Liz to Aoi Tori

I can't put into words how good the movie is, or how gorgeous the animation was. The movie started out slow and but it did an excellent job in portraying the relationship between the two characters, even if one didn't watch the anime beforehand. The main plot really begins when a subtle event greatly affects Nozomi and you start to see how she struggles to understand and deal with her emotions, even at a point venting it out against Mizore. The character development after that point skyrocketed while feeling completely natural, which kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The soundtrack was perfectly constructed and you could distinctly picture the emotions going through Mizore each time she played the Oboe even without any musical background.

Foremost, I love the character plot - and it strikes me in the heart because much of it actually falls into the mistakes i made as a high schooler. And in a story whose characters could easily fall out of tune with such fragile character types - it is truly a treat not only listen to the music which defines the characters, but to see the characters define themselves as a result of human wants. In school I was an even greater INTJ (ie; the silent judgmental type). For a world of extroverts, it's truly a silent punishment, and Aoi Tori doesn't an incredible job in showing that through the silent struggle and passive body language of the character. Conversely, you can see how others misread or entirely fail to understand the passive approach of said people. This a great watch for the feels, but I understand that many may instead bash their head saying, "Quit silently punishing yourself!"

Liz and the Blue Bird is a spinoff film of Sound Euphonium's second season that is focused on supporting characters Nozomi and Mizore as third-year high school students. The friendship between the two girls becomes noticeably strained, with Mizore feeling disillusioned in her participation in her school's band club after Nozomi chose to leave the club on a whim the previous year and the two trying to collaborate together for an upcoming concert after Nozomi chooses to return to the club. This film is quite a bit different in mood, atmosphere, and story structure compared to Sound Euphonium as it is quite a bit more nuanced and minimalist in its story focus, with Liz and the Blue Bird largely being told through Mizore's perspective. Liz and the Blue Bird is more focused on visual storytelling through the subtle, delicate changes made by its characters that include how things like personal space and body language effect how characters are able to relate with one another, most notably Mizore trying to work up the resolve to confront Nozomi on the insecurities she has felt with her friend's sudden changes in participation within the band club. These unique storytelling elements allow the viewer to immerse into Mizore's shy, insecure character as she struggles with her oboe play and relating her feelings to Nozomi. The Blue Bird fable used for the band's concert also serves as an effective framing device to show the problems effecting the two girls. Focused on a human girl named Liz and a blue bird taking human form living together, the story is visually depicted at points throughout the film to parallel and symbolically compare the personal conflicts effecting Mizore and Nozomi. Without spoiling too much, the film is focused on growing pains faced by the two girls and the two learning to personally overcome their own dilemmas to support one another. The more nuanced storytelling also carries over into the artwork for Liz and the Blue Bird. Unlike Sound Euphonium, the film goes for more subdued color toning and less thick lining in designing its scenery and characters, being deliberately careful in the application of visual details for both reality and the Blue Bird fable. The Blue Bird fable world details particularly sticks out with their watercolor and pastel-like visuals that symbolically show the rich creativity that Mizore has within her beyond her introverted outer shell. Just as a fair warning, Liz and the Blue Bird may not be for everyone as its storytelling is more nuanced than the norm and Sound Euphonium fans may be disappointed by the difference in visual and storytelling style compared to the two TV anime. Still if subtle dramas like this grab your interest, I'd at least recommend checking the film out at least once.

This review may contain minor spoilers Liz and the Blue Bird (リズと青い鳥) is a side story of Hibike! Euphonium, focusing on the characters Mizore and Nozomi in their third year. While not absolutely necessary, I would highly recommend viewing the first and second seasons of Hibike Euphonium before watching this movie (it's 24 episodes over 2 seasons, but it's worth it, really good anime) as the plot is sort of a continuation of season 2. The art is rather unique, but nevertheless pretty. The colours in the scenes depicting the Liz book were brilliantly done. In terms of character, I do feel that certain characters could have gotten a little more screen time for more development - in particular Ririka (or Ririca). More development could have happened on her relationship with Mizore. The sound was definitely the star of the movie. The concert band pieces were brilliantly executed - the oboe and flute solo had me fawning and gave me goosebumps. I enjoyed this movie greatly - especially more so being a fan of the Hibike! series. A must-watch if you, like me, are a fan of the series. If you are not or have never watched it before, this might not be the best introduction to the series but is nevertheless a good watch.

