Liz and a blue bird
| Hibike! Euphonium | |
|---|---|
| Original title | 響 け! ユ ー フ ォ ニ ア ム |
| transcription | Hibike! Yūfoniamu |
| genre | Drama , slice of life |
| Anime movie | |
| title | Liz and a Blue Bird (Cinema) Liz and the Blue Bird (Video) |
| Original title | リ ズ と 青 い 鳥 |
| transcription | Rizu to Aoi Tori |
 | |
| Lettering of the anime film | |
| Country of production |
 Japan
|
| original language | Japanese |
| Publishing year | 2018 |
| Studio | Kyōto animation |
| length | 90 minutes |
| genre | Drama , slice of life |
| Director | Naoko Yamada |
| script | Reiko Yoshida |
| music |
Kensuke Ushio , Akito Matsuda |
Liz and a Blue Bird or Liz and the Blue Bird ( Japanese リ ズ と 青 い 鳥 Rizu to Aoi Tori , English Liz and the Blue Bird ) is an anime film by the Japanese director Naoko Yamada , which was produced by the animation studio Kyōto Animation . It is based on the light novel series Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-bu e Yōkoso , also sound! Euphonium , and is the franchise's first standalone film after two summary films.
The film was shown in cinemas across the country on April 21, 2018 and has seen international performances at the Annecy International Animation Festival , the LA Femme International Film Festival and the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco , among others . The film was nominated for a Satellite Award in the category of best film (animated film or real / animated film) and is currently on the shortlist for an Oscar in the category of best animated feature film .
action
The plot of the film is divided into two parts. One part tells the story of the two high school girls Mizore Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasaki, while the other tells the story of Liz and a Blue Bird . These action sections alternate several times with insertions.
Main story
The calm and reserved Mizore Yoroizuka and the, in contrast to her, very lively Nozomi Kasaki are best friends and attend the final year of the Kitauji high school , where both play in the school band . There Mizore plays the oboe and Nozomi plays the flute . On a Sunday Nozomi found a blue feather on the way to the music room , which she gave to Mizore. Then they want to practice the piece of music chosen by the club , which is based on the fairy tale Liz and a Blue Bird , for a nationwide music competition . Nozomi shows her friend a children's book with the story of the fairy tale and tells her what it is about. Meanwhile, Mizore remembers her first meeting with Nozomi. Nozomi suggests that her friend practice the oboe and flute solo. Little by little, more members of the music club arrive in the school music room.
During a break, Mizore sneaks into another classroom with the children's book under his arm and begins to read it. The book is about the girl Liz, who lives alone in a house far from the city and is lonely. One day after a devastating storm , she finds a mysterious girl with blue hair and a dress lying unconscious by the roadside and brings her home. They spend many lively days together until one day they have to say goodbye to each other because the girl turns out to be a blue bird and should be free.
At the end of the rehearsal day, the club chairman explains that there will soon be an audition to see who will play the solo in the piece of music. After the rehearsal, Mizore receives an invitation from Ririka, who also plays the oboe and notes the harmony within the flutist group. Mizore refuses and leaves Ririka disappointed. Mizore returns the children's book to her friend when she says goodbye and learns that Nozomi likes the story, even if she finds the ending a little sad. Before Nozomi leaves school, Ririka approaches her and asks her how she can break the ice between her and Mizore. Meanwhile, Mizore is reading a copy of Liz and a Blue Bird in the library .
The next day, Mizore and Nozomi see two middle school students hugging at school. Nozomi used to do this a lot, but Mizore never did. Nozomi confronts her with open arms, but before the completely perplexed friend can hug her friend, she drops her arms and says that it was just a joke and that she shouldn't feel attacked. When the two of them part ways for the next lesson, Mizore is approached by her teacher that she still has to fill out her future questionnaire.
Time goes by and the audition for the instrumental solo is getting closer and closer. Mizore receives a surprise visit from Satomi Niiyama, a long-time friend of her music teacher Noboru Taki. Niiyama says the band picked a nice piece for the music competition and explains to Mizore that the oboe and the flute symbolize Liz and the blue bird. Mizore remembers her first year of high school when she learned that Nozomi had left the school band. On the way home, Nozomi recognizes the brochure of a music school in Mizore's hands and they both decide to go to this school together.
