Latest news with #Kumiko
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sound! Euphonium final movie announced: Two-part anime film begins spring 2026
Kyoto Animation's beautiful, heartbreaking music anime gets set to make its final notes in theaters One of the most cherished anime about music and the pains of adolescence arrives at its dramatic conclusion. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now After almost 10 years filled with captivating narratives, fierce artistry and one-of-a-kind camaraderie, Sound! So, this will be it for Euphonium. Kyoto Animation has announced that the beloved slice-of-life anime will come to an end with a two-part, theatrical movie event — kicking off with Sound! Euphonium – The Final Movie Part 2 in Winter 2026. Fans were given an exclusive first-look at a new teaser trailer, providing a dramatic look at the emotional journey and intense climax ahead. Whether you're a longtime fan or an interested newcomer, this concluding act looks to be a fittingly impactful send-off for one of anime's most grounded and authentic high school sagas. 『最終楽章 響け！ユーフォニアム 前編』特報【2026年 春 ROADSHOW】 A coming-of-age anime about music, friendship, and self-discovery Sound! Euphonium (Japanese title: Hibike! Sound! Euphonium first aired in 2015 and was created by the renowned Kyoto Animation — the studio responsible for Violet Evergarden and A Silent Voice. Kumiko Oumae is a high school student who, despite being uninterested in joining, finds herself joining her school's brass band club where she rediscovers her passion for music. Along the way, she faces old classmates she must reclaim as friends, make new allies and friendships, and deal with the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. Here's what sets the series apart Powerful emotional narrative storytelling Incredible dance animation and concert sequences Truth-filled and real, this coming of age story, featuring rich, complicated female characters, runs the gamut of unrelatable high school drama, to all too relatable moments of ambition, pressure and growing up. It's a deeply, emotionally relatable show that transcends just the world of anime, exploring themes of self-worth, identity, and creative expression that appeal to everyone. Official final movie trailer confirms two-part film release The full teaser trailer has just dropped, and we can now confirm that Sound! Euphonium – The Final Movie, divided into two parts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Part 1 release date is Spring 2026 in Japan, with Part 2 likely releasing later that same year. The raw band footage conveys both Kumiko and her bandmates as they finish out their final school year, as they prepare for their last concert, and graduation. Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster as long-running character arcs come to a close and friendships are tested by time and betrayal. Kyoto animation returns to deliver a beautiful finale Production Kyoto Animation, famous for painstaking detail and emotional nuance, is once again at the helm for this last chapter. From the rich animation to the warmth and nuance in the emotional range of each character's performance, KyoAni has truly brought an extra layer of excellence to Sound! Euphonium outside of your standard high school anime. Going by their past work, fans can count on amazing cinematic artistry and an emotionally wrenching goodbye. Where to watch Sound! Euphonium before the finale Looking to get up to speed before the grand finale? Crunchyroll is streaming all three seasons as well as the previous films of Sound! Euphonium. Spring of Freshman Year in High School. Kumiko, an ex-junior high band kid, meets up with a trio of friends to peer into her middle school music club and ultimately run into an old classmate. This awakens past demons and launches a new odyssey via melodies, aspiration, and brotherhood. Whether you love classical music, slice-of-life storytelling, or just appreciate gorgeous film-making, this series will enchant you. A decade later, Sound! Today, Euphonium still resonates with fans due to its realistic characters and universal themes such as: The evocative burden of youth Pursuing your dreams even when imposter syndrome hits you hard The beauty and anguish of adolescence Holding these two truths in tension, we named the work of letting go and moving on This is about more than just a great music anime — this deeply moving story is a coming-of-age tale about what it means to pursue a passion, and it's relatable to anyone who's ever done the same. Don't miss one of 2026's most anticipated anime movies With Part 1 projected to release in Spring 2026 with Part 2 closely behind, Sound! Euphonium's finale is already looking like one of 2026's most anticipated anime happenings. Kyoto Animation is pulling out all the stops for Kumiko's final encore, and anime fans everywhere are anxiously awaiting further news — particularly news of international releases and English-subtitled trailers.
Sharjah 24
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Habara reflects on his career in personal dialogue at SAC
At a Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC) 2025 discussion titled 'Inside the Making of the Anime Hit, Starblazers', he recalled developing a passion for anime from a young age and creating his first animated film during high school with the help of friends from other schools. The 30-minute film, consisting of 1,000 images, was completed over three years and showcased at a school arts festival. SAC 2025 organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), is taking place at the Sharjah Expo Center and concludes on Sunday, alongside the 16th edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF 2025). Habara also shared how he moved to Tokyo and began working at the Ashi Studio on the 'Adventures of Hani' series, where he met his future wife. During his career, he contributed in multiple capacities, including production, character design and direction. Clips from several of his iconic works such as 'Space Adventure: Cobra', 'Machine Robo', 'Tondemi Man', and 'Mega Man' were also featured - to his fans' delight - during the session. In her segment, Kumiko reflected on her decision to take a break from animation to raise their children. After they grew up, she returned to the industry to pursue a career in animation direction. SAC 2025 has engaged, enriched and entertained students, professionals and animation enthusiasts with a comprehensive programme spanning workshops and masterclasses, panel discussions, and live performances by 74 leading industry professionals and artists from 18 nations worldwide. For more information and to register your interest for next year, visit
Axios
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Chicago bars on Best Bars in North America list
Four Chicago bars are on the newly released list of 50 best bars in North America. Driving the news: Kumiko (No. 10) and Bisous (No. 39) in Fulton Market and Best Intentions (No. 25) and Meadowlark (No. 38) in Logan Square made the cut. The intrigue: The No. 1 spot on the list, Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City, is currently doing a collaboration with the Mile High Cocktail Club at the Four Seasons. How it works: The list is determined by more than 700 bartenders, consultants, writers and cocktail specialists from around the world. Zoom in: Bisous is new to the Top 50 list this year. Kumiko was also awarded Best Bar in the Midwest. Lemon, located in West Town, was awarded One to Watch. Zoom out: Chicago is well-represented in the 51-100 rankings too. Lemon comes in at No. 62, followed by Wicker Park's Queen Mary at No. 63 and Nine Bar in Chinatown at No. 89.
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
These 4 Chicago bars were just ranked some of the best in North America
Raise your glass, Chicago: four local bars just landed on the 2025 North America 50 Best Bars list—and a fifth is already being hailed as the next big thing. The newly announced ranking celebrates cocktail excellence across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, with Chicago's Kumiko leading the city's showing at number 10 and earning the title of Best Bar in the Midwest USA, sponsored by Tia Maria. But Kumiko isn't just a bar—it's a meditative escape in the West Loop. Created by Julia Momosé and the team behind Oriole, it's a place where welcome tea replaces party shots. The bar's serene, wood-accented omakase counter boasts just eight seats, where diners taste a progression of Japanese-influenced bites like seaweed-slicked uni, wagyu glazed in black garlic molasses and milk toast crowned with fermented honey ice cream, paired with imaginative sake and shochu cocktails. If mindfulness could be distilled and served in a glass, it might taste like Kumiko. And then there's Lemon, which hasn't even cracked the top 50—yet. The cocktail spot was named the Campari One To Watch, an award given to a standout bar poised to make the list in the near future. At the top of this year's ranking? Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City, which held onto its number 1 spot for the second year in a row. The 50 best bars in North America in 2025, according to 50 Best Bars: 1. Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City 2. Superbueno in New York 3. Tlecān in Mexico City 4. Jewel of the South in New Orleans 5. Sip & Guzzle in New York 6. Overstory in New York 7. Bar Pompette in Toronto 8. El Gallo Altanero in Guadalajara 9. Licorería Limantour in Mexico City 10. Kumiko in Chicago 11. Clemente Bar in New York 12. Mírate in Los Angeles 13. Café La Trova in Miami 14. Bar Mauro in Mexico City 15. Martiny's in New York 16. Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco 17. True Laurel in San Francisco 18. Employees Only in New York 19. Double Chicken Please in New York 20. Baltra Bar in Mexico City 21. Civil Liberties in Toronto 22. Aruba Day Drink in Tijuana 23. Service Bar in Washington DC 24. Thunderbolt in Los Angeles 25. Best Intentions in Chicago 26. Botanist Bar in Vancouver 27. Arca in Tulum 28. The Keefer Bar in Vancouver 29. Selva in Oaxaca 30. Library by the Sea in Grand Cayman 31. Cloakroom in Montreal 32. La Factoría in San Juan 33. Maison Premiere in New York 34. Bijou Drinkery Room in Mexico City 35. Hanky Panky in Mexico City 36. Atwater Cocktail Club in Montreal 37. Bar Mordecai in Toronto 38. Meadowlark in Chicago 39. Bisous in Chicago 40. Kaito del Valle in Mexico City 41. Yacht Club in Denver 42. Katana Kitten in New York 43. Angel's Share in New York 44. Mother in Toronto 45. Allegory in Washington DC 46. Dante in New York 47. Café de Nadie in Mexico City 48. Silver Lyan in Washington DC 49. Bekeb in San Miguel de Allende 50.
CNA
23-04-2025
- CNA
On the taste trail: Malaysian-style thunder tea rice and fried yong tau foo after a scenic Punggol walk
This week's journey takes us through a scenic section of the North Eastern Riverine Loop in search of quintessentially Hakka classics like thunder tea rice and yong tau foo. Our roughly 50-minute, 4km walk begins at the western entrance of Coney Island near Punggol Settlement. Following the Punggol Promenade Nature Walk to Punggol Promenade Bridge, we'll make our way inland past the Wave Bridge and continue alongside Singapore's longest man-made waterway, the 4.2km Punggol Waterway. (Fun fact: Linking Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon, it holds as much water as 200 Olympic-sized pools and is bordered by nearly 5,000 trees.) Don't miss the Kelong Bridge with its unique stilt design, a nod to Punggol's fishing village past. SAFRA Punggol is another prominent landmark before we cross the Adventure Bridge into Punggol Waterway Park. From there, it's just a short 5-minute stroll to Hakka Leipopo at One Punggol Hawker Centre. The brainchild of Kumiko Tan, 44 and her husband Khoo, also 44, their brand was built on family memories. 'I was originally a piano teacher, but my journey into Hakka cuisine began because of my husband. He has always loved lei cha fan (thunder tea rice) since childhood, but he could never find the exact taste he remembered,' Kumiko shared. It wasn't as simple as asking for the recipe from her mother-in-law, who did not have anything precise written down. 'She told me, 'I don't remember – I just agak-agak (estimate)',' Kumiko said, adding that her mother-in-law also used to grind ingredients the traditional way with a guava stick in a stone bowl. Khoo helped her when he was younger, which made his yearning for his favourite childhood dish all the stronger. It took Kumiko two years of experimenting to capture the nostalgic taste Khoo and his Hakka mother could be proud of. Both husband and wife are originally from Johor Bahru, which explains why Khoo couldn't satisfy his lei cha fan craving here in Singapore. 'Our lei cha fan is more Malaysian-style because we use dried shrimp (hae bee), not ikan billis. We have to fry the hae bee at a very high temperature to make it crispy, but not oily,' Kumiko revealed. As for her mother-in-law's pestle and mortar, Kumiko has since inherited it for home use, a symbol of her husband's heritage and her hard work. Encouraged by friends, she first began selling lei cha fan as a passion project in 2019, arranging customer pickups with her two young children in tow. 