Kyoto Animation’s new anime movie Liz and the Blue Bird (Liz to Aoi Tori; Liz und ein blauer Vogel), which will open in Japanese cinemas on 21 April 2018, revealed more characters, their cast, and comments from the voice actors. The two main characters, Mizore Yoroizuka and Nozomi Kasaki, will be played by Atsumi Tanezaki and Nao Toyama.

Konomi Fujimura is to play Natsuki Nakagawa, Yuri Yamaoka is to play Yuko Yoshikawa, Shiori Sugiura is to play Ririka Kenzaki, Tomoya Kurosawa is to play Kumiko Omae, Ayaka Asai is to play Hazuki Kato, Moe Toyota is to play Sapphire Kawashima, Chika Anzai is to play Reina Koka, Hoko Kuwashima is to play Satomi Niiyama, Yuichi Nakamura is to play Masahiro Hashimoto, and Takahiro Sakurai is to play the role of Noboru Taki.

Check out the comments from Atsumi Tanezaki, Nao Toyama, Konomi Fujimura, Yuri Yamaoka, and Shiori Sugiura and take a look at some of the character illustrations.

Mizore Yoroizuka (VA: Atsumi Tanezaki)

3rd year in high school. Plays the oboe.
She graduated from the Kyougou Minami Junior High School, was in the brass band, and has a top-class performance technique. Nozomi’s existence is all that Mizore cares about. She is not interested in anything else.

Nozomi Kasaki (VA: Nao Toyama)

3rd year in high school. Plays the flute.
Graduated from the same school as Mizore. She left the band in her first year but came back in the summer of her second year. Her performance technique is high-class, and because of her bright personality, she is cherished even by her juniors.

Natsuki Nakