To audience members that don't have any knowledge of music or how concert bands work. Music terms and equipment need to be explained to Hazuki, allowing the audience to be educated at the same time.
* CompanionCube: She cheers on Tubacabra when she has trouble playing.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: She buys a mouthpiece that she thinks is for a trumpet before she even gets an instrument. As it turns out, the mouthpiece is too big for a trumpet, and is actually for a tuba.
* HairDecorations: Has a barrette.
* HotForTeacher: Will not hesitate to say that Taki-sensei is handsome.
* GenkiGirl: Hazuki is a very cheerful and friendly person.
* {{Keigo}}: Averted. Hazuki is very informal, calling Kumiko by her first name without honorifics right after introducing herself. Kumiko is rather shocked by this.
* NaiveNewcomer: To music. Hazuki is a beginner to music and doesn't know many of the terms and equipment involved in band.
* UnrequitedLove: She develops a crush on Shuichi and even manages to go on a date, but Shuichi has a crush on Kumiko and can't return her feelings.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Sapphire "Midori" Kawashima]]
[[quoteright:149:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dcc7112add52711ac97fb0f62221b264.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Moe Toyota

Kumiko's classmate and fellow first-year. She doesn't really like her name and prefers to be called Midori. She joins the concert band club with Kumiko and Hazuki, picking the contrabass.
----

* BigOlEyebrows
* CompanionCube: Dubs her contrabass [[ICallItVera 'George'.]]
* EmbarrassingFirstName: She finds her birth name embarrassing and [[DoNotCallMePaul would rather be called Midori.]]
* HairDecorations: Has a cute, green bow with white polka dots.
* IdiotHair: A prominent one on her head, but she's not an idiot; just a little eccentric.
* TheOjou: She doesn't act like a stereotypical rich girl, but she did attend a school for the wealthy, which implies that she comes from an affluent family.
* ShipperOnDeck: For pretty much any couple.
* ShrinkingViolet: Midori is rather soft-spoken and timid.
* [[SmallGirlBigGun Small Girl Big Instrument]]: She plays the contrabass, which is basically a really big cello. It completely dwarfs her!
* ThirdPersonPerson: She refers to herself in the third person sometimes (though by her preferred name Midori rather than [[EmbarrassingFirstName her real name]]).
* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Her little sister Kohaku is basically a miniature version of her. Kohaku even wears the same green bow, but on the opposite side of her head.
[[/folder]]

!Other Concert Band Members

[[folder: Haruka Ogasawara]]
[[quoteright:137:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fa24edb7ceb3cb088d6541d336b97c43.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' SaoriHayami

A third-year student and the the president of the concert band club. She plays the baritone saxophone.
----

* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Keeps Asuka's antics in check every now and then.
* ClubPresident
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It could be said that this extends to the band as a whole. Last year the serious players and the slackers had a serious fight and half the freshmen quit, so now she is a little wary of putting her foot down in fear of losing more players.
* TheDitherer: An Empathic type thanks to the events of last year. See DarkAndTroubledPast above.
* GirlishPigtails
* MyGreatestFailure: Feels responsible for failing to quell the huge fight between the seniors and freshmen in the previous year, prompting many of the younger members to quit. As a result, she tries not to be too standoffish to avoid antagonizing anyone, but consequently doesn't seem to get much done either due to her fairly weak leadership skills.
* NiceGirl: This is actually the source of her insecurities, since she often worries that she's too nice to be an effective club president.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Asuka Tanaka]]
[[quoteright:111:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e8692afee5383b267e81a8bc65c0444f.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MinakoKotobuki

The third-year vice-president of the concert band club. She plays the euphonium and is responsible for roping Kumiko into joining her section.
----

* CatSmile: Every now and then.
* ChickMagnet: Hazuki blushes and has sparkle in her eyes when she first meets Asuka, then Asuka ruins it by revealing her personality. At one point, Haruka also mentions that Kaori is "obsessed" with Asuka's opinion of her.
* CloudCuckooLander: She has a very eccentric and playful personality.
* ComicRelief: Her antics often lighten heavy moods in the work.
* TheDitherer: She presents herself as the type that sees all sides, and Natsuki mentions at some point that Asuka is always neutral when a decision needs to be made.
* TheFace: Natsuki explains that Asuka takes this role because Haruka's too shy to do it effectively. It also helps that she's considered beautiful in-universe.
* FairWeatherMentor: To a very mild extent. Asuka has no problem coaching newbies and delivering tips. In fact, she's a good and encouraging teacher when it comes to strictly musical business...but that's where she feels her duty ends. Don't you dare bring any personal baggage into her bass section, or else she'll stomp out and leave everyone else -- not just the distracted band member -- to it.
* FingerTenting: She does this in the section leaders' meeting, complete with ScaryShinyGlasses.
* GenkiGirl
* GenreSavvy: Though she didn't have to convince Midori to play the contrabass, she convinced Hazuki to play the tuba due solely to her mouthpiece fitting it. Then overhears Kumiko having played the euphonium before, despite her claim to have never touched it before, and yanks her back over to the brass instruments section.
* GratuitousEnglish: Plus the occasional Spanish.
* HiddenDepths: A more negative variant. On the surface, she's all bubbles and CloudCuckoolander antics, with enough skill to make her a BunnyEarsLawyer. However, she's shown to be fairly manipulative, and a master of getting what she wants while dodging any unpleasantness that she might face as a result. She's also somewhat disingenuous, as she doesn't actually care about the on-goings of other people, and has explicitly expressed this on multiple occasions. That said, most band members value her opinion and praise more than they do for Haruka, the actual president. Thus, Asuka gets the adulation while Haruka gets stuck with the heavy lifting and unpopular decisions.
* HugeSchoolgirl: She's noticeably taller than most of the other girls in the band, with her height being 5'7½" .
* TheLeader: The charismatic type, being the one who usually settles the conflicts within the club.
** SupportingLeader: That said, Asuka seems to actively ''avoid'' being in a position of responsibility herself -- which is why she's the vice president rather than the club president.
* MrExposition: Done fairly cleverly in the anime. When each instrument leader is introducing the freshmen to the various instruments, Asuka spends a little extra time describing the euphonium, the titular instrument that Kumiko also ends up playing. She is then interrupted by the president who protests that she's talking on too long.
* TricksterMentor: It's hard to figure out if she's dishing out tough love and encouraging independence...or just following her own agenda.
* {{Meganekko}}
* ProperTightsWithASkirt
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kaori Nakaseko]]
->'''Voiced by:''' MinoriChihara

The third year leader of the trumpet section and the club's treasurer.
----
* BeingGoodSucks: Before Reina came along, she was the best trumpet player in the band, but didn't get a solo in her first or second year because the less-talented and less-dedicated senior students had priority. She accepted this without complaint, and even stuck her neck out to try and maintain the band's camaraderie during last year's disaster. She's finally a third year, and in a position for the seniority system to finally work in her favour...when Taki changes the rules and awards solos on merit. Which wouldn't be a problem, had an exceptionally talented first year trumpeter not joined the band.
* BeautyMark: Under her left eye.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Yuko admires her greatly and doesn't make an effort to be subtle about it.
* GracefulLoser: When Taki holds re-auditions for the trumpet solo and Reina proves once and for all to the rest of the band that she's the better player, Kaori accepts this with no hard feelings.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Yuko Yoshikawa]]
-> '''Voiced by:''' Yuri Yamaoka

A second-year trumpet player who admires Kaori.
----
* BitchInSheepsClothing: She is very nice to her idol Kaori. To everyone else, though....
* ClingyJealousGirl: To Kaori.
* HairDecorations: She wears a yellow bow on top of her head.
* HeroWorship: More like Senpai Worship, but she definitely has this towards Kaori.
* VitriolicBestBuds: Developing this dynamic with Natsuki is what stops her from being a SatelliteCharacter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Takuya Gotou]]
[[quoteright:167:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/95ae6e9dc3f368f7384b9936a62ddd22.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' KenjiroTsuda

