Sound Euphonium Season 3 Episode 12 Broke Me, Best Episodes

Article at a glance:
Hashira Training Arc Episode 7: The episode’s standout moments were a brief but fun fight between Giyuu and Sanemi, Himejima’s backstory, and an extended final scene that UFOTable executed brilliantly.
Wind Breaker Episode 12: This episode focused on Sakura’s significant character development as he accepted the responsibilities of being a class representative and began forming personal connections.
Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 23: Although a little rushed, this episode effectively showcased Rudy’s deep respect for Paul and the emotional impact of his death, alongside Rudy’s struggles with his mother’s condition.
Kaiju No. 8 Episode 11: The episode highlighted the strong influence Kafka had on the 3rd Division, showcased efforts to help him after his arrest, and featured an intense fight with Kikoru’s father.
KonoSuba Season 3 Episode 11: The chaotic finale included hilarious scenes, particularly Kazuma and Aqua crashing a wedding, and showcased meaningful character moments for Darkness.
Sound Euphonium Season 3 Episode 12: A heart-wrenching episode where Kumiko faced disappointment but stood by her principles, marking one of the series’ best episodes with emotional depth and mirrored scenes from the first season.

How many times have I said “This week might just be the best week of the season, I don’t see how we are topping this” at this point? I am tempted to say that again this week. I just finished watching Sound Euphonium Season 3 Episode 12 and that episode has left me broken. And the fact that the next episode might be the anime’s last episode ever hurts me even more. I cannot describe how much I adore that series and how much it pains me to see it go. Especially after this week’s episode. God, what would I not give to watch it all over again for the first time.

As much as I loved that episode though, there were quite a few good episodes this week. Wind Breaker had one of the most important episodes for Sakura’s character development. Then we had some interesting progression in Kaiju No. 8. KonoSuba Seaosn 3 delivered a chaotic finale just as we all expected. And lastly, Mushoku Tensei had a rushed but nice episode overall.

So welcome back to another edition of Best Episodes of the Week. It is the penultimate week of the Spring 2024 season and man I am going to miss this season. So let’s talk about everything from Sound Euphonium Season 3 Episode 12 to Wind Breaker Episode 12!

Hashira Training Arc Episode 7

I probably wouldn’t have included this episode on the list if it wasn’t for the last few minutes of this episode. I think all of us instantly noticed that the episode was a little longer than usual. And that is for a reason. I will not spoil it here but just understand that UFOTable absolutely cooked with that scene and it was awesome. Other than that though, this episode had a very brief but fun fight between Giyuu and Sanemi.

And more importantly, this episode also gave us the backstory for Himejima. We get to learn a whole bunch of stuff about him. This will be important going into the next arc. To me though those last few minutes have to be the best part of the episode.

Wind Breaker Episode 12

This episode was an important step in Sakura’s character development. You see, a very subtle cue throughout the series has been that Sakura never once called anyone by their name. This is because he is afraid of forming personal connections with people because of how he was treated his whole life before this. So in this episode, not only do we see Sakura accepting the responsibility that comes with being a class representative, but he also learns the importance of relying on others, just as others rely on him.

This all sounds simple but from Sakura’s perspective, this is all a big deal since he had been alone for most of his life and was treated like an outcast. This is the first time he has made any real friends. Awesome episode.

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 23

I felt like this episode was a little rushed. I get that the anime has time constraints and a limited number of episodes the budget allows and all. But I really do think that it would’ve been better to split Rudy recovering from Paul’s death and all the Roxy stuff in two separate episodes just to give both of those issues the time they need. But still, this episode was good. It was very clear how much respect Rudy had for Paul and how much his death was affecting him. Even the mother he fought so hard to rescue is… not herself anymore.

I liked the added touch of Rudy having sunken cheeks because he hasn’t likely been eating properly. I won’t speak on the Roxy stuff for now because the next episode will be crucial in seeing how it goes.

Kaiju No. 8 Episode 11

This episode did an amazing job of showing just how much of an influence Kafka has had over everyone in the 3rd Division. Of course, last week, Kafka’s Kaiju transformation was discovered and as a result, he has been captured. This week, we get to see what happens after his arrest. And I really like how everyone with connections was trying to pull strings to help Kafka out. We even got to hear Mina’s thoughts on the whole situation and it was really sweet. But well, Kikoru’s father had some different ideas.

The fight between him and Kafka was intense. And it will continue in the next episode as well. So I look forward to it. Awesome episode overall.

KonoSuba Season 3 Episode 11

Season 3 might just be the most chaotic KonoSuba season so far and it had a similarly chaotic finale. And despite all the chaotic comedy, this episode has some nice character moments too. Also, just the whole scene of Kazuma and Aqua crashing the wedding was hilarious. Despite the fancy dress and everything, Darkness was still her usual old self and it made the escape shenanigans really funny. And just when it seems like they’re trapped, they are rescued by Megumin and Yunyum/

After that, pretty much every adventurer in the town chimed in to help Darkness. It was a really fun episode, not just because of the comedy but because of how much all this meant to Darkness.

Sound Euphonium Season 3 Episode 12

Man, this episode made me tear up. This was Kumiko’s last chance of getting to play the Soli with Reina in a competition. And we all thought she’d win but nope, this anime duped us. Multiple scenes in this episode are mirrors of the first season. But in the first season, Reina was the one being selected and things come full circle as she is the one doing the selection this time. It was the same auditorium too. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for Reina to NOT select Kumiko despite knowing which performance was hers.

Sound Euphonium Season 3 Episode 12 is now among the best episodes of the series for me. And keep in mind, this series is filled with some incredible episodes. And then Kanade, Reina, and then later Kumiko bawling their eyes out about the situation just sold how important this Soli was for them. But Kumiko did what any good leader would do: manned up and stood by her principles. I-… God, this episode was perfect in so many ways, I love it.

That is all for now!

Yeah, that is all for now. I am still a little sad because of Sound Euphonium and man, next week will be the last week of this season. I cannot describe how much I am going to miss this season as a whole. Let me know what you guys think in the comments, I will take my leave here. See ya!

But with the ending of one season, comes a new season. So check out all the release dates for the Summer 2024 animes here!