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW “Liz and the Blue Bird” is a special movie. Truly special. Set between season two and three of “Sound! Euphonium”, Kyoto Animation put out 3 projects over the course of these 5 years. Two of them, (“Sound! Euphonium Movie – Brand New Day” and “Sound! Euphonium Ensemble Contest”) are direct continuations of the show, following Kumiko and the class throughout their now second year of high school. But the third movie, the one they released first is this one. And they completely changed up the formula, took a high risk and even succeeded where the other two movies failed. Story – 8/10 They did something really interesting here with the story. Firstly, we don´t follow Kumiko like in all the other projects. Instead, Yoroizuka Mizore and Nozomi Kazaki lead this movie, two characters, who were prominent in the show, especially season two, but did not receive much screen time outside of their respective arc. For the national tournament qualifier, they are asked to play a duet during their classes performance off a fairy-tale named “Liz and the Blue Bird”. Almost every other character from the show gets cut. We only get glimpses at Kumiko, Reina and the others. They also cut out almost all of the ensemble scenes, training camps, competitions, pretty much every setting outside of the school. So what´s left? A very slow, calm movie with minimal dialogue, fantastic audiovisual story-telling and bittersweet themes. The anime constantly switches between reality and fairy-tale over the course of the movie, tackling a lot of very mature and interesting themes. The true beauty of this film is the way it differentiates itself from the main series in very key ways. Although it clearly serves as a spin-off of the main series, i think this movie actually manages to stand on it´s own. The title sequence manages to give you all the information you need about Mizore and Nozomi, without much dialogue, flashbacks or explanations, just pure visual story-telling. All this gives the movie a very distinct identity. With all that said, this movie is the definition of a slow-burner. Scenes go on for extended periods of time, characters take their time during dialogue, every move, nod with the head or gesture is meticulously crafted and gives you insight about the way the characters are thinking. What I mean with that is that this movie is surely not for everyone. I myself was caught off guard by it, because the difference to your typical fast-paced Kyoto Animation show is so big. The funny thing about this is that the movie may not even be that interesting to a lot of “Sound! Euphonium” fans, but maybe people who like these kinds of deep and thought out character dramas will instead turn their heads to this movie. Art – 9/10 The art-style changed a lot. Gone is the typical third-generation Kyoto Animation artwork, instead we get something that, in my opinion, fit this movie perfectly. The colours are lighter, the textures more blurry, much softer and less exaggerated. Because we only get one setting, much of the screen is reserved to different shades of white and blue. The movie, in short, looks absolutely beautiful. The animation is extremely detailed, every step, every look and every strain of hair flowing in the wind is done perfectly. The fairy-tale sequences are the big standout here. The colours get more vibrant, the setting in nature gives the animators a lot of opportunities to shine with all the trees, rivers and flowers. Absolutely outstanding stuff. The only reason why this is not a 10/10 is because of the type of movie we get here (it really is almost like a chamber-play for most of it´s runtime), there really is not that much opportunity for the animators to be creative with animation techniques, but that is really not that much of a problem. Fantastic work overall Sound – 9/10 This is, of course, still a movie about music, at least on paper, and it still is one of the main aspects here. I would even say that the main theme of this movie is being explored and highlighted with the music being played. The BGM is amazing. It is very minimalistic, but what i noticed more and more the longer the movie goes on, is that the school itself almost works as an instrument itself. Little steps in the corridor, doors being closed, wind across grass. It´s subtle, but noticeable. The one thing i want to highlight here is the final music performance. In my opinion, the best one in the whole series. Super emotional, beautifully animated and just a fantastic piece of music. Characters – 9/10 This is the absolute core of the movie and the whole reason it works so well. We get a full movie about the relationship between two characters. No subplots, no romance, no side-stories. Because of that the movie really gets to dive deep into their thoughts, their views and their feelings for one another. Mizore and Nozomi both get so many layers over the course of these 90 minutes. I love the way the themes and developments of the fairy-tale seamlessly intertwine with the core relationship dynamic of our two characters. Do you have to stay together to truly show your love to someone else? Can letting someone go be the right decision even though you love them? And can a friendship last even for two people with different abilities, goals and personalities? The movie explores all of that slowly over the course of it´s runtime, while mostly leaving it to the viewer to figure everything out for themselves. If you find these themes interesting and want to find out more about them, i think there is not a single other anime that tackles them in a way like this one. Enjoyment – 8/10 This was a pleasant surprise, and something entirely different from the stuff i usually watch and review. It takes some time, but delivers something truly special and satisfying. If you are a fan of “Sound! Euphonium”, this is a must-watch, but be prepared that this is not like the main series at all. Everyone else can easily just watch this movie on their own and have a great time if they are a fan of these kinds of slow character-driven stories. The more time passes, the more i found myself thinking about this movie, and i´m sure the final rating will be even higher after a potential rewatch. This is my 100th Review i´ve written! A big thank you to all of my friends, as well as the people here on MyAnimeList that take their time to read them, it means a lot :) - Marco_Yooo FINAL SCORE - 8/10