During a break before the audition, the students talk about their future and the two friends say that they want to go to music school together. When they talk about the upcoming festival , Nozomi invites her friend as well as Natsuki and club chairman Yūko to join them. While Natsuki happily agrees, Yūko only reluctantly agrees. On the way to class, Ririka hears Nozomi talking about an upcoming date and goes to Mizore shortly afterwards. While cleaning her mouthpiece , she notices Mizore's blue feather, which she immediately begins to rave about. While Mizore is reading Liz and a Blue Bird , Ririka invites her to a party again, but again cancels . Some time later, Mizore returns the book to the library with a significant delay and is reprimanded by the administrator for it. At that moment Nozomi appears and jumps to the side of her friend. A little later Ririka joins Mizore, who is currently making a reed for her oboe. Ririka begins to cry because she failed the audition. During the lunch break, Nozomi and Mizore meet in the swimming pool for the summer vacation . Mizore asks if she could bring someone with her, which amazes her friend because she is not used to that from her. She takes Ririka with her, who in retrospect was very happy about the invitation and sends her a photo to her smartphone as a thank you . The two then play their instruments together.
During another music rehearsal, Mizore and Nozomi play the solo together, but are soon interrupted by their music teacher Noboru, because Nozomi plays well, but does her part too emotionally. Mizore can't go into Nozomi's game, but that's important for the solo, as it is supposed to embody a back and forth between the two - in the book Liz and the Blue Bird. A few days later, Yūko sees Mizore making a reed for Ririka and talks to her about her future after high school. When Yūko asked whether she wanted to go to music school just because of her friend, Mizore replied that Nozomi's decision was also hers. Shortly thereafter, Reina, another member of the school band, comes and asks Mizore if she is the right partner for the solo at all. She got the impression that she and Nozomi are not on the same wavelength. Mizore apologizes to Yūko because Reina is right and expresses her fear of losing Nozomi one more time.
As Nozomi, Natsuki talks about her feeling that Mizore is becoming more and more distant from her. Maybe Mizore was still angry about her decision to leave the band at the time. In another lesson, Noboru Satomi introduces Niiyama and Mashahiro Hashimoto to the music club, who will watch the group practice from now on. After the rehearsal, Nozomi meets Niiyama and tells about going to a music school. She wishes her the best of luck, but Nozomi's uncertainty is further reinforced. During another practice session, Mizore notices that something is wrong with her best friend. She asks her friend what happened and holds out her arms to her. But Nozomi does n't want to reciprocate the wish to be hugged .
A few days later, Yūko and Natsuki Nozomi ask if something has happened between the two friends. They hear Reina and Kumiko playing solo on their instruments in the distance, whereupon Nozomi explains to the two that she will not be switching to music school. There is an argument between the three girls. Mizore meets with Niiyama and explains that she is still unable to play the solo perfectly. She says that while she expresses Liz's actions, she cannot name his feelings. On Niiyama's suggestion to put yourself in the shoes of the blue bird and understand its feelings and Nozomi's simultaneous admission to Yūko and Natsuki that they cannot fill out their questionnaire about their future either, they both recognize that their friendship is precisely the relationship between Liz and the blue bird is the same in history .
In another music rehearsal, Mizore asked her music teacher to rehearse the third movement of the piece, the solo with Nozomi. Although the rehearsal goes well, Nozomi is once again confronted with her feelings, which she can hardly compensate for in the music. While Mizore is being praised after the game, her friend has left the music room. Mizore follows her and tries to talk to her friend. Nozomi describes himself as a block on the leg, as Mizore has held back the whole time. Mizore denies this, hugs her friend and confesses her true feelings for Nozomi. Afterwards she thanks her. On her way through school, Nozomi thinks about her first meeting with Mizore and remembers that it was she who invited Mizore to join the school band. A few days later, Mizore is again in front of the administrator of the school library, who reprimands her. Again Nozomi comes to her aid and stands by her. While Nozomi spends the next few days studying in the library, Mizore goes to the music room, where she plays on her instrument.
