A little 3 chapter Hibike! Euphonium fic I’m working on surrounding the Minami Quartet, specifically Nozomi and Mizore. Takes place after the event of ‘Liz’ and ‘Chikai no Finale’
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
wanna rewatch chikai no finale but i don’t wanna have to see shuuichi ruin kumirei again. also, idk if this is controversial or not, but i really didn’t like kanade all that much. also i just don’t think eupho is all that suited for films (with the obvious exception of liz to aoi tori, holy shit what a film). i just feel like trying to introduce and get me to care about a bunch of new students while also trying to cram in moments with established characters and jus,,, idk i feel like films don’t give enough time. i’ll still prolly watch it soon tho. i have no self control.
Yeah, big agree with all of this. I didn’t mind Kanade as much, but it kept seeming to me like she was only there to start drama. I didn’t really care at all for the other new first years (with the obvious exception of Ririka, I love her she’s the light of my life) they just didn’t interest me too much. I remember being slightly intrigued by the new contrabass player bc he gave me a little bit of transman vibes, but besides that I just didn’t care about them and their very minimal arcs. Hibike really spoiled us with really great secondary characters like Natsuki, Yuuko, Nozomi, and Mizore, so now I have no idea what they’re going to do next now that they’ve all graduated. The new characters just don’t compare.
So yeah, I’m also hoping for another season instead of another movie. There just is not enough time to jam pack however many character arcs into a 90 minute movie. It would just do Hibike a big disservice, and it would be really rough to end such a great franchise on such a sour note.
Also yeah, all the Shuuichi x Kumiko content made me want to throw my laptop.
Our favorite trumpet and euphonium duo are getting ready to practice.
The cracks in Nozomi’s facade are beginning to show.
Nozomi still attempts to preserve the illusion nevertheless.
Speaking of being perfectly in-sync with each other, say hello to the poster children for a perfectly healthy relationship. To me, KumiRei has to be one of the best pairings based on how well they get each other and how they consistently support each other throughout all of their endeavors. They both see the other’s flaws but they still remain devoted to each other regardless. This is represented by them playing Mizore and Nozomi’s duet perfectly in time and in tune with each other.
Mizore overhears the duo practicing too and stops to take a look. She doesn’t stick around for too long though.
We love to see it.
It was a confession of love, after all.
That’s true, if Kumiko and Reina were in the position of Liz and the bluebird, their parting would take on a different meaning. As I said only a moment ago, Kumiko and Reina are always in support of each other. If one of them felt as though the other one was being held back from achieving their full potential and becoming special, they wouldn’t hesitate for a second in letting the other one go. They’d have no doubt that letting the other go would be the correct choice.
Nozomi second guesses herself.
Mizore has read the story through multiple times, but she still can’t seem to get into Liz’s head.
Another area where Mizore and I are quite similar. Just like her, I find myself getting extremely attached to certain people I care deeply about and I even go as far as creating this idealized version of them in my head. The idea of letting that person go is almost unspeakable.
Yuuko is extremely passionate about this because after Nozomi quit, she was the only one Mizore had left. She saw firsthand how strongly this abandonment affected her, even to the point of her getting physically sick. So, it makes sense that she’s frustrated at Nozomi for doing the same thing all over again.
Well, sometimes, but communication is also important too. When was Mizore supposed to find out, then?
Niiyama makes a very astute assumption about Mizore and her sentimentality, to which Mizore can’t deny. Then, she gives Mizore a different perspective to think about.
Back in the fairy tale world, Liz finally breaks the news to the blue girl. She takes it pretty well.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the rug was pulled out from underneath the blue girl. She had been living with Liz and the two of them had been pretty much attached at the hip for a while now. They had come to love each other deeply, but now Liz is telling her she has to leave.
Liz has come to terms with the fact that the blue girl cannot truly be free or happy if she chooses to stay with her.
This particular shot with the way Liz looks at the blue girl and the way she speaks this line really melts my heart. All of her love is being reflected in her eyes. I think what makes this even more emotional is the addition of Liz pulling back for a moment to recompose herself before she speaks. It’s a painful decision to make, but she has to peel off the band-aid. The blue girl is reluctant to leave, but she does so anyway out of respect for Liz’s decision.
Also, I’m going to use this shot to reaffirm my statement that this is a queer movie. Liz’s one line in this shot hints at the nature of her relationship with the blue girl. It’s not platonic. In Japan, there are quite a few ways to say “I love you,” all of them having their own nuances and context. Liz uses “aishiteru,” which is normally used only in romantic situations; for instance what two spouses or two lifelong partners would say to each other. “Aishiteru” marks a very deep, committed, romantic relationship. It has such great meaning that the word isn’t even that commonly used in normal settings. Yes, it’s a bit bold of me to label their relationship as romantic, but I still find it a little ridiculous to assume that the two of them are just friends and nothing more. I would even say that it was willful ignorance. Clearly, whatever this relationship is, it transcends friendship.
But also, it is just a fairy tale.
Suddenly it starts making sense.
All this time, Mizore had been restraining her playing so that she wouldn’t leave Nozomi behind. The whole reason she plays the oboe in the first place is because of Nozomi. Now she realizes that because she loves her, she has to convey her love and all her emotions through her playing to give it back to her. Music is the best way for someone like Mizore to express themselves after all.
Here Nozomi finally comes clean and comes to terms with her own jealousy. She admits that it hurt to see Mizore getting all this attention when Nozomi is also passionate about music. She has to learn to accept that Niiyama just happened to see a greater potential in Mizore that Nozomi just didn’t seem to have. She has to accept that Mizore is going places where she cannot follow.
Originally, they thought of Mizore as Liz, and Nozomi as the bluebird. Nozomi was a strange miracle that came into Mizore’s life when she least expected it. And then, just like the Avatar, when Mizore needed her most, she vanished.
The roles have been reversed.
The bluebird has gone away to be free with others of her kind, and Liz is left to watch as the bluebird soars higher and higher and farther and farther away.
A stray bluebird feather descends from the sky. Liz grabs it and holds it closely, accepting is as something to remember her companion by. Ultimately, she made the correct decision in letting the bluebird go free, but god it still hurts. Now Nozomi knows she must do the same as well.
This last shot is so stunningly gorgeous from color to composition. I like that the film lingers here for a good few seconds.
Act 3 begins at the start of another rehearsal. In a seemingly uncharacteristically bold move by Mizore, she asks if they can go all the way through the Third Movement in Liz.
Niiyama approves.
As they begin playing the duet, Nozomi immediately notices that something is different.
Mizore is playing her part now with a new vigor and liveliness. All of her inhibitions have been thrown out the window and she doesn’t restrain herself to allow Nozomi to keep up. She’s soaring like the bluebird.
This specific portion of the song gives me chills and goosebumps every single time. The music is at a low rumble, Mizore leads as the piece is building up and building up until the cymbals crash and a trumpet fanfare begins, marking the climax of the movement.
Nozomi is so overcome with her emotions she can hardly play. She can’t focus enough to even move her fingers and fake it. The camera going in and out of focus really enhances this.
Nozomi finally drops out, laying the flute down in her lap in defeat. She just can’t keep up anymore.
She firmly grips the instrument in her lap as the tears begin to fall. It’s no use, and she knows it. Mizore has flown too high and far away for Nozomi to even reach her anymore.
Mizore concludes the solo on a literal high note.
The film goes silent. Everyone in the room is left utterly speechless or in tears because of Mizore’s solo. I had the same reaction. Not Niiyama-sensei though. She knew all along that Mizore could play like this; she’s merely proud.
If even Reina offers her kudos to your playing, that’s how you know you’re an amazing musician.
Even with all this praise, there’s still one thing on Mizore’s mind.
Mizore finds Nozomi sulking alone in what was previously her own hiding spot: the blowfish tank in the science lab.
Mizore’s in a difficult position. She doesn’t have that same type A personality that someone like Reina has. Mizore is happy to play as long as she gets to do it with Nozomi, the competition aspect isn’t that important to her. So I can see why she would hold herself back for Nozomi’s sake.
Nozomi’s in a tough position as well. She’s extremely passionate about music and she is a skilled flautist; she was the president of Minami Middle School’s band, the principal flautist to boot, and she only quit Kitauji’s band because she couldn’t stand being around the upperclassmen who didn’t take it seriously. We know this. So it really sucks for her to realize that she’s coming up short in her playing. Now this girl, whom she introduced to concert band in the first place, is turning out to be more skilled than she is and is even getting more attention for it. I don’t care who you are, that’s gotta hurt, petty or not.
This is reflecting the part in the short story where Liz claims to be just “a cage that confines you” and tells the bluebird that with her flight she can go anywhere she chooses.
Mizore is done being talked over and is ready to finally speak her mind.
Nozomi severely underestimates how much of an effect her disappearance had on her friend. It’s even affected how Mizore saw her other friendships (though she didn’t have very many to begin with). For the entire year that Nozomi was gone and Yuuko stuck by her side, Mizore was so sure that she was only doing that out of pity. She didn’t see herself as being worthy enough to be considered someone else’s friend. And now that Nozomi’s back, Mizore felt she had to live with the fear that it could happen again.
Mizore’s main fear is that she’s just another one of Nozomi’s many friends, and that if she ever stopped doing it, there would be no reason for Nozomi to continue to be her friend. Whether or not she actually liked band was irrelevant in that equation. And as we learned in season 2, when asked why she never quit the band even after Nozomi did, she explained that the oboe was the only thing keeping her connected to Nozomi.
Mizore’s as serious as a heart attack when it comes to how much she loves Nozomi.
Nozomi is referring to the part of herself that she doesn’t let anyone else see. The part of her that is petty, jealous, and selfish. She doesn’t feel she lives up to the perfect, kind hearted, divine being that her peers have made her out to be.
It is physically impossible for Mizore to even entertain the idea of hating Nozomi. She loves her, flaws and all.
Cutting Nozomi off from downplaying her confession, Mizore raises her hands in another I Love You Hug attempt. Nozomi is rendered speechless.
Mirroring the last I Love You Hug attempt, the two are froze in time and we, the audience, are left wondering “will they, or won’t they?” Boldly, Mizore is the first one to move; she wraps her arms around Nozomi and clutches onto her. Very hesitant and calculated, Nozomi slowly places her hands on Mizore’s waist.
For some reason, I don’t believe that, Nozomi.
In true I Love You Hug fashion, Mizore gushes about all of the good things Nozomi has brought into her life just by saying hi to her that one day.
Just typical things straight people platonically say about their friends.
This line can be interpreted many ways as I’ve seen when I look at other people’s analysis on this film. Some people say that this is Nozomi rejecting Mizore’s love confession seeing as she doesn’t compliment her on who she is, only what she does (her being a hard worker, and being skilled at the oboe). But I don’t agree with that interpretation. The point of this scene is for Nozomi to let go of the bluebird, just like Liz. I think that’s why she puts herself down, saying things like Mizore had to hold herself back for her sake, that she is very talented and has the whole world ahead of her. She does that so that Mizore will see how great her potential is and choose to live her own life and be free. I believe that if she had returned Mizore’s confession at this very second, that would defeat the entire purpose of her trying to release the bluebird.
Nozomi suddenly bursts out laughing. Maybe at the realization that all they needed to do was communicate with each other? I still stand by my opinion that giving each other cute nicknames would’ve resolved all of this a lot sooner.
See, I think you remember it perfectly, Nozomi.
We get this silent shot of two birds flying side by side in sync with each other.
I hope the school is paying this girl.
Mizore is trying to renew Liz again after who knows how long it’s been, and the librarian’s still trying to nag her. Luckily, Nozomi is there to save the day. However, she’s also there on a mission: she’s here to study for college exams.
This scene is meant to mirror the one at the beginning of the film with both of the girls walking to the band room and with Nozomi leading. In this scene, now the girls are independently following their own paths for the future. Mizore is practicing her oboe to get ready for music school, and Nozomi is studying up for a regular college.
Nozomi left a little doodle for Mizore on her sheet music as a reminder.
Looking through the windows of both domains, we see the same lone bluebird fly across the sky, showing us that both girls have learned to let go.
Some time later, Mizore is leaving the school building and up ahead is Nozomi’s smiling face waiting for her. She hurriedly runs up to catch up to her. Overtop of this is a voice over of Nozomi and Mizore deciding what they should eat on the way home. What’s significant about this scene is that now girls are being depicted as equals; gone are the days of them walking with Mizore trailing behind from a distance. Now they are walking side by side and both of their opinions for what they wanna do are being taken into consideration. It’s not just Nozomi calling the shots anymore.
Some things never change.
This line has kind of a double meaning. Yes, she really is going to practice and learn to play her solo with as much fervor as Mizore, but she also wants to use this time to work on herself as a person. She needs to get over her jealousy and learn to support her friend. And then maybe someday she’ll be able to return Mizore’s confession. She just needs a little time first.
Mizore agrees to keep practicing too, for a different reason though. She’ll keep following her own path.
Further demonstrating that they’ve never been more on the same page with each other than they are right now, Mizore and Nozomi hivemind for a second. Mizore recalls the conversation with Hazuki and Midori she eavesdropped on and uses the ‘Happy Ice Cream’ trick. I don’t think Nozomi realizes she’s going to be the one who has to pay for those ice creams, but you guys can cross that bridge when you come to it.
My god, what do you think she said!?
Wow, what a ride.
If you’ve actually managed to make it to the bottom of this review, I just wanna say welcome, and also thank you for taking the time to read this!
Like I said back in the intro ages ago, this immediately became my favorite film upon watching it. This is becoming one of those films that I can look back on every now again and still love it just as much if not more. KyoAni never fails to disappoint. Shoutout to Naoko Yamada, the amazing director. Would definitely recommend this film to anyone who has eyes and ears.
I’m really glad this film gave us all a chance to get a deeper look at Mizore and Nozomi’s relationship. After their 4-episode arc in season 2 of Hibike is concluded, we don’t hear much about them. This was a lovely aftermath to see how they’ve both changed and grown since their falling out and reuniting.
Now I wanna open this up for further discussion on the film. What are your thoughts and interpretations? Do you agree or disagree with me at any points? What did Nozomi say at the end!?! Leave a reply or send me and ask and I’ll try to respond to as many as I can.
It’s another day and Mizore is back in the science lab feeding the blowfish. Does anyone know what the significance of the blowfish are? Is there a hidden metaphor or meaning that I’ve missed? Yes, there’s the connection with Liz feeding the animals, but why blowfish?
Niiyama-sensei askes Mizore if she has a second to talk about Squarespace.
Mizore is very familiar with the concept. She flashes back to her first year when she found out, indirectly, that Nozomi had quit the band.
Niiyama:
Niiyama-sensei didn’t come here empty handed, she’s here to talk to Mizore about her future.
Through the window on the other side of the school, this time it’s Nozomi who catches a glimpse at Mizore being occupied with someone else.
Nozomi asks if she can feed the fish with her someday to which Mizore hastily agrees. Anything to spend more time with her favorite person.
Nozomi asks to take a look at the pamphlet Niiyama handed her.
She sees that it’s a pamphlet for a music college. At first intrigued and seconds later concerned?
The first time I watched this scene, it kinda flew over my head. Now after rewatching it who knows how many times, I see that this is the moment where we realize Nozomi isn’t actually as perfect as Mizore makes her out to be. This is the first instance where Nozomi begins realizing that her friend may be evolving before her very eyes, and she doesn’t know how to handle it.
In reality, Mizore hasn’t even made the decision to commit to music school yet, but Nozomi just assumes that she’s already made up her mind because it just makes too much sense. Mizore is an extremely skilled oboist as everyone knows, so it was only a matter of time before she considered the next step. Nozomi doesn’t wanna get left in the dust.
However, now that Nozomi’s decided to apply, Mizore is gung ho about applying. Nozomi’s decision is her decision. If she can stay Nozomi’s side then it doesn’t matter where she goes.
Y’all really gotta learn how to communicate :/
Natsuki, Yuuko, and Nozomi are doing band council business while Mizore is cranking away at the piano. What can’t she do?
We overhear Natsuki and Yuuko’s cheeky conversation about how the latter is ‘unintentionally’ applying to the same college as the former. Natsuki is just blatantly flirting with her at this point, and I’m not mad.
Speaking of college, Nozomi takes a moment to brag about her friend.
Natsuki remembered just the previous day overhearing about how Mizore had no idea what she wanted to do in her future, but now it seems that she’s figured it out, so she’s proud of her. For a second.
If Nozomi jumped off a cliff would you do it too? Actually, don’t answer that.
It’s one thing to want to apply to the same school as one of your friends, even Natsuki and Yuuko are doing that (unintentionally, as Yuuko would allege), but Mizore hasn’t given them any other reason to suggest that she actively wants to attend music school.
Nozomi claims that Mizore was just joking. If that’s the case, then she should really work on her delivery.
When pressed about it, Nozomi is wishy-washy about her answer. Suddenly she’s not so sure about the whole music school thing. It’s as if she only said would apply because she was in the heat of the moment.
Nozomi’s decision is her decision and that’s all that matters.
Mizore blindly agreeing with Nozomi about everything isn’t sitting right with Yuuko. Yuuko doesn’t have the type of personality to let something that bothers her just slide. We were well acquainted with this side of her personality back in season 1 of Hibike when she was determined to get Kaori to play the trumpet solo in the competition instead of Reina.
This is the content I want to see.
I have a couple theories about this exchange. Either Nozomi already knows the answer and is just asking Mizore out of courtesy, or now that she knows Mizore is beginning to evolve as a person, she worries that there’s a chance Mizore might’ve made a new friend and that makes Nozomi a bit jealous. I’m leaning more towards the second one because Nozomi sounds a bit too relieved when she says “is that so?”
Also, here’s a pic of the Minami Quartet while they’re at the Agata Festival. This shot is from the next Hibike movie, Chikai no Finale, which takes place adjacently to this one.
Mizore’s been promoted to cute nickname status.
:)
Ah yes, the face of somebody in love with their best friend.
Mizore’s caught off guard by how persistent Ririka is being with her. This might be the first time someone’s been this forward with her since... well, since she met Nozomi.
Well, it wasn’t a flat-out no this time, so progress?
I’m surprised by how much I ended up liking Ririka. She’s really cute and she seems to genuinely care about getting Mizore to like her.
Mizore’s going to have one heck of a fine.
Me: *laser-like focus on Nozomi putting a hand on Mizore’s waist*
Nozomi looks after Mizore by standing up to the nagging library assistant for her sake.
Sounds a little funny coming from someone who didn’t turn their book in on time.
This whole scene makes me wanna question the people who doubt the validity of Mizore and Nozomi’s friendship and who even go as far as vilifying Nozomi. Are we watching the same movie?
Things are going well for the girls. The birds are flying side by side. For now.
Ririka walks in on her senpai scraping her own reed and threading it.
Mizore begins to open up to Ririka little by little. Ririka’s efforts at trying to befriend her haven’t gone unnoticed.
A series of images of Ririka being adorable.
Maybe Mizore could get used to having Ririka around, it is kinda nice to be looked up to after all.
A sudden mood swing. Ririka didn’t do well in her audition, so now won’t get a chance to play beside her senpai :’(
*looks at the camera like Jim from the office*
This rug texture looks like a jpeg.
So glad to see these two making a cameo.
As Mizore helps set up the room, she can’t help but eavesdrop on Hazuki and Midori’s conversation.
Hazuki: >:(
Midori is quite the con artist as it seems.
This is just a throwaway scene, it couldn’t possibly be referenced later on in the film for any possible reason...
Nozomi has a smile on her face for probably 90% of this movie, but it’s genuine probably not even half of the time. She hides behind a mask. Here, we see it slip off for a second until a girl walks in front of her, obscuring her face, and then after the jumpcut, she’s already recomposed herself.
Wouldn’t you like to know?
Something I’ve noticed is that Nozomi also has her own nervous habit: she shifts and shuffles her feet when she’s anxious.
Mizore ended up inviting Ririka with her to the pool and, by the looks of it, the other double reed girls too. Mizore’s face lights up after seeing how much Ririka appreciated being included.
Maybe having other friends besides Nozomi isn’t so bad.
Ririka gets her chance to play next to her senpai like she wanted, and a lone bird soars. Mizore is learning to fly independently from Nozomi.
I’m not sure how or why Ririka didn’t pass the audition, based on this duet she seems to be pretty good for a first year. They’re both playing in time and in tune with each other. Convenience for the plot, I guess?
Nozomi overhears the duet and the mask slips off for a second before quickly replacing it.
It’s another day of rehearsal and Taki-sensei is having them play through the Third Movement of Liz. He’s not satisfied with how the duet is being played. It’s too imbalanced on both sides.
Nothing ever slips by under Reina’s radar.
It’s almost like Taki-sensei is explicitly aware of the issues of their friendship.
Reina can’t let something go when it comes to the good of the band.
Mizore being a good senpai and looking after her kouhai by preparing a reed for her. That’s what we call growth.
I could ask the same to you, Mizore.
Called out.
You tell me. Is it weird to make a four-year commitment to something and get into so much debt solely because your friend is also doing it?
She couldn’t make it through the entire movie without getting involved in someone else’s drama at least once.
Reina has a brutal honesty that some people could only dream of having. She doesn’t see the point in sitting back and doing nothing or just complaining behind her back, because in the end that won’t accomplish anything. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and risk being made the “villain,” and I love her for that.
I love these first person shots, they always offer some interesting camera angles. Mizore wants to deny Reina’s claims, but she can’t do that without averting her gaze and fidget with the spool because, deep down, she knows that Reina is right.
Also I love every single time they use this gesture of Mizore running a hand over her hair. With KyoAni, true emotion is rarely shown by a character’s facial expression. In fact, facial expression is mostly being used to hide how a character is really feeling (mostly with Nozomi in this film). It’s the body language and gestures that give way more information about how Mizore is feeling than if they had just slapped on a super frowny face. It shows, rather than tells us.
Reina doesn’t hold her punches; her main concern is what is best for the good of the band. She would never hold back for someone else’s sake (see season 1), and she hates to see someone just as skilled as her do that.
And that’s why Mizore treasures every moment she has with Nozomi like it’s her last. She’s already abandoned her before, who’s to say it wouldn’t happen again?
Mizore cannot bear the idea of having to be the one to push away the one she cares about most.
That might just be your jealousy talking.
Now Nozomi’s being the insecure one. Mizore’s been getting extra help from Niiyama-sensei and she’s been making new friends. This could just be speculation on my part, but I feel like Nozomi is one of those people who need to feel needed. Back in season 2, she was determined to rejoin her band just so she could help them out in any way toward the goal of winning gold in the competition. Now that Mizore is getting gradually more independent, Nozomi is worrying that eventually she won’t need her around anymore.
When your first and only friend randomly leaves you without a word, it’s a little hard to move on and forget about that.
The double reed girls make another attempt to get Mizo-senpai to hang out with them.
She never speaks her mind and you always wear a mask *shrugs*
Mizore finally agrees to hang out with them to their elation. Nozomi begins to think that maybe she doesn’t know Mizore as well as she thought she did and that worries her.
Yes, they’re both talented as individuals, but there’s still an imbalance when they are together. Nozomi needs to listen, and Mizore needs to speak out, as Taki said earlier.
This is where I have to question Nozomi’s self awareness, or really lack thereof. I don’t think Liz would appreciate it if the bluebird just came back and pretended like nothing happened. She treats her abandonment of Mizore during their first year like it was just a minor blip in their friendship, when to Mizore it was something much worse.
She does hate sad endings, after all.
I love Nozomi, and I’m completely against the people who vilify her, but god she’s pretty dense.
“Ganbarou!” Nozomi tells Mizore to do her best once again.
Hashimoto listens in, but he’s not impressed. Technically, all of the notes are being played correctly, but there’s still something missing.
At least pretend to be more enthusiastic?
If anything, this whole situation is Niiyama-sensei’s fault for playing favorites. Nozomi hadn’t filled out her career survey either, but she wasn’t even on Niiyama’s radar. She sees a greater potential in Mizore as a musician, and that finally sinks in for Nozomi.
Gotta love Hashimoto’s extensive collection of Hawaiian shirts.
Another day has passed and Mizore and Nozomi still haven’t been able to lockdown their duet.
Does Niiyama-sensei just hate Nozomi for some reason?
Nozomi sees Mizore receiving special assistance from Niiyama on her oboe solo. It’s just a little funny since both of them have important solos in Liz that could make or break their performance at the competition, but Nozomi is apparently chopped liver.
Scenes that physically hurt me #4.
Letting her jealousy get the better of her, she completely ignores Mizore’s greeting.
Mizore finds Nozomi after rehearsal to talk to her about why she acted distantly toward her. Nozomi smiles as if nothing happened. She compliments Mizore on a good rehearsal before hurrying to leave. That is, until Mizore calls out to her again.
Immediately after this scene, Nozomi went and punched a hole in a wall.
Mizore is probably the last person Nozomi wants to see right now, but she is extremely attached to keeping her mask on and maintaining the illusion that she is this perfect, mature, kind and level-headed third year that her peers have made her out to be. So, she denies there being anything wrong at all.
Mizore resorts to the I Love You Hug as an attempt to reconcile their friendship. The seconds feel like hours as they stare each other down, neither one moving.
Scenes that physically hur-- ah, forget it.
Nozomi rejects the hug, only sparing Mizore a few words before she walks away. Mizore’s arms slowly droop down to her sides while reality begins to set in. Exactly what she feared would happen, is happening.
I recently watched KyoAni’s ‘Liz & the Blue Bird’ for the first time, and I have to say: wow, what a film. This is one of the few times where I finished a film and was left utterly speechless by the end of it. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is my new favorite film. If you’ve ever felt like a movie had to have been made specifically with you in mind because it seemed to hit all the right notes with you emotionally, that’s exactly how I feel about ‘Liz.’ Part of me is wishing I had watched this movie around when it first came out so that I could’ve witnessed all the hype around it. However, I actually do think it was for the best that I waited until now to watch it. I honestly don’t think I would’ve understood it as well as I do now.
I really love this movie, and I really wanna talk about it. So, instead of harassing my friends about it, I’m going to be doing a scene by scene review of ‘Liz’ and share my thoughts. I promise you this is only going to be, like, half-serious.
This is going to be split into 3 parts uploaded sporadically.
Obviously this post will contain spoilers for the whole film as well as seasons 1 and 2 of Hibike.
Liz and the Blue Bird or Liz to Aoi Tori is an animated film directed by Naoko Yamada, produced by the prolific animation studio known as Kyoto Animation, and was released on April 21, 2018 in Japan, then November 9, 2018 in the US. To talk about Naoko Yamada for a minute, she started off at KyoAni as an assistant animator, doing inbetweens as so many animators do starting out in the industry. Eventually she was allowed to direct, where she has quite the impressive track record. She’s directed K-On!, Tamako Market, Hibike! Euphonium, and probably most notably, A Silent Voice just to name a few things. With that in mind, I’m not surprised why I enjoyed this movie so much. Yamada is known to show a real sensitivity toward depicting the different relationships between young girls in a naturalistic way.
EDIT: I began writing this on Saturday, April 18, just a day or two after I watched the movie for the first time, and I swear I didn’t even process that the two-year anniversary was coming up! What a wacky coincidence.
ACT 1
The first imagery in the film we see are gorgeous, picturesque watercolor-style background paintings.
As the titular track plays, we are introduced to Liz; not the main character of the film, but certainly the main character of the book, also entitled ‘Liz & the Bluebird,’ featured in this film.
The first shot we see of her is a voyeuristic one; we are a good distance away and we are peeking from behind a tree at the intimate moment between Liz and her animal companions.I have to say, I had no idea what to expect when I first sat down to watch this movie, as I wanted to go in as blindly as possible. I certainly hadn’t been expecting to see this German picture book-esque art style with lush forest backgrounds in a Hibike movie, and I honestly thought for a moment that I had accidentally stumbled upon the wrong movie.
Liz spots a bluebird settled on a tree stump and she is immediately attracted to the creature. The bird flies over to Liz and lands in her hands as the music climaxes, but as quickly as it arrives, it flies away across the lake. A bittersweet moment.
As the camera pans downward toward the flowers, the scene fades, and we are finally brought into the real world. This is punctuated by the titular track concluding, and being replaced by music that is more abstract and minimalistic. This world is notably duller with cooler, more subdued colors, directly contrasting with the bright, warm colors in the picture book world.
Shots with the camera focused on feet or legs are a common motif seen throughout this film.
We are finally introduced to one of our main characters, Mizore Yoroizuka, now a third year at Kitauji.
I was also slightly caught off guard seeing this new art style being used. Initially, I missed the art style originally used in the show, but after watching this movie I now understand KyoAni’s decision in changing it up, and I also completely agree with it. Looking back, I believe that the show’s original art style simply would not have worked at all, or at least not as well as it could’ve. This new art style with thinner linework, slightly elongated figures, slightly smaller eyes, and subdued colors makes the characters feel more mature to match the tone of the film. Also, while the old style is ideal for showcasing exaggerated and wacky facial expressions, this style is suited better for more subtle emotion, which, again, better matches the tone.
She waits.
Something I enjoy about KyoAni films is how the camera is oftentimes used to show the audience what a character is seeing through their eyes, instead of the camera just acting as a third person bystander all the time.
We hear more footsteps approaching, but they do not belong to the girl Mizore is waiting for.
This is turning into an episode of the ‘Gushing Over KyoAni Power Hour’ but I have to commend their sound design and the way they utilize silence and quiet moments in this movie. So far in this scene, aside from the very minimal track played over this, all we can hear is the foley of the atmosphere, footsteps, clothes rustling, etc. This quietness shows us the solitude of Mizore’s world. It’s also important to note that all the music, not sure if this includes the music in the picture book world, was recorded in the school that Kitauji is based off of. Regular school items were even being used as instruments!
When the music suddenly picks up as another girl rounds the corner, we know she’s the one.
I like to believe that Mizore is so attuned to Nozomi that she’s memorized the sound of her footsteps and is immediately able to recognize that it's her as soon as she is within ear range.
:’)
Nozomi is in focus while everything else in the shot is out of focus. To Mizore, everything outside of Nozomi is irrelevant.
The two girls continue walking together, Nozomi leading and Mizore following behind. This statement alone accurately summarizes the dynamic between these two characters during the beginning half of the movie. Clearly there’s something of an imbalance. Mizore watches and waits for Nozomi to act before she does anything.
I read somewhere that Mizore’s seiyuu speculated that when Mizore is an adult and she looks back to her time at high school, she’ll find that her only memory of Nozomi will be the back of her head… and that got me… feeling some emotions….
Coincidentally, Nozomi finds the feather of a bluebird on the ground, and offers it to Mizore.
I have my own little theory that Mizore could be on the spectrum. Her habit of running a hand down her hair whenever she appears to be nervous or anxious, amongst her other mannerisms in this film lead me to believe that. I think I’ll elaborate further on that and explain my reasoning in a future post.
Mizore accepts it, but is still unsure of herself. Hence the questioning tone. Clearly Nozomi found the feather to be extremely pretty, but Mizore doesn’t know why she would give it to her of all people. She’s still under the impression that she doesn’t mean as much to Nozomi, as Nozomi means to her.
More shots of Nozomi and Mizore playing follow-the-leader as they walk through the school. Nozomi puts her hand on a locker as she rounds a corner, Mizore also puts her hand on a locker. Nozomi stops for a sip of water, Mizore also stops for a sip of water.
These walk cycles give us good indications as to who these characters are. Mizore is timid and hesitant, Nozomi is carefree and outgoing.
Kitauji has way too many different flights of stairs.
We are flashed back to a memory that mirrors this moment in time. Again, Nozomi walks with a skip in her step, her hips swaying, and her ponytail bouncing playfully.
Mizore puts the key in the door to the band room, but hesitates for a moment before unlocking it. When she does open it, Nozomi enters the room first with a twirl.
I’ve been watching a lot of video essays and reading a lot of discussions about this movie, and one of the points someone brought up really stuck out to me. This whole scene, from when they are walking through the hallways until now, when Mizore opens the door, offers the earliest hint in the movie that Mizore is actually the bluebird in the relationship. While Nozomi is the one ahead of Mizore on their journey, Mizore is the one who holds the keys to their destination. Mizore is the one in charge, but she holds herself back. While Nozomi makes it to the door first, she cannot enter until Mizore opens it.
That’s one of the many things I love about this movie, there are so many nuances that you pick up new things and make new interpretations with every single viewing.
Uh oh.
After putting their instruments together and warming up, in a rare moment, Mizore tells Nozomi how she’s feeling. Mizore is merely happy to have Nozomi at her side, but Nozomi misinterprets this as her being happy about the free-choice piece their band has chosen to play: Liz & the Bluebird. Mizore probably couldn’t care less about the piece, but doesn’t bother correcting her. She is only interested in the piece and the story behind it when she hears that Nozomi is interested in it.
Remember how I said this art style was ideal for showing subtlety in emotions? This is what I was talking about.
In this visually experimental scene, Nozomi explains the story of Liz and the Blue Bird while we also see the story of Nozomi and Mizore’s friendship unfold.
:’)
Sound familiar?
One of the first indications that Nozomi isn’t the best at listening.
Mizore: Same.
Me: Same.
Scenes that physically hurt me #1
A lot of people love to bring up KyoAni whenever the topic of queerbaiting arises; that’s neither here nor there. However, I cannot deny the inherent queerness of this scene, and really of the whole film. It’s made obvious that Mizore loves Nozomi in a way that’s more than just a regular friend. Other people make Mizore anxious, but not Nozomi. Mizore enjoys Nozomi’s presence so much that she wants to lean into her side. For a second, the two of them are frozen in time and in a world of their own. Mizore is forced back into reality when Nozomi abruptly pulls away.
The movement title, “A Decision Borne of Love,” sticks out to Mizore.
Just like their intonation, there is that imbalance in their friendship and this is the film’s way of hinting at that if you haven’t already picked up on it.
Throughout the film, Nozomi is always wearing this pink watch, showing how eager she is for the future.
To Mizore, the watch on Nozomi’s wrist is just a constant reminder that their time left together is fleeting.
Listen. I absolutely love whenever these two are on screen together. Love-hate relationships can be hit or miss, but this pairing is one of the better ones of that kind. They’re both great characters individually, but they also have amazing chemistry together.
Don’t get it twisted, Mizore is good friends with Yuuko and Natsuki, but them entering the room means that her moment alone with Nozomi has come to an end. Mizore and Nozomi don’t seem to share any classes together, so this is likely the only time of the day where they get to have a moment to just themselves. Mizore cares for Natsuki and Yuuko, in fact Yuuko was the one who stayed by her side after Nozomi originally quit band, but her relationship with Nozomi is a treasure more precious than anything.
I was wondering if we’d be seeing these two in this film, and I’m so glad that they are. I’m more glad, however, that they are pretty much relegated to the background here. They’ve already had their seasons 1 and 2 character arcs wrapped up, now it’s time to give the secondary characters a chance to shine.