the movie is progressing very slowly. i like the way they show the emotions but generally its not a masterpiece. I cant say im not bored while watching and i wont lie that it didnt gets my interest. yes its a good movie but if you watched hibike you can understand what will happen at the end. Art is perfect and we know characters from hibike my general enjoyment is 6 so i decide to rank it 6. this series gets people's interests because they did the senario like yuri. maybe this anime movie is but its pretty clear that hibike's not. (even im shipping too.)

"Fly, and Be Free!" [STORY (8)] This is just beautiful. Just beauty. The tone that they set for this movie was really good. It really matches with the whole story. Focusing on a friendship relation and an internal conflict which both side has. The analogy from the actual "Liz and The Blue Bird" story was perfect and match with the tone. There's so much to explore here, and luckily, they did. It really describes a beautiful friendship between two opposite person. But I wasn't really pleased with the ending, for me, it could be better a little bit. And the whole analogy needs a little bit better execution. Despite the whole analogy worked really well, it's still can be better a little bit. The story was very heart-warming. It helped us to understand both character's feeling. The exploration was deep enough for us to understand the whole internal conflict. And another thing that slipped for me was how they didn't explain the whole story of "Liz and The Blue Bird" till the end. It will be more impactful for the story's depth. The story was amazing, but I didn't it deserves 9/10 at this point. [ART (9)] Tbh, this is one of the most visually beautiful anime I've ever watched. Even though I more a fan of the character design for Mizore in the series, but I'm totally fine with this. It's just in the series she looked cuter. And here, we see a different version of each character in the series which I love it more here than what we have in the series. Reina, Kumiko, Taki-sensei, Yuuko, Nozomi, etc. The students looked more like a high school student cause all of them have a bigger posture in this movie. [SOUND (9)] One of the best thing in this movie is the score/composing. The music was very beautiful, match with the tone really well, supporting the story-telling, and calming. [CHARACTER (8)] I had a little issue with the supporting role. The character's depth for the two main character was awesome. It's just that one junior was like put there to complete one event and then they took it out. That girl was the character development arc for Mizore, but once she did to get close with Mizore, she just vanished from the story. She was suppose to be there longer because she's a part of Mizore's character development. And also, there was not enough backstory for both Mizore and Nozomi which if we get that, it'll be really support the character's depth for both of them. [ENJOYMENT (9)] I feel really relatable, happy, touched while watching this. Their friendship was so beautiful. Also their friendship is I think my favorite friendship in the whole series of Hibike. I couldn't stop smiling in some part of the movue cause this just so good.

Liz to Aoi Tori, or Liz and the Blue Bird, is a movie that I watched, rewatched. and will continue to return to, and I bet that I will learn new things and get more insight into the characters and show as a guarantee. This movie is a beauty, gem, and a masterpiece! I scored this movie as a 10, and that is the right score for it. It is such a beauty of a show, where Mizore and Nozomi progress as characters in such a serene way. The dynamic of a parallel of Mizore and Nozomi with Liz and the Blue Bird was a beautiful one and helped to push a tremendous narrative that pulled me in further. The care put into the delicate scenery, the movements that Mizore did that spoke louder than words. The underlying feelings between Mizore and Nozomi that helped to create tension, but also create a heartwarming tale of moving on and letting go. This movie may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I implore anyone who wants to watch a show about longing, a slow narrative, and about moving on to watch this!

Liz to Aoi Tori rewards it's audience for paying attention, if you're not present in the moment while watching you won't get anything out of it. Watching at least twice is a must. The subtle character movements, beautiful animation, and a experimental soundtrack come together to create something that feels genuine. Liz hit's me so hard because of how authentic it feels, by the end I was completely immersed in the story, and completely engulfed in emotion. I loved the decision to have the entire story take place in one location, it's another thing that makes it feel so real to me, how small it is. Liz is of course about love, but I also see it as a story about peoples potential and the need (or obligation) to realize that potential.

I can understand why director Naoko Yamada, after the headrush of plot points and emotional bombast that is "Koe no Katachi", would want to produce something as minimal as "Liz to Aoitori". The 90 minute drama follows two, or arguably two and a half characters. There is only one conflict. Much of the dialog is background texture. Much of the foreground is Yamada’s signature closeups of meticulously animated body language. The film is an exercise in maximizing the fewest story elements. It takes place in the world of "Hibike! Eupohonium" but strips out much of the marketable anime sheen of its television counterpart, for example reducing the characters to lanky forms of flat pastel contained in fragile linework, and pushing all extraneous elements of the franchise into the deep background. Instead of perky, hummable BGM jingles, the soundtrack forms a bed of wistful ambiance. But this director, with this studio, is primed to tell this school drama with an emotional fidelity that no other team can. Liz to Aoitori carries moments of profound subtlety and intense beauty, with captivating and communicative music performance scenes that begin to recall Isao Takahata’s "Gauche the Cellist". But ultimately, despite its achievements, there’s not a whole lot of *there* there. Though the story is interwoven with a fairy tale, it lacks the fantastical whimsy of Takahata’s film, or the density and complexity of Koe no Katachi. In a way, Yamada is even more of a realist than Takahata is. When her exercise in minimalism wraps up, it leaves little impression other than to hope she tackles more ambitious subject matter in the future.

It's so much different from what I expected, but not in a bad way. Yamada Naoko had a lot of freedom with this movie and it turned out well. Also really nice visual/sound as expected from KyoAni. It's an interesting side story about 2 close friends going through an emotional rollercoaster, but in the already established universe of Hibike Euphonium. However it's nothing like the series, in many ways they're polar opposites, for example the story is hyperfocused on Mizore and Nozomi, nobody else gets any screentime, it's almost exclusively set inside the school too and also the emotions are a lot less spoonfed to the viewers. It's one of those movies that you might wanna watch more than once to fully understand every aspect of it, there's a lot of symbolism and metaphors throughout the entire movie and it's easy to miss a few due to the volume. Usually movies suffer from the fact that they're somewhat limited due to screentime, Liz and the Blue Bird though overstays its welcome. Since the characters and their relationship are already established in the series they saved like half hour on introductions for starters. Then also it's a bit slow, most of the progression happens in the last 30 minutes, the first 1 hour just presents the conflict and ignores it while showcasing the duo's dynamic. And I hate to say it but there was no need for that taking up about an hour, it's hard to point out which scenes should've been cut since all of them hold a bit of significance to their relationship through metaphors, but it just feels a bit too much. With that being said there's no other issue I find about this movie, it's unique and achieves what it wants while being a great experience.

After watching it, I want to fly to the sky. The blue feather is locked in the cage, the future is only foggy, the girls' world is divided by differences, and the bound air makes people feel like they are on the edge of the abyss. Why a smile responds to emptiness? Why go and open that? Is the bluebird unlucky? Book and reality merge into one, but the other Liz and Bluebird are smiling beside them. Loneliness and love are solved, and the boundaries are blurred. Listen to each other's most sincere notes, give the initiative to deep touch, turn into two birds soaring next to each other, and the world is wider because of each other. Look at your beautiful posture and see you off, blue bird, fly to freedom, fly past the window of the library and the wind music club. Turning around, we finally became the intersecting line, "はばたけ". This's the continuation of the story of Nozomi and Mizore in the second season, it will be better to watch it firstly. In general, it is a light and delicate story, but even so, the height of music, pictures, etc. will make people naturally immersed in it. The camera will not let go of a trace of changing emotions, and the scene also has a lot of symbolic settings to reflect the emotions, which is very careful to reflect the girl's feelings. Once again, after watching it, I want to fly to the sky.

"Liz and the bluebird" is a tale of two beautiful friendships and it's in a special place in my heart. This movie tells you the story of two best friends who never want to leave their path but they have to in order to go on their journey. Mizore and Nozomi are the main cast of this film, Mizore is a quiet girl who loves and wants to follow her best friend Nozomi but in order to carve their path they have to free themselves from each other to make them grow even more. This movie hits hard on my face as I was in the same situation as Mizore and Nazomi back in my high school days. It was hard to leave behind my best friend in order to pursue something I like. My friend and I never wanted to leave each other and thought we could continue the same path and go together. But life is unpredictable and I wanted to go to this college that I like which was far away from my state and my friend wanted to study near the state. As we know we have to keep flowing in order to reach the destination we wanted to reach and later we parted away towards our chosen paths in order to pursue our passions. This movie tells and shows the emotions of parting away of two best friends in order to pursue the paths they have chosen, to pursue the goal that almost all of us had or going to have in a beautiful way via Mizore and Nozomi. Thank you KyoAni for this beautiful film.

A beautiful, sensitive masterpiece subtly showcasing the damage of naivety from a lack of communication in a relationship My short synopsis: Liz and the Blue Bird is a spin-off movie of the Hibike Euphonium series, which is centred around the relationship between Mizore Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasai. I heard about this movie quite a long time after its release, despite being very much a big Hibike Euphonium fan, and I was delighted to hear it was focused on one of my favourite characters in the series. Boy was I in for a treat when I watched this movie. With breathtaking visuals and a subtle, effective soundtrack, Liz and the Blue Bird effectively brings to light the importance of communication and empathy within friendships. Never have I ever watched anything grab me so emotionally with what feels like so little effort. Watching this movie feels like receiving a light hug from someone you're not very familiar with. It keeps you wondering just where it will take you on the emotional rollercoaster while still being able to deliver a fantastic conclusive ending despite what feels like very little was achieved. For me, this movie perfectly conveys the difference in empathy, sensitivity, and understanding between different people, especially teenagers. A wake-up call to people to understand how important it is to try to understand your friends under the surface of their every-day interactions and see how they really feel about you and themselves. On top of this, there are great references to characters from the original series, which feels like fanservice, but it's used effectively and doesn't feel forced at all like other media that try similar things sometimes feels like. To conclude, this film is absolutely breathtaking. Even upon rewatching, it still hits you heavy with feelings and makes you want to never want to watch it again but also look forward to the next rewatch. I highly recommend this anime to anyone looking for an emotional movir that engages your feelings, not for those looking for outstanding writing or storytelling, as that is far from what this movie is about. This movie got better and better over time as I pondered about it, so it might not live up to the hype for you initially but grow on you over time.

Wow... this movie left me speechless T___T I didn't go in with high expectations... I'd just finished all of Hibike and wanted to watch everything they had to offer. And this film really shook me to the core. I seriously can't think of a flaw... the only reason why I scored this a 9 instead of 10 is because I had already known Mizore and Nozomi's (FMCs) bg story and I don't know if it would've hit as hard as a first time watcher. Nevertheless I think Liz to Aoi Tori works well as both a spin-off and a stand-alone film :-) The story-telling doesn't rush the viewer at all and the symbolism is subtle and tasteful, the music was heart wrenching, the desaturated colours rlly complimented the tone of the film, and the parallel storyboarding between the fairytale and the two FMCs was just breathtaking. Nothing was forced or rushed, and yet I felt every emotion clearly and deeply. I could talk ab the art for a whole paragraph TT just so so beautiful TT In the final practice scene, there was no dialogue and no flashbacks. Just Mizore's oboe, Nozomi's flute and the supporting orchestra. It was simple and poignant, I painfully sobbed the entire time. I loved everything about this film sm T___T

