Liz e o Pássaro Azul

"Liz and the Bluebird," is a new film directed by Naoko Yamada for Kyoto Animation. If you were a fan of Sound Euphonium, you'll smile at all the Easter eggs delicately placed throughout the story. The movie is set in the same high school and in the same universe as Sound Euphonium, and features the same orchestra director/music teacher. But this time, Yamada tells a different story of these music students, weaving the real life relationship between two best friends and a special duet they are supposed to perform based on a folk tale entitled "Liz and the Bluebird."

Mizore and Nozomi are best friends. Mizore is very shy and withdrawn, always feeling lonely and lost, while Nozomi is an effervescent social butterfly. Nozomi seems to have it all: charm, wit, talent, personality. Even her ponytail swishes with an air of confidence as she walks. Mizore earnestly feels that she cannot exist without Nozomi around her. But these girls are now in their senior year in high school. It's time to think about graduation, college, and those hard decisions about everything that comes after. Although neither girl feels ready, it's time for them to grow up. All of this is plays out beautifully through the musical piece, "Liz and the Bluebird," a story about a young, lonely woman who befriends a magical girl in blue. Yamada uses an actual high school orchestra for the soundtrack, which makes the story so much more poignant as our main characters struggle through the piece and with their relationship to each other.

"Liz and the Bluebird" is a lovely little coming of age story. Yamada's genius lies in her ability to focus in and magnify that magical moment when a young person finally reaches that crest of self-actualization, when they see themselves as they truly are and how they impact those around them, as well as how much others impact them. Yamada seems to understand the true nature of friendship more than any other movie director. She also has a clear understanding of the role parents and teachers can play in a young person's life. While in A Silent Voice, it was the parents who had a strong impact, in Liz and the Bluebird, it's the teachers, Ms. Niyama, in particular, who gently guides the two girls in their journey of musical analysis and self-reflection.

If you just want a sweet movie that's a breath of fresh air, this is the one.

Liz and the blue bird let's you explore the world of "Sound! Euphonium" from the perspective of 2 supporting characters, Mizore the oboe player and Nozomi the flute player. The movie emphasizes on the 2 main protagonist, who became friends during middle school were afraid of losing each other after high school graduation. The piece that they were playing for the upcoming nationals resonated with their current situation which was derived from a fairy tale made up for the movie. The slow pacing of the movie allows audience to focus on every single action and expression that the 2 main protagonist which led up to the upcoming conflict, carrying audiences throughout the whole process while enjoying the animation masterpiece. The music, plot and character development were all top class, which should be expected from the franchise. Everything was all in sync, making it one of the most underrated "slice of life" animated movie in 2018.

A sweet tale about the deep friendship between two very different teens who musically complement each other. It's a visual masterpiece based on aquarelle-like paints. An observation rare enough to be noted: I have often felt that the French subtitles pollute certain breathtaking scenes. Knowing that I do not speak Japanese at all, they are nevertheless necessary. As a synthesis: I loved it!

That's all i gotta say it was a beautiful masterpiece, so simple. the art style, everything was so comforting and pleasing to the eye. the characters i loved everything

If you want a film that gives you tons of action, an incredibly complex story, or a dark tale, this isn't the movie for you. However, if you're in the mood for a stunning character piece that tells a simple but superb story than this is a movie for you. It tells it's story partially through the stunning body language displayed by the characters as while you might not hear what the characters are thinking all of the time, you can certainly gauge it from how they have their arms and legs positioned, expressions that briefly flash across their face, or how they are postured. Liz and The Blue Bird requires you to pay attention and it rewards you for doing so. It also uses music (It is a music anime) to give the most emotional moment of the movie that is soon followed by it's most enthralling part. The voice acting also carries the move to the next level as each actress gives an outstanding performance that gives further depth to their characters. You also don't really need to watch the series to get the characters as they were only side companions to the main story. But here, they take center stage and honestly surpass their predecessor in every regard. So yeah...go watch this movie.