I’m also very glad to see these two attached at the hip in almost every scene they’re in.
Nozomi leaves to go rehearse with her kouhais, and Mizore watches yearningly as she is being left alone again.
I’ll probably say this again multiple times throughout this recap, but I seriously identify with Mizore so much. I mean, we’ve all been that girl. We’ve all been paranoid that if given the choice, our friends would pick someone else to hang out with over you.
I admire KyoAni for including these casual moments of characters just chilling and talking about nothing. Of course they don’t add much to the overall plot, but they do contribute to the overall atmosphere of a high school. High school isn’t always about drama, it’s also about random conversations you have with your friends.
Mizore is still thinking about what Nozomi said earlier. In Hibike season 2, we know that for a time Mizore hated competitions until Kitauji won gold in the Kansai competition. I think that now in this movie, Mizore still hates competitions, but for a different reason. The national competition marks the last time the third years will get to play together. She fears that because they won’t be in the band anymore, Nozomi won’t have any other reason left to stay with Mizore.
As Mizore begins to read, we are brought back into the picture book world that strongly resembles a 1970s anime.
We see Liz again as she emerges from a train. This takes place in an early 20th century European town filled with friendly people, though Liz doesn’t seem to interact with them.
This world is also giving me Howl’s Moving Castle vibes?
She works at a humble bread bakery owned by a man named Arlt.
Liz doesn’t look exactly eager to clock out for the day. It’s safe to assume that her shifts at work are the only times where she gets to have any real human interaction. I’m getting the impression that even though she’s introverted, she still gets lonely. Much the same as Mizore. As Liz waves ‘goodbye’ to customers, her face sinks ever so slightly.
After work, Liz returns home to her cottage to prepare a meal for herself, eat it alone, and then retire to her bedroom to sleep.
In the morning, the same bluebird from earlier appears at Liz’s window and peeks inside the room.
Later in the day, Liz is caught in a storm as she is returning home from another shift at the bakery. After overdosing on berries, Liz wakes up the next morning still at the dining table, after the storm has already passed. She walks out the front door and notices a mysterious blue-haired girl passed out in the grass.
Liz realizes, “oh sh*t, I should do something.”
She’s dead.
After being woken up, the girl immediately recognizes Liz. The girl, who is actually the bluebird personified, reminds me a lot of Ponyo in how she pretty much claims Liz as her person, and quickly forms a bond with her, much like how Ponyo does to Sosuke.
Act 2 of the movie begins and we’re brought back into Mizore’s world. She continues reading the book and smiles to herself.
In rehearsal, the band president Yuuko delivers a message about auditions for participating in the national competition. Mizore is anxious at the mention of the competition again.
The flute girls have already given their senpai a cute nickname, and Mizore is understandably a little jealous. Maybe all of their problems would be resolved if Mizore and Nozomi would just give each other cute nicknames.
She’s literally so adorable??? I think she’d be considered a gyaru in Japanese culture based on the color of her hair and how she has it styled.
After some encouragement from her friends, a first year oboist named Ririka musters up the courage to approach Mizore.
Uh Ririka, birds are a bit of a touchy subject for Mizore right now.
When I watched this for the first time, admittedly I was a bit anxious about what these girls’ intentions were with wanting to invite Mizore to hang out with them. However, my anxieties in regards to that were quickly relieved when I remembered that bullying is just not a concept that exists within the world of Hibike. I’m really glad that this is an anime where most people are at the very least cordial with each other.
F in the chat.
Mizore isn’t ready yet to branch out and meet other people. She’s still tunnel visioned on Nozomi.
After rejecting Ririka, Mizore walks over to Nozomi. Nozomi tells her that she and the flute girls are going out to eat later today. I think that Mizore is unsure about whether this was an invitation for her to join them. Regardless, Mizore doesn’t want to impose seeing that she’d probably feel awkward around a group of people she doesn’t know very well.
Nozomi likes spending time with Mizore, but she’s just too high in demand with her peers.
Mizore puts away her instrument, and then pulls out the bluebird feather Nozomi gave to her this morning. She clutches it close and treasures it as a gift from the person she loves.
Forever screaming at how gorgeous the environment art in this movie is.
On the way out, Mizore runs into Ririka and her double reed friends again. The first years make another attempt at starting a friendship with Mizore, though the third year only spares them a couple words before she departs.
KyoAni is so good at creating such cute, appealing characters.
Ririka is really determined to get to know Mizore, so who better to ask for help from than the Mizore expert herself?
Was she about to call Mizore an ice queen? I thought that was Reina’s title.
Uh, same.
Ririka is worried that she may have gotten off on the wrong foot with Mizore considering she doesn’t seem to be reciprocating. I understand this situation extremely well; I’ve been through it multiple times, although more so from the perspective of Mizore. Mizore and I are quite similar in many areas, including being aloof and taking a good while before feeling comfortable enough to open up with someone. So yeah, I do get the frustration on Ririka’s part.
Nozomi, you literally didn’t actually offer her any advice at all, you clown.
I--
A nice egg in these trying times?
Back in the picture book, Liz has invited the blue girl into her home and is nursing her back to health. Apparently, she makes pretty good soup.
She’s offering the blue girl her home, so she might as well get some free labor out of it.
It’s a particularly windy day, and as the two of them are doing the laundry, a hankerchief gets caught in the breeze. The blue girl attempts to retrieve it but she remembers she’s lost her flight capabilities. She’s a human now, but at the cost of her wings.
Liz takes her to the local Panera Bread she works at. Arlt says... something?
The blue girl discovers she has a taste for human blood.
I’m declaring that these two are very much in love and I will not be taking any feedback at this time. The lighting in this shot is *chef’s kiss*.
The two girls have spent the whole day together, from going to the bakery, picking berries, and having dinner. The blue girl brings a light to Liz’s life that had been previously missing.