Liz to Aoi Tori, or Liz and the Blue Bird, the borderline yuri side story from the fantastic series Hibike! Euphonium. Taking that you watched the main series, you should probably know the gist of it between the super anti-social Mizore and sociable but heartless Nozomi. I am glad that there was a side story for this manner alone as I definitely wouldn't like this plot to interfere with the main storyline. To be frank, I am not very fond of this plot between these two characters. I have always felt that the matters between them are always slightly overdramatic and kinda underwhelming. So to round up and explain my points to those who know and don't, so the story is about two distinctively different people managing to become friends and experiencing the flaws in their relationship. Mizore is lonely, unsociable and somewhat a misfit in the school. Despite her friends actively approaching her and socializing with her, she always turns and clings on to her old school friend, Nozomi, the most. Now on the view of Nozomi, she is a sociable and outgoing person but holds very little to the words she says. She is often bright and cheerful to others around but is always cold and blur when it comes to Mizore. So with that, you can already see the problems arising. This is something that I don't find quite enjoyable, Mizore's constant rejection from Nozomi always makes her the victim to be pitied. This can make someone wonder, how did these two seemingly incompatible people manage to be friends. Mizore's super tight sociability skills and Nozomi ultra bluntness just made me worried about how the show is going to pull this off. Aftermath, I did but it wasn't as grand as I was hoping for. I just wished Nozomi wasn't too blunt all the time and keep brushing off Mizore as I feel that is very annoying to see. Plus the build-up of emotions between the two just seemed too overdramatic that I feel in real life, it would be equivalent to a gay student confessing her love for another girl. Honestly, if they are that close to making it yuri, I'll say go for it, it would definitely be better than teasing the audience with super emotional scenes and not get the expected outcome the audience wants. I included. There is development in characters, but I feel that the show was slightly too long. I definitely could have been shorter or maybe a more interesting way to present their problems. But in the end, it wasn't too bad, the pacing is on the slower side and I'll say they did a fine job on it. -SCORES- Character- 6/10: Really, really, not too fond of these two. But the way they represented them as the story was quite interesting, not mindblowing, however. I hope upcoming shows of this series would be them being more open and more friendly towards each other, cause it will be a drag to seem them still having issues. I know that this side story is about Mizore and Nozomi, but I just feel that the supporting characters could have played a bigger part or at least contributed more. Art- 9/10: Woah, did our world of Hibike! Euphonium suddenly merged with A Silent Voice? If I am not wrong, the art style is the same. I must say that it was certainly a bit offputting to see our characters from the series getting a Silent Voice twist on it, but all is said, it is still very beautiful. I just wished their necks weren't as long and their body has more volume to it than it always being elongated. With that, great job from Kyoto Animation. Writing- 7/10: Wasn't crazy about it but it was decent. From the get-go, you should already know they managed to solve things out but I was just interested in how they are going to do it. The plot of the two with relations to the story of Liz and the Blue Bird was fairly well executed. However, I was slightly underwhelmed as I was expecting more. I am just glad the gist is over for these two as I really don't want to see more. Sound- 9/10: LIKE A BREEZE. The oboe solo was an amazing experience, I'll say even better than the trumpet from Reina. Sorry Reina. Overall, it was a fine journey, just wouldn't say it was as good as the Hibike! Euphonium experience. But still a good watch. Decent 7

"Happy Ice Cream!" For someone who spends a lot of time around music, silence can be interesting, even refreshing, to hear. It is prevalent throughout <i>Liz and the Blue Bird</i>; the first eight minutes genuinely contain no dialogue. Instead, the storytelling is done nonverbally, where every turn and glance matters, and every footstep seems to lead somewhere. Events are almost never explained outright. As soundtrack composer Kensuke Ushio put it, "I feel like I'm spying on these girls. I've got to hold my breath." The film rarely feels like it is documenting events as they objectively happened. Rather, it feels as though everything has been filtered through emotional perception. Empty hallways carry as much weight as dialogue. Everything is just a little too luminous to be ordinary, as though memory has sanded away everything except the feeling. This is especially significant in the fairy tale, where time seems to have stopped, preserving its world in the pristine, dreamlike state of a memory. “Nostalgia for a time that never existed” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, but <i>Liz</i> earns it. It isn't nostalgic for your past. It is nostalgic for a version of adolescence distilled until only the emotional residue remains. The performance scene is nothing short of euphonious. The word feels almost deliberately appropriate. Euphony means pleasing or beautiful sound (as with the euphonium!), but <i>Liz and the Blue Bird</i> is a film unusually concerned with the relationship between sound and silence. Its music is powerful not merely because of what it plays, but because of everything the film teaches us to hear before it plays at all. The footsteps. The room tone. The doors. The pauses. The silence between two people who have no idea what to say. All are encapsulated in the soundtrack, recorded in the very school that inspired Kitauji High. By the time the performance begins, we have been listening to all of this for nearly the entire film. The music therefore does not simply accompany the climax. It feels like the culmination of everything that has been left unsaid. Perhaps that is why the performance scene feels so overwhelming. For a film so interested in silence, <i>Liz and the Blue Bird</i> knows exactly when to finally let the music speak. P.S. Ririka is best girl. She also gave Nozomi a boiled egg for no reason.