Liz and a blue bird
Liz and a Blue Bird begins with a sequence in which a girl, whose name is unknown at the beginning of the plot, feeds various animals in the forest and sees a blue bird and watches it with sparkling eyes until the bird flies over to her and then away . It later turns out that the girl is Liz. Liz, who lives alone in a house out of town, makes her way to the bakery to help him sell the baked goods and to get bread. When a bad storm swept across the country one night, she found an unconscious girl with blue hair and a blue dress lying by the side of the road the next morning and took her in. She lovingly takes care of the unknown girl and spends many days together: The girl helps with the laundry , accompanies Liz to her work at the bakery, supports her in picking berries and making jam. One day when both of them are eating on a hill, Liz asks where the girl is from and why she came from. The girl can't really answer the first question, but she came to Liz because she is lonely and wants to play a lot with her. Liz then asks the girl to stay with her forever.
The girl is overjoyed that the moon is visible again in the sky and shortly afterwards she climbs into bed with Liz. In the middle of the same night she gets out of bed and opens the window. The silhouette of a bird flies out of the window. In the early morning Liz finds out that the girl has gone and the window is open. Shortly thereafter, a bird flies through the window, transforms into the girl and snuggles back into bed with the apparently sleeping Liz. The next morning, Liz explains to the girl that winter is approaching. Only Liz notices that the window is open at night and one day finds a blue feather lying on the floor of the attic room. When the two of them were feeding the animals with breadcrumbs one day, Liz notices how the girl was watching two birds flying with a beaming look and she was sad. Liz gives her freedom, whereupon the girl becomes sad and refuses to leave Liz alone. When she asks the girl to be free and show her the most beautiful flight, she leaves the house, turns into the bird and flies into the air with a heavy heart. Liz is also sad but at the same time happy that she made the right decision.
analysis
Richard Whittaker describes the story of Liz and a Blue Bird , which is repeatedly interspersed in the film alongside the actual plot, as a metaphor for the suffering friendship between the two characters Mizore Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasaki. Mizore represents Liz, lonely and hard-working in the fairy tale, and sees the blue bird in her best friend Nozomi. This bird in turn is a symbol of freedom .
production
- For the creation of the film music, see Girls, Dance, Staircase
In June 2017 the animation studio Kyōto gave animation as part of the Hibike! Euphonium 2 Special Talk Event 1- 2-nensei Gōdō! Uji de Omatsuri Festival! in Uji , Kyoto announced that the franchise would receive two new films in the coming year. These are called Liz and a Blue Bird , who tells the story of Nozomi Kasaki and Mizore Yoroizuka, and Sound! Euphonium the Movie: Oath's Finale , which tells the story from the point of view of Kumiko Ōmae and various other second-year students at Kitauji High School. As director of Liz and a Blue Bird was Naoko Yamada selected. Other people involved in the production of the film include Reiko Yoshida for the script , Futoshi Nishiya for the character design , Mutsuo Shinohara as artistic director, and Kensuke Ushio for composing the film music. All of them have worked together at A Silent Voice in the past .
synchronization
| role | Japanese voice ( seiyū ) | German voice |
|---|---|---|
| Nozomi Kasaki | Nao Tōyama | Zina Laus |
| Mizore Yoroizuka | Asumi Tanezaki | Katharina Stark |
| Natsuki Nakagawa | Konomi Fujimura | Laura Schneider |
| Yūko Yoshikawa | Yuri Yamaoka | Patricia Strasburger |
| Kumiko Ōmae | Tomoyo Kurosawa | Catherine of Daake |
| Hazuki Kato | Ayaka Asai | |
| Sapphire Kawashima | Moe Toyota | Sarah Fuhr |
| Reina Kōsaka | Chika Anzai | Katharina Iacobescu |
| Satomi Niiyama | Hoko Kuwashima | Natascha Geisler |
| Masahiro Hashimoto | Yūichi Nakamura | Jochen Paletschek |
| Noboru Taki | Takahiro Sakurai | Andreas Thiele |
| Ririka Kenzaki | Shiori Sugiura | Nina Benz |
| Liz | Miyu Honda | Friederike Sipp |
| Blue bird / mysterious girl | Eleni Möller |
publication
movie theater
Liz and the blue bird was nationwide in the on April 21, 2018 Japanese shown cinemas. As part of the Annecy International Animation Festival was Liz and a Blue Bird for the first time in Europe shown. However, the film did not take part in the competition.
For North America , the US subsidiary of Pony Canyon acquired the rights to broadcast the animated film and announced that it will soon be broadcast in the United States . The film was shown for the first time in Los Angeles as part of the Anime Expo on July 6, 2018 . On September 28, 2018, Liz and a Blue Bird was the opening film of the sixth edition of the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco . Liz and a Blue Bird was a competition entry for the LA Femme International Film Festival , where it was shown on October 14th. On November 9th, it was broadcast nationwide.
As part of the Vancouver International Film Festival , the film will be shown exclusively in Vancouver , Canada on January 2nd and 3rd, 2019 .
The film is to be shown at the 19th Nippon Connection , which will take place from May 28 to June 2, 2019, in Frankfurt am Main . The film will be shown in the original with English subtitles at the festival on June 1 and 2, 2019.
Home video
A DVD and Blu-Ray version of the film was released for the North American market by Shout! Factory , which released the film on March 5, 2019.
On May 1, 2019, Universum Anime announced that it had secured the rights to the publication on DVD and Blu-ray for the German-speaking market and released it under the title Liz and the Blue Bird on September 20, 2019.
reception
Grossing results
On the first weekend after the official broadcast, Liz and a Blue Bird grossed approximately 53.6 million yen , or nearly half a million US dollars , in Japan ; in South Korea almost $ 43,000 was made. In Japan, a little more than half a million dollars were made by August 2018; in South Korea a little more than $ 150,000 by November with the film shown in 159 theaters. In the United States , revenue was just under $ 60,000.
Reviews
Liz and a Blue Bird received mostly positive reviews. Matt Schley of the Japan Times writes that Naoko Yamada , who had a hit with A Silent Voice in 2016 , is once again in top form. While the drama between the two main characters Mizore and Nozomi is shown, the fairy tale about Liz and the blue bird is told in parallel. The fantasy scenes are animated with a watercolor style and reflect the thoughts of Mizore. Richard Whittaker praises director Naoko Yamada in his Austin Chronicle review for bringing life to the razor-thin story of two divergent friends. The main story is now and then interrupted by short inserts of a side story, which tells the story of the fairy tale Liz and the blue bird . These inserts differ dramatically in the animation style of the actual plot of the film, evoking memories of the early works of Hayao Miyazaki or The Dog of Flanders by Yoshio Kuroda and a subtle contrast to the fluorescent and computer-animated style that realistically depicts life in the class community , forms. Compared to her predecessor A Silent Voice , Yamada had a lot more freedom with Liz und ein Blauer Vogel to concentrate on the smallest interactions between the characters.
Richard Eisenbeis of the Anime News Network writes in his review of April 12, 2018 that the film does not come close to the heartbreaking A Silent Voice , but that it is still a solid film that also works well as a stand-alone film. Eisenbeis mentions the predictable plot as the only negative point, both in the actual plot and in the retelling of the fairy tale about Liz and the blue bird. Nick Creamer, who wrote his review for the Anime News Network on November 5 of the same year, was also impressed by the film overall. With Liz and a Blue Bird, Yamada has created a masterpiece that oozes from wonderfully painted fantasy vignettes to his devastating personal moments, from binding visual effects to his rich ever-matching sound effects. Craemer writes that no sequel to the anime series is to be expected in Liz and a Blue Bird .
Natasha H. wrote for IGN Entertainment and wrote that although the plot seemed straightforward and simple, Liz and a Blue Bird was one of the most complex anime films about the importance of communication for a healthy friendship. The film shows human insecurity and vulnerability in a wonderfully honest way. The combination of Yamada's impeccable vision and the minimalist soundtrack by Kensuke Ushio made the film one of the most touching and moving experiences of the year.
Charles Salomon of the Los Angeles Times , meanwhile, believes that for viewers unfamiliar with the franchise , the two main characters are underdeveloped. As an example, he named on the one hand the lively conversations Nozomis with other characters, although she rarely contributes something constructive, and on the other hand the withdrawn Mizore, who just sees her whole world in Nozomi. Yamada repeat the animations of the walking characters and mostly only show them up to knee height, which gives the impression that the interest in the plot is only underestimated. Although the animation style is praised in the fairy tale sequences, they still fail to breathe further life into the plot.
Awards and nominations
| year | Award | category | For | result | swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Satellite Awards | Best film (animated film or real / animated film) | Liz and a blue bird | Nominated | |
| Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya | Best movie | Nominated | |||
| Ōfuji Noburō Prize | Best movie | Won | |||
| 2019 | Academy Awards | Best animated feature film |
Shortlist (no official nomination) |
||
| Anime Trending Awards | Anime movie of the year | 5th place | |||
| The Anime Awards | Best movie | Nominated |
Web links
- Official Homepage (Japanese)
- Liz and a Blue Bird in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Liz and a Blue Bird at Anime News Network (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Richard Whittaker: Liz and the Blue Bird. Austin Chronicle , November 2, 2018, accessed January 8, 2019 .
