Liz and the Blue Bird
2018 1h 31m movie Film Japan

Liz and the Blue Bird

リズと青い鳥

“The truth will break your heart.”

Synopsis

リズと青い鳥

“The truth will break your heart.”

Mizore Yoroizuka plays the oboe, and Nozomi Kasaki plays the flute in Kitauji High School concert band. As seniors, this will be their last competition together, and the selected piece "Liz and the Blue Bird" features a duet for the oboe and flute. "This piece reminds me of us." Nozomi says cheerfully, enjoying the solo, while Mizore's usual happiness to play with Nozomi is tinged with the dread of their inevitable parting. By all accounts the girls are best friends, but the oboe and flute duet sounds disjointed, as if underscoring a growing distance between them. Talk of college creates a small rift in their relationship, as the story evolves to reveal a shocking and emotional conclusion.

The 2017–2019 Japan Window

569 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Liz and the Blue Bird sits at position #244.

  1. The Relative Worlds
    #1

    The Relative Worlds

    ★ 9.1 · 2017

  2. Sonic Mania Adventures
    #2

    Sonic Mania Adventures

    ★ 9.0 · 2018

  3. Godzilla vs. Evangelion: The Real 4-D
    #3

    Godzilla vs. Evangelion: The Real 4-D

    ★ 8.9 · 2019

  4. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
    #4

    Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

    ★ 8.7 · 2019

  5. DARLING in the FRANXX
    #5

    DARLING in the FRANXX

    ★ 8.6 · 2018

  6. Dr. STONE
    #6

    Dr. STONE

    ★ 8.6 · 2019

  7. The Rising of the Shield Hero
    #7

    The Rising of the Shield Hero

    ★ 8.6 · 2019

  8. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
    #8

    Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

    ★ 8.6 · 2018

Titles With Overlapping Themes

Films and series that share thematic tags with Liz and the Blue Bird. Number on each card indicates how many keywords overlap.

Other Titles From Kyoto Animation

The 2010s Japan Landscape

Catalog density by release year in the 2010s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Liz and the Blue Bird premiered. 1769 total titles in this decade from Japan.

'10137'11139'12165'13178'14187'15181'16213'17194'18195'19180

Reception Benchmarks

7.3
TMDB Rating
92
Audience Reviews
Highly Rated
Critical Tier

Ranked #1,576 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (66th percentile by TMDB audience score).

Rating is +0.4 points above the Japan average of 6.9/10.

Among Japan Animation productions specifically: #1,161 of 2,532 (top 46%).

Production Details

Primary Country Japan
Original Language Japanese
Production Companies Kyoto Animation, Lantis
Runtime 1h 31m
Release Date April 21, 2018
IMDb tt7089878

Themes & Motifs

  • japan
  • fairy tale
  • brass band
  • one-sided love
  • female friendship
  • high school friends
  • anime
  • school club
  • girls love

External Catalogs