History Anime / LizAndTheBlueBird

* WalkingInRhythm: The [[https://youtu.be/vQBMJLLujqc first scene of Mizore and Nozomi]] features this, as does [[BookEnds the last]]. Notably, their footsteps are out of sync, illustrating the "disjoint". [[spoiler:The last scene has them in perfect sync.]]
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Mizore and Nozomi's friendship seems to teeter on the edge of a romantic confession throughout the whole film. [[spoiler: The ending doesn't give a definitive answer, although [[{{Subtext}} there are hints that they may]].]]

** Nozomi compares Yuuko's performance as class president to their [[SenpaiKohai senpai]], Asuka, who graduated in the previous year.

* DefrostingIceQueen: Ririka, Mizore's [[SenpaiKohai kohai]] and the only other oboe player in their band, tries to get her emotionally-distant senpai to open up a bit. [[spoiler:She eventually succeeds, and they play a duet together, to Nozomi's apparent discomfort.]]

** Mizore's characterization up until this film was that of a archetypal ShyBlueHairedGirl, with hints at deeper feelings but nothing more. Here, it's revealed that Mizore has a very complex inner world that she doesn't share due to her infatuation with Nozomi and her fear of abandonment, which she slowly learns to overcome with the help of Ririka and Niiyama-sensei.

* CharacterDevelopment: The film serves to take Mizore and Nozomi's simple character arcs in ''Sound! Euphonium'' and explore them more thoroughly, giving them more thorough character development along the way.

* BetaCouple: Kumiko and Reina are this to Nozomi and Mizore, in a reversal from the main series.

* BookEnds: The film begins with Nozomi and Mizore walking into school together, and ends with them leaving school together. Everything else in the film is set inside the school (excluding the storybook sections).

* {{Minimalism}}: The real-world scenes have a distinct minimalist feeling to them. The setting takes place entirely in the sterile and barren hallways of the high school, very few characters are given focus or even names, long stretches go without dialogue, and the music often consists of droning or atonal sounds without discernable melodies. The combined effect is an embodiment of Mizore's claustrophobia and dread as she approaches graduation, as well as to contrast with the livelier and more colorful storybook scenes.

* {{Minimalism}}: The real-world scenes have a distinct minimalist feeling to them. The setting takes place entirely in the sterile and barren hallways of the high school, very few characters are given focus or even names, long stretches go without dialogue, and the music often consists of droning or atonal sounds without discernable melodies. The combined effect is an embodiment Mizore's claustrophobia and dread as she approaches graduation, as well as to contrast with the livelier and more colorful storybook scenes.

* InelegantBlubbering: When Ririka doesn't get the oboe solo for "Liz and the Blue Bird", she bursts out in ugly tears about it to Mizore. It's played seriously, and this is what gets Mizore to [[DefrostingIceQueen open up more]] to Ririka.

* {{Minimalism}}: The real-world scenes have a distinct minimalist feeling to them. The setting takes place entirely in the sterile and barren hallways of the high school, very few characters are given focus or even names, long stretches go without dialogue, and the music often consists of droning or atonal sounds without discernable melodies. This is used to embody Mizore's claustrophobia and dread as she approaches graduation, as well as to contrast with the livelier and more colorful storybook scenes.

** In a somewhat literal example of the trope name, the process of decalcomania (painting one half of a picture, then folding the paper so the paint stains the other half, creating an image that's nearly but not quite symmetrical) is used in several scenes -- not just in the animation, but in the sheet music of the soundtrack. This was used to illustrate the relationship and disjoint between Mizore and Nozomi, two people who are themselves nearly but not quite symmetrical.

* AdvertisedExtra: Since they're main characters in ''Literature/SoundEuphonium'', Kumiko and Reina received [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/hibike-euphonium/images/7/71/Liz_and_the_Blue_Bird_-_Kumiko_%26_Reina.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190328103217 a promotional poster]] and prominent spots on [[http://liz-bluebird.com/ the film's website.]] While Reina has a prominent role in one pivotal scene, Kumiko is effectively a background character. The website also includes Hazuki and Sapphire, who are even less prominent than Kumiko, only speaking in a single scene.