All it often takes for a large difference in perception is a small change in perspective. In anime, a change in perspective of the same setting can commonly be noticed when an anime changes hands, particularly either in directors or in studios. Liz and the Blue Bird, a spin-off of the Sound Euphonium series (Eupho), falls under the first. Naoko Yamada, known mainly as director of A Silent Voice and K-ON, two other KyoAni staple titles, was also given the reins for a spin-off entry in Eupho and took an approach that starkly contrasted from that of the main series director, KyoAni mainstay Tatsuya Yoshihara. Though Yamada did work on the main series as well, the result of her directing is a product that maintains the series’ roots of music and emotional drama but otherwise could not be more different. How does it fare? This review will give my take on that. Let’s begin. As with Eupho itself, this movie is a coming-of-age drama that strongly centers around a motif of classical music. As the synopsis hints at, Nozomi and Mizore are the main pair of this movie and they are given the entire 90 minutes as the movie solely focuses on their relationship, doing so in a scope that the main series cannot feasibly address since they are just side characters in it. As the synopsis also touches on, there are a few layers to the narrative, those mainly being Nozomi and Mizore’s relationship, the story book that shares the title of the movie, and the musical piece that also shares that title. I will talk more about the song closer to the bottom of the review. The book is read in-universe by the cast and its story is presented to the viewer while that is happening. It is allegorical with most of its meaning spelled out through the events of the cast. Finally, there is the main plotline of Nozomi and Mizore attempting to connect with the music, and in turn the story book, and also each other. The symbols of ‘Liz’ and ‘the blue bird’ are applied across all three of these phases. The incorporation of those symbols and how their perspective changes throughout the movie presents the main pairing in a way that does dumb down their complexities somewhat but adds an X-factor in the directing, allowing for a wider use of symbolisms and analogies. As I will elaborate on shortly, these 3 phases make up the movie's entire story. Outside of the picture book scenes, every single scene from start to credits takes place inside of the school and at least one of Nozomi or Mizore is almost always on screen at any given time. Though there is a solid resolution between Nozomi and Mizore and the ending scene is quite impactful, the general state of affairs is also left a bit more open, though this could simply be due to its function as a spin-off entry. The moral of the picture book and how it ties into the main pairing means things are best left open-ended due to the complexities of each story’s respective relationship. When looking at Nozomi and Mizore, their dynamic is another example of the well-practiced ‘introvert strung along by an extrovert’ dynamic, but the depiction of that here feels more realistic compared to similar dynamics in anime. They seem to softly dance around each other to a tune that constantly changes as the movie progresses, sometimes in sync and sometimes not. This is shown both through their scenes together as well as when either one or the other is shown interacting with a side character. Many of their interactions together throughout the movie feel ever so slightly disjointed. As the viewer learns more about them, it becomes clear that they both view each other very differently, but neither of them seem to be able to easily grasp said differences. When they talk or walk together, they recognize the other’s presence and can converse as normal, but it often seems as if there’s a part of the human connection that is missing. The directing and voice acting work together to display this effect nicely, but due to some of the more indirect methods used to convey the effect, viewers may not be able to spot this easily until later on in the movie. In addition, the pacing can come off as a bit consistent at times. The methods that display the disconnect between the main pair may not be as apparent at first watch, simmering on the surface and slowly coming to a boil as the movie progresses. This boil comes very close to the end of the movie and is not particularly violent, which creates a feeling of the conflict being backloaded towards the end. Although this movie was originally marketed as a standalone product at release, the subject matter of this movie is technically a continuation of the storyline between Nozomi and Mizore that is introduced in season 2 of the main series. That said, it is not necessarily a direct sequel, allowing for more leeway to attempt a standalone product. The main cast from the anime, while still present here, are demoted to side character and cameo roles. Unlike in season 2, the main conflict here exists in a vacuum where no other characters apart from Nozomi or Mizore are noticeably affected. Since so much time is spent on Nozomi and Mizore with their dynamic being shown as clearly and effectively as it is, this movie alone gives more than enough information and depth for a viewer to understand. Still, there are some scenes where other, more familiar characters will come around. These scenes are intermittent and written in ways where knowing who they are beforehand is not at all required, but it can give those few scenes some extra context in terms of what input those characters end up providing. All of that to say, yes, this story can most likely be easily enjoyed on its own due to how well it is able to maintain its focus, but as with all spinoffs, being caught up with the parent series, i.e. having watched season 1 and 2 of Eupho, will allow a viewer to fully appreciate the more minor details. Visually, while the general approach taken very starkly contrasts from Eupho, anyone familiar with Naoko Yamada’s work will feel right at home here. Her style of directing places strong emphasis on the human figure, basically born to be utilized in a story that strongly emphasizes themes of interpersonal connection. There is a lot of detail in the subtle movements of characters’ bodies as well as their placements in certain scenes, even with characters that aren’t the focal point of their respective scenes. Every slight gesture feels meaningful, especially in the case of Mizore, a person of few words who has a very difficult time expressing herself. The first scenes of the movie immediately set this tone as Nozomi and Mizore quietly enter the school together and make their way to the music room accompanied by a quiet piano melody. There are some slight notes taken directly from A Silent Voice as well, especially the flatter lighting and softer colors. Though there is a net loss in fidelity compared to the main series, this approach, in addition to the characters being redesigned and redrawn, allows for more focus on the characters’ expressions. The scenes depicting the picture book also feature their own more colorful palette, which is a nice touch. Another change from the main series that is worth pointing out is the portrayal of the music room. It is the series’ most significant location but the nature of its significance feels much different in this movie by design. What is normally a place that strongly symbolizes the weight of the entire band’s hopes and struggles is transformed into a much more composed, more contemplative space as Nozomi and/or Mizore rarely ever leave its focus in scenes that take place there. As with the main series, the sound design is a big strength. Nao Toyama’s and Atsumi Tanezaki’s respective performances as Nozomi and Mizore are good in the main series, but they tap into another level here. The increased use of physical gestures and body language lessens the demand for communicating feelings through voice acti…