A second-year tuba player in Asuka's bass section.
----
* GentleGiant: Probably has the biggest build out of all the band members, and aside from the occasional blunt comment, is generally polite and has genuine concern for the members of his section.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: With Riko, and by extension all the other girls in the bass section aside from Asuka.
* OfficialCouple: With Riko.
* TheOneGuy: Of the bass section.
* StoicSpectacles: In the anime. He's reserved and doesn't express himself much vocally.
* StraightMan: If Haruka isn't around to react to Asuka, Gotou does. The difference is that he doesn't stop her.
** NotSoAboveItAll: He plays along with Asuka's schemes in episode 6.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Riko Nagase]]
[[quoteright:162:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2678f10fac61e151a5e986602a48a52f.jpg]]
-> '''Voiced by:''' Miyuki Kobori

The other second-year tuba player in the bass section.
----
* BigBeautifulWoman: She's a bit more heavyset than the other girls, but Gotou likes her enough to date her and even calls her cute when she's wearing a yukata for the festival in episode 8.
* GirlishPigtails
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: With Gotou.
* NiceGirl: She's forthcoming as a mentor tuba player to Hazuki, and doesn't react negatively when the club incident in the previous year is brought up.
* OfficialCouple: With Gotou.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Natsuki Nakagawa]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Konomi Fujimura

A withdrawn second-year euphonium player. Her lack of enthusiasm in the club is implied to be a side-effect of the incident in the previous year that caused half of the first-years to leave.
----
* AlliterativeName: '''Na'''tsuki '''Na'''kagawa. Also RepetitiveName.
* HeadphonesEqualIsolation: She wears earphones even during sectionals, and seems to prefer staring out the window with them on rather than actual practice. At least, until Kumiko gets her to.
* TheGadfly: She often knows what buttons to push to get the reactions she wants from people like Yuko and Kumiko.
* GracefulLoser: Very willingly accepts not making the auditions, and proceeds to cheer on Kumiko.
* RepetitiveName: See above.
* WhenSheSmiles: Averted. Kumiko finds her smile terrifying, though that may have had more to do with just how ''bubbly'' she was acting at the time than anything.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Shuichi Tsukamoto]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Haruki Ishiya

A first-year student and Kumiko's childhood friend. In middle school, he played the French horn, but in high school, he chose to switch to the trombone.
----
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Kumiko. As Kumiko notes, he called her ugly and told her to never talk to him again after she asked (out loud) if he wanted to come over to her place during their junior highschool graduation ceremony.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Kumiko.
** ChildhoodFriendRomance: In the novels. [[spoiler:His confession to Kumiko leads to positive results.]]
* DemotedToExtra: A minor case: much of Shuichi's narrative significance is given instead to Reina in the anime. Compare this to him being the de-facto love interest of Kumiko in the original novel.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Like Kumiko, he has a history of saying or doing things that come across as insensitive despite by no means being a bad person.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Aoi Saitou]]
->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/YokoHikasa

A third-year student and Kumiko's other childhood friend. She plays the tenor saxophone.
----
* ChildhoodFriends: With Kumiko and Shuichi.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: She didn't get into her first choice for high school and had to go to Kitauji instead. Currently, she's studying hard in order to get into the university she wants. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, this leads her to quit the club in episode 7 since she doesn't want the club to interfere with her studies.]]
* PutOnABus: After [[spoiler:she quits the band]], she doesn't show up again aside from a brief scene with Kumiko in episode 12.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Noboru Taki]]
->'''Voiced by:''' TakahiroSakurai

The new music teacher and advisor of the music club. He's polite, but doesn't seem to be very involved in the club at first.
----
* ApatheticTeacher: Moves back and forth between this and SternTeacher. After the club votes on entering the Nationals, he tells them not to bother him until they can play as an ensemble. He doesn't show up to any of their first few practices or give any students advice, leaving it up to the section leaders to teach new students and organize practices. When the club tries to play together for the first time, he harshly shuts them down, criticizes them, and forbids them from playing in a concert until they learn how to play together. His expression and voice never changes, even when criticizing the club.
** He takes a more active role after the band proves themselves. The only time he openly raises his voice in anger is when he catches the band removing the blankets that helped soundproof the room, though he realises the ensemble has been fractured following the decision to let Reina perform the trumpet solo rather than Kaori under the belief it is due to favouritism. He later welcomes the performers to re-audition in the orchestra.
* BrutalHonesty: He doesn't hold back when telling the club they suck.
* HotTeacher: He's noted to be attractive by his students. Hazuki points this out to Kumiko shortly after he's introduced himself to the club.
* SternTeacher: A mix between this and ApatheticTeacher. Criticizes the club's first attempt at playing together, telling them that they're wasting his time and to call him only when they learn how to play in ensemble.
[[/folder]]

* AmbiguouslyGay: In the anime she tends to act ''very'' romantic toward Kumiko, and even says that the cold and distant person Kumiko keeps hidden is someone she loves. That said, in both the anime and books she mentions that she is attracted to, even in love with Taki-sensei. But that plot point is almost immediately abandoned and her romantic styled relationship with Kumiko remains, even in the books.

->'''Voiced by:''' MinakoKotobuki

A third-year student and Kumiko's other childhood friend. She plays the saxophone.

* HiddenDepths: A more negative variant. On the surface, she's all bubbles and CloudCuckoolander antics, with enough skill to make her a BunnyEarsLawyer. However, she's shown to be fairly manipulative, and a master of getting what she wants while dodging any unpleasantness that she might face as a result. Most band members value her opinion and praise more than they do for Haruka, the actual president. Thus, Asuka gets the adulation while Haruka gets stuck with the heavy lifting and unpopular decisions.

* ApatheticTeacher: Moves back and forth between this and SternTeacher. After the club votes on entering the Nationals, he tells them not to bother him until they can play as an ensemble. He doesn't show up to any of their first few practices or give any students advice, leaving it up to the section leaders to teach new students and organize practices. When the club tries to play together for the first time, he harshly shuts them down, criticizes them, and forbids them from playing in a concert until they learn how to play together. His expression and voice never changes, even when criticizing the club. He takes a more active role after the band proves themselves.

* {{Expy}}: The above tropes and her surname might remind you of [[YuruYuri a certain pink-haired girl]].

* ACupAngst: Revealed to have this in episode 5, when her physical exams reveal that her bust hasn't grown at all. She starts to feel better about it once she realizes that Hazuki and Sapphire aren't very well-endowed either.

* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Hazuki blushes and has sparkle in her eyes when she first meets Asuka, then Asuka ruins it by revealing her personality.

* CharacterDevelopment: The Kumiko at the start of the series is nearly the complete opposite of the Kumiko at the end. [[spoiler:For example, the girl who avoided standing out and made an effort to drop the euph later is the only one who gives Reina a standing ovation and cheers for Eupho-kun's appearance in the keychain series.]]

* CannotSpitItOut: Has a hard time talking to Reina at all, let alone about the incident in junior high. She sidesteps the topic when she sees Reina is at least willing to talk to her, and later realizes that Reina let it go.

[[folder: Main Characters]]
!Kumiko Oumae

!Reina Kousaka

!Hazuki Katou

!Sapphire "Midori" Kawashima

[[folder: Other Concert Band Members]]
!Haruka Ogasawara

!Asuka Tanaka

!Kaori Nakaseko

!Yuko Yoshikawa

!Takuya Gotou

!Riko Nagase

!Natsuki Nakagawa

!Shuichi Tsukamoto

!Aoi Saitou

!Noboru Taki

* WhenSheSmiles: Averted. Kumiko finds her smile terrifying, though that may have more to do with just how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness ''bubbly'' she was acting]] at the time than anything.

* BeingGoodSucks: She was the best trumpet player in the band, but didn't get a solo in her first or second year because the less-talented and less-dedicated senior students had priority. She accepted this without complaint, and even stuck her neck out to try and maintain the band's camaraderie during last year's disaster. She's finally a third year, and in a position for the seniority system to finally work in her favour...when Taki changes the rules and awards solos on merit. Which wouldn't be a problem, had an exceptionally talented first year trumpeter not joined the band.

* CharacterDevelopment: Kumiko grows from someone who's perfectly content to be dragged by the flow of things, into someone who finally finds her own reason for playing, at the same time ''finally'' understanding why someone like Reina would be frustrated at not being able to attain their goals especially after all the hard work they put in.

* HotForTeacher: Has a habit of telling anyone who will listen that Taki-sensei is hot.

* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: In middle school and on her first day of high school she wears her hair in a ponytail, but she lets it down afterwards and keeps it that way for the rest of the series.
* HiddenDepths: Reina thinks that even though outwardly Kumiko is kind and friendly on the inside she is a lot more cold and distant.