* AdvertisedExtra: Since they're main characters in ''Literature/SoundEuphonium'', Kumiko and Reina received [[https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/5470061 a promotional poster]] and prominent spots on [[http://liz-bluebird.com/ the film's website.]] While Reina has a prominent role in one pivotal scene, Kumiko is effectively a background character. The website also includes Hazuki and Sapphire, who are even less prominent than Kumiko, only speaking in a single scene.

* ThemeNaming: All of the songs from the film's soundtrack use AllLowercaseLetters with phrases describing each scene separated by commas: i.e., "wind,glass,bluebird", "reflexion,allegretto,you", "girls,dance,staircase".

''Liz and the Blue Bird'' (リズと青い鳥, ''Liz to Aoi Tori'') is a movie directed by Naoko Yamada and released by Creator/KyotoAnimation to Japanese theaters in 2018. It is a spin-off of the popular series ''Literature/SoundEuphonium'', but it still functions as an independent work that can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the original (although some of the in-jokes may be lost on the uninitiated). It wonderfully captures the emotional bustle of adolescence by linking it to the classical piece played by the main characters, and the animated sequences representing said piece interspersed throughout the movie.

* WillTheyOrWontThey: Quite a few viewers see Mizore and Nozomi's relationship this way. [[spoiler: The movie doesn't give a definitive answer, although [[{{Subtext}} there are hints that they may]].]]

* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Mizorr pours all of her emotions into being around Nozomi, due to her lack of social skills and Nozomi being the first person to truly open up to her. Mizore only decides to go to music college based on the ''chance'' that Nozomi may go to the same school. [[spoiler:The movie ends with her taking her first steps past this codependency, pursuing her own path forward in life and making new friends besides Nozomi.]]

** "Happy Ice Cream."
** [[spoiler: The "Love You Hug."]]

* ComingOfAgeStory: The main point of the movie.

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Nozomi is this to Mizore, who sees herself as Liz with Nozomi as the blue bird who frees her of her loneliness. [[spoiler: Later it appears that the roles are actually reversed, or that they are at least ''each other's'' blue bird.]]

* PseudoRomanticFriendship: This is the main dynamic between Mizore and Nozomi, with plenty of longing stares and "I love you"s to go around. Any further implications to the nature of their relationship are left as {{subtext}}.

[[caption-width-right:350:Mizore and Nozomi are in the front, Liz and the blue bird are in the back.]]

Mizore starts spending a lot of time trying to master her instrument, driven not only by her desire to become a better musician, but also as a way of connecting with Nozomi, to whom she becomes ever more emotionally attached as time passes. Nozomi, herself a proficient concert flautist, ends up quitting in her first year of high school without telling Mizore; the two reconcile after she rejoins the band, but their relationship is on fragile footing as a result.

''Liz and the Blue Bird'' (リズと青い鳥, ''Liz to Aoi Tori'') is a movie directed by Naoko Yamada and released by Creator/KyotoAnimation to Japanese theaters in 2018. It is a spin-off of the popular series ''Literature/SoundEuphonium'', but it still functions as an independent work that can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the original (although some of the in-jokes may be lost on the uninitiated). It wonderfully captures the emotional bustle of adolescence by linking it to the classical pieces played by the main characters, and the "Liz and the Blue Bird" shorts interspersed throughout the movie.

* TheAce: Mizore. She is the only one of the girls who gets asked by the woodwind instructor [[spoiler:if she is interested in studying music, much to Nozomi's dismay.]]

** Nozomi compares Yuuko's performance as class president to their senpai, Asuka, who graduated in the previous year.

* DefrostingIceQueen: Ririka, Mizore's [[SempaiKohai kohai]] and the only other oboe player in their band, tries to get her emotionally-distant senpai to open up a bit. [[spoiler:She eventually succeeds, and they play a duet together, to Nozomi's apparent discomfort.]]

* GenkiGirl: Nozomi, especially in relation to Mizore.

* PlotBasedVoiceCancellation: At the very last moment when Nozomi and Mizore leave school, Nozomi [[spoiler:faces Mizore and says something that makes Mizore turn all wide-eyed and blushing. Was it a confession? Who knows?]]

* TheRival: Curiously, Nozomi confesses to see Mizore that way.
* ShowWithinAShow: The shorts of the "Liz and the Blue Bird" story, although they are actually animated pages of the children's book used as the inspiration of the tone poem played by the wind music club.