Now the duo are having a picnic on the side of a hill. It suddenly dawns on Liz that she actually doesn’t know anything about the girl she has living in her house. The blue girl doesn’t seem to know anything either. She lived a pretty nomadic lifestyle as a bird. However, one thing the blue girl knows for sure is that she came into Liz’s life so that she wouldn’t be alone anymore.
Liz is a pretty reserved individual and the blue girl is more of a free spirit. She fears that someday the blue girl will decide to leave her. So, Liz makes the very simple request that the blue girl should stay by her side forever.
Mizore wants the same thing from her favorite person.
Mizore is interrupted from her reading by an unenthusiastic library assistant telling her that she needs to get out so that she can lock up. I imagine she isn’t quite too fond of Mizore after this movie.
First years really do be getting younger and younger...
Those two are Satsuki and Mirei, two first years who join the bass section in the next Hibike movie, Chikai no Finale. We get a better look at their relationship there.
Mizore: !!!
Oh.
Nozomi explains the famous Minami Middle School ritual known as the “I Love You Hug,” or the “Daisuki no Hagu.” Basically you find a friend, give them a hug, and tell them all the things you love about them. Sounds very, very, gay.
Nozomi’s had her fair share of I Love You Hugs back in the day, but Mizore’s never had a chance to participate in one.
Scenes that physically hurt me #2.
Seeing that Mizore’s never experienced an I Love You Hug, Nozomi offers her one. She opens her arms waiting for her friend to reciprocate. Mizore is completely caught off guard, but she is more than willing to try it. Unfortunately, Mizore is too slow to respond and loses her chance.
Nozomi said “haha, just kidding… unless…”
Nozomi has to leave Mizore behind so she can go to class with Yuuko. Mizore is frozen in place and Natsuki’s creepin’.
Best moment in the entire film.
I literally love Natsuki so much, she’s quickly becoming one of my favorite Hibike characters. My face lights up pretty much every time I see her on screen. She’s definitely the type of girl I’d wanna be friends with in high school.
Mizore would much rather not think about the future at all, and enjoy the time she has left with Nozomi.
And that’s how Natsuki beat Shaq.
It’s time for Mizore to switch into their gym class’s basketball game, but she’s not really feelin’ it. I don’t blame her.
Okay I’m in love.
Being the excellent friend that she is, Natsuki takes one for the team and goes back in to play another round in Mizore’s place.
Nozomi listens in on her flute girls having a gossip sess’. Of course they’re talking about boys because what else do teenage girls have to talk about?
Hanayo Koizumi? When did you transfer to Kitauji?
*side eye emoji*
Mizore is in her usual hideout: the science lab by the blowfish tank. As of late, she’s taken a bit of an interest in feeding the blowfish.
She still hasn’t filled out the career survey; she can’t figure what to do for her future, and I don’t really think she wants to figure it out either.
Mizore still can’t help but see Nozomi as the bluebird. Nozomi is her whole world, she’s her miracle. Ideally, she’d keep Nozomi all to herself, but she already knows that that wouldn’t be fair to her at all.
Through the window, she spots Nozomi on the other side of the school.
Nozomi notices that her flute is casting a dancing light reflection on her friend, and the two make a game of it.
I want nothing but good things for Mizore.
Scenes that physically hurt me #3.
It’s very easy to doubt Nozomi’s love of Mizore and to even call their friendship one-sided, but I don’t agree with that. In fact, we already know that she cares a lot about Mizore based on their arc in season 2 of Hibike. Not only can you see it in the way Nozomi looks at her, it's also clear from small gestures she does in this movie: giving Mizore the bluebird feather she finds, inviting Mizore out (which we’ll see coming up a couple times), offering her an I Love You Hug, and standing up for her when the library assistant nags Mizore about returning the book (again, a bit later on in the film) amongst other things.
The issue is simply that Nozomi is very high in demand. She’s very pretty and talented; it’s only natural for her kouhais to look up to her. So of course Nozomi wants to look after them and form a bond with them. It’s kind of her duty as a third year. Yuuko had Kaori to look up to, and Kumiko had Asuka. As a matter of fact, Ririka is trying to get Mizore to do the same for her. And yeah, Nozomi is also a bit dense. But hey, no one’s perfect.
The kids are back in rehearsal and are admittedly a little stressed about the upcoming auditions. One thing they know for certain, though, is that Nozomi is most definitely going to be given the flute solo in Liz.
“Ganbarou!”
Nozomi catches a glance at Mizore doing her warm up. She tells her friend to do her best in the audition. She also has no doubt that Mizore will do well and get the oboe solo.
The title track is playing again, meaning we’re back in the fairy tale. The blue girl is enchanted by the moon and the night sky.
:’)
The blue girl is happy to be living with Liz, but she also loves her freedom. In the middle of the night while Liz is still asleep, the blue girl sneaks off and flies out the window.
Liz wakes up and finds her companion is missing.
Not much later, the blue girl returns from her night out at god-knows-where with god-knows-who, and climbs back in bed, relieved that Liz still seems to be asleep.
But she wasn’t.
Don’t make a Game of Thrones reference, don’t make a Game of Thrones reference, don’t make a Game of Thrones reference, don’t make a Game of Thrones ref--
You mean humans don’t go south for the winter?
Where the blue girl realizes that she can go anywhere she chooses, while Liz chooses to stay grounded. I’m wondering, why does Liz choose to stay isolated at her cottage? She works in the city, and surely she could move there to save herself the commute? I’m guessing it’s that although she does appreciate interpersonal companionship, she’s still largely an introvert, preferring to spend time in nature.
Jesus Christ, you guys need a marriage counselor.
The blue girl sneaks back in again in the morning.
While the two of them are feeding the animals, they both see a couple of birds flying in the sky above them, as if taunting them. The blue girl wants to be with them, though she stays grounded for Liz’s sake. She made a promise to stay with her forever, after all and she intended to keep that promise. During the daytime, at least.
At this point in the story, Liz realizes that a sacrifice is going to have to be made.
Happy Ice Cream and Happy 2-year anniversary to my favorite movie, Liz and the Bluebird! I’ve never seen a movie that impacted me as much as this one has.
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