- ^ A b Charles Salomon: Reviews: Animated drama 'Liz and the Blue Bird,' plus 'Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland' and more documentaries. Los Angeles Times , November 8, 2018, accessed January 12, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Chrystalyn Hodgkins: Sound! Euphonium Anime Gets 2 New Films in 2018. Anime News Network , June 4, 2017, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Jennifer Sherman: Sound! Euphonium's Liz to Aoitori Film Reveals 2nd Video, Visual, Staff. Anime News Network, December 15, 2017, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ^ Paul Chapman: Return to Kitauji High School with "Liz and the Blue Bird" film. Crunchyroll , December 16, 2017, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ List of speakers at aniSearch. aniSearch , accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Liz and a Blue Bird. In: synchronkartei.de. German dubbing file , accessed on May 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Chrystalyn Hodgkins: 1st New Sound! Euphonium Film Reveals Teaser Video, Poster, April 21 Debut. Anime News Network, September 30, 2017, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Amid Amidi: Annecy 2018: 23 Animated Feature Films In Official Selection. Cartoon Brew, April 23, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ^ Karen Ressler: Pony Canyon USA Teases Worldwide Release for Liz and the Blue Bird Film. Anime News Network, March 31, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Pony Canyon Presents Liz and the Blue Bird - US Premiere & Guest Talk at Anime Expo 2018. Anime News Network, June 26, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ 6th Japan Film Festival of San Francisco: September 28 - October 7, 2018 at New People Cinema. Anime News Network, August 30, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ^ Karen Ressler: Liz and the Blue Bird, Maquia to Screen at LA Femme International Film Festival. Anime News Network , October 8, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Rafael Antonio Pineda: Eleven Arts to Screen Liz and the Blue Bird Film on November 9. Anime News Network, September 3, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Rafael Antonio Pineda: Liz and the Blue Bird Anime Film Gets Vancouver Screening in January. Anime News Network, December 13, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Highlights - Nippon Connection - Japanese Film Festival 2019. In: nipponconnection.com. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
- ↑ Liz And The Blue Bird - Nippon Connection - Japanese Film Festival 2019. In: nipponconnection.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ↑ Karen Ressler: Shout! Factory to Release Liz and the Blue Bird Anime Film on BD / DVD in March. Anime News Network, December 29, 2018, accessed January 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Steffen: Liz and the Blue Bird: Universum Anime secures the license for the film. Animenachrichten.de, May 1, 2019, accessed May 1, 2019 .
- ↑ Jennifer Sherman: Inuyashiki Film Opens at # 5 with Detective Conan, Shin-chan in Top 3. Anime News Network, April 24, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Rizu to Aoi tori (2018). The Numbers, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Liz and the Blue Bird (2018). Box Office Mojo , accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ^ Matt Schley, 'Liz and the Blue Bird': A brilliantly executed return to an anime favorite. The Japan Times , April 18, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ^ Richard Eisenbeis: Liz and the Blue Bird. Anime News Network , April 12, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Nick Creamer: Liz and the Blue Bird. Anime News Network, November 5, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Natasha H .: Liz and the Blue Bird Review. IGN Entertainment , October 29, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ 2018 nominees. (No longer available online.) International Press Academy , archived from the original on November 29, 2018 ; accessed on December 16, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Jennifer Sherman: Hosoda's Mirai Film Wins Best Animated Film at Spain's Sitges. Anime News Network, October 16, 2018, accessed January 5, 2019 .
- ^ Rafael Antonio Pineda: Okko's Inn, Liz and the Blue Bird Win at 73rd Mainichi Film Award. Anime News Network, January 23, 2019, accessed August 7, 2019 .
- ↑ Scott Feinberg: Oscars: 25 Films Submitted for Best Animated Feature. The Hollywood Reporter , October 24, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Nominees. Anitrendz.net, accessed March 2, 2019 .
- ↑ Cayla Coats: Meet the Nominees for the 2018 Anime Awards! Crunchyroll , January 11, 2019, accessed January 11, 2019 .