'One was a baby back then, the other was about six years old. I would use our stroller to deliver the lei cha,' Kumiko said with a laugh. The COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the couple. Homesick Malaysians and other housebound customers boosted demand, prompting Khoo and Kumiko to open their first Hakka Leipopo stall in December 2021. Available in white rice, brown rice, or low-carb rice-free versions, their lei cha fan is a riot of textures and tastes. Toppings of salty-sweet chye poh (preserved radish), cabbage, roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds and crispy hae bee add a deeply savoury crunch. Kumiko takes particular pride in her fresh vegetable selection, lovingly fried with garlic and hae bee for fragrance. There's chye sim from Cameron Highlands ('because it's not bitter and the taste is better'), French beans ('sweeter and crunchier than long beans'), and what she calls non-negotiables for authenticity – tau kwa (firm tofu) stir fried with leek and pucuk manis (mani cai, or sweet leaf, which is 'a must for its sweet aftertaste'). My order of brown rice lei cha fan cost an extra 50 cents – fair trade for more fibre and nutrients. Digging into my colourful garden in a bowl, I discovered it was essentially two meals in one. Kumiko and Khoo recommended I enjoy it 'dry' first, then with the herbal soup, or 'tea'. True to its name, it certainly brought the thunder. A tasty green tempest of mint and Thai sweet basil blended with roasted peanuts, the smooth and creamy lei cha paste came alive with a splash of hot water. 'We use more peanuts to balance out the herbs, so the taste isn't so strong,' Kumiko explained. 'Ours is more harmonious because we don't over-emphasise any of the ingredients.' The soupy downpour of hot thunder tea transformed crunch into lush, porridge-like comfort, flooding the bowl with layers of flavour. Rich nuttiness from the brown rice, sesame seeds and peanuts mellowed the greens, leaving behind just a gentle, healing whisper of herbs. Bonus: You can take the thunder home too – Hakka Leipopo's signature lei cha sauce comes in handy sachets (S$12 for eight). The lei cha fan was more than nice, but I also needed a little naughty. Enter another Hakka classic: Yong tau foo. Each indulgent piece – brinjal, bitter gourd, tau kwa, tau pok (tofu puff) and tau kee (bean curd skin) – was generously stuffed to bursting with a juicy, chunky mix of fresh minced pork and mackerel, then deep-fried till golden and crisp. For dipping, their house-made garlic-vinegar-chilli sauce was aromatic and addictively spicy. It was so good I eschewed tradition and I shamelessly swirled some into my lei cha fan too. Individual pieces of yong tau foo cost S$1.20 each, but for big eaters, the Set B combo of lei cha fan with yong tau foo (S$11.70) offers more bang for buck. 'It gives you seven pieces of yong tau foo – buy six, get one free – so it's more worth it,' Kumiko agreed. After enjoying the storm of thunder tea flavours, that was the silver lining. Despite using costlier, high-quality ingredients, prices are kept wallet-friendly. 'We've maintained the price of lei cha fan (with white rice) at S$5. I think it's quite reasonable for a big portion,' Kumiko enthused. 'Because there are many vegetables, it's like good fortune. So on the seventh day of Chinese New Year, it's considered auspicious to eat lei cha.' A fitting sentiment for their Punggol location – in Malay, the name refers to the act of hurling sticks into trees to harvest fruit. Just like the neighbourhood, Hakka Leipopo's story is rooted in a bounty of flavour and family history. Kumiko and Khoo have been together since they were 16 and nearly three decades on, their desire to spread their shared Hakka heritage through home-style dishes – just like Popo (grandma) used to make – has blossomed into something special. From a humble home-based business to three thriving stalls in Bukit Merah View, Anchorvale Village and One Punggol, their journey has been a true labour of love. But they're not done yet. 'We hope that we can expand,' Kumiko confided. 'Just one more stall!' With loyal customers who have supported them since the stroller delivery days and a Singapore Enterprising Hawker Award under their belt, their future looks as abundant as their food. Hakka Leipopo is located at One Punggol Hawker Centre, #02-26, 1 Punggol Drive, Singapore 828629. It's open 10am to 4.30pm on Thursday; 10am to 7.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday through Sunday. It's closed on Mondays.
