Kumiko's shame about quitting music isn't some abstract wound, it's a weight that follows her into a room full of people who actually love playing. The movie trusts you to feel the specific relief of finding people who make you want to try again, not because they forced you to, but because they were already doing it without you. If you've ever needed permission to care about something again, this is what that permission feels like.

Kumiko Oumae swore off the euphonium after a painful incident at her middle school regional band competition. Now starting high school, she hopes for a fresh start. Fate has other plans, and she finds herself surrounded by people drawn to the school's brass band. Some are new faces, like beginner tubist Hazuki Katou, veteran contrabassist Sapphire Kawashima and fellow euphonist Asuka Tanaka, the band's vice president. Others are familiar, including her childhood friend Shuuichi Tsukamoto and Reina Kousaka, a trumpeter from her middle school band. With their help, Kumiko finds the motivation to play again. The band itself is in disarray, though. It aims for the national competition, yet even the local festival looks like a stretch unless new advisor Noboru Taki can turn things around. The film is a music drama rooted in everyday school life.