This review comes fresh off of a recent read-through of the Sound! Euphonium novels and attendance to the Violet Evergarden USA concerts, following up on a rewatch inspired by those two prior events. Liz and the Blue Bird centers on a portion of Sound! Euphonium's Year 2 wherein Kitauji High School's concert band conducts the free piece "Liz and the Blue Bird". Similar to another one of director Naoka Yamada's works during her tenure at Kyoto Animation, A Silent Voice, the film's team opted to perform a dissection of the source material that honed in on general aspects present they wished to reconstitute into a short, concise story. Though fair to call a nonfaithful adaptation of the books, the visual retelling generally retains the spirit of the text, and personally felt respectful towards the general feel present within it. This rewrite that highlights ideas moreso than details results in the film existing almost standalone from the main animation series, with Liz and the Blue Bird altering the narrative to fully focus upon Mizore and Nozomi. Due to this shift, the film centers itself into a character piece, and attempts to explore the nature of codependency and what it means to truly love those you care for. Over the 1h30m runtime, the film tackles the issue in a heartfelt manner, highlighting the potential toxicity that forms when one clings onto a relationship built from an unhealthy, unbalanced framework, all without turning it into a messy melodrama filled with unrealistic levels of angst. For Mizore and Nozomi, the baggage they have accumulated without trying to outright hurt one another comes to head, with the two being the cause for each other's insecurities in spite of any affection they feel for the other. Without trying to tread into video essay territory, it would be simple to say that this film has an amazing usage of "show don't tell", utilizing the titular motif of 'the blue bird' in as many ways as possible. The focus on parallelism in theming and storytelling, and the usage of minimalism when it comes to both art and sound direction makes for a very unique experience that is nothing quite like the rest of Sound! Euphonium may offer. The director clearly displays that this work was hers, molding everything into her own style and throwing in her desired framing of shots and pacing that makes the film actually feel cinematic and not just a continuation of the series. To some that may scream tryhard and/or pretentious, but to me, this quirk feels moreso passionate and showcases intent within making this movie something worth a watch, beyond being another well made KyoAni film. Highly recommend giving this movie a shot, regardless of whatever opinions one holds towards the main story. An option as well for those unsure/unwilling to hop into the Sound! Euphonium series as a means of testing the waters.

"If I were Liz...I'd keep the blue bird trapped forever." Yet another Naoko Yamada film about opening yourself up to others and letting go of personal baggage. Look, I get it, but how can I work on myself when I have so much anime to watch?? While "A Silent Voice" felt a little overpacked, this is a very breezy and comfortable watch. The vibrant pastels of the picture book contrasts with the softer watercolours of Mizore's life; for her, the clear cut and simple emotions of the storybook world is an escape from the blurry, uncertain reality of adolescence. Beyond the visual contrasts, there is also the narrative metaphor of an out-of-synch school choir mirroring the tensions and misunderstandings of the girls. I'll just go ahead and say it: this is a masterpiece of storytelling and animation.