Liz and the Blue Bird, Pt. 2
Added 2025-09-24 15:00:10 +0000 UTCWhat a beautiful ending to a lovely and moving movie.
I am so happy for Mizore, but I am also happy for Nozomi as well. They ultimately found their own paths for their future.
Comments
I do enjoy how the subtly different art style of the film lends a unique visual flavour to characters you're already familiar with from the series, you can still easily tell it's Kumiko, Reina & Yuuko for example, but it's like you're looking at them through a different softer focus lense to reflect the different perspective & viewpoint of this story being told, as well as the artistic stamp of the director Naoko Yamada (who also directed a bunch of K-On). Yamada's work often features low-angle shots on the legs, a quirk of her visual style that sets her apart from many other anime directors. When asked about this choice in an interview, she explained, "When you're nervous, you move your legs around. I think that it would be nice to express emotion like that". Those involuntary external tics that illustrate your internal emotions to those who know you, much like how Miozore tugs on her hair when she's uncomfortable. I also love the sound design & how the incidental background pieces are blended with the environmental foley to give a really intimate space for the story to inhabit. I'm not sure that I entirely 100% agree with your assessment of Nozumi & Mizore's musical relationship though. I think it's as much that Nozumi was subconsciously coming to terms with how she views playing flute, working through some things to get there (which is rarely a smooth process) and realising that her commitment wasn't as dedicated & focused as Mizore. Natural talent exists for sure but I still believe the adage of 10% inspiration & 90% perspiration when it comes to a ceiling for your ability. She's still good, enjoys playing and puts the work in, but music isn't something she can truly envision dedicating her academic/professional life towards. The fact she chose to pursue a regular college instead doesn't mean she is more passionate about that instead necessarily, so much as it seems far more achievable and is more logical for her skillset. The ending for me is hopeful and I'd low key ship them long term, as much as Kumiko & Reina, if not slightly more now that Mizore has become more forthright and open with her thoughts and motivations. I also enjoy generally how they took two supporting cast members and delivered so much additional nuance and depth to their thoughts and emotions than they had time to do within the main series itself. It works well as a standalone, but I'm glad we have the main show to give everything greater context.
Andrew Hellebrand
2025-09-24 22:26:28 +0000 UTCI truly love this movie. The art, the dialogs, the metaphors, the music. One of the favorite anime movies of all time. About friends that going separate ways. That was the case from my best friend and I. I know he since what you called middle school and we be best buddies since then. But when high school ends, I went to college in the capital and he stays in the city we where born and live. In the country I live, Uruguay, in that time, you could only go to college in the capital of the nation, and we live in a small city (Paysandú) 400 km (250 miles more or less) away. We still in contact and we see each other once in a while, but my life is here in Montevideo and he is still there. We still friends after almost 40 years. Ok. Enough of that. Next, movie 3..."A Brand new day".
Luis Arispe
2025-09-24 18:55:50 +0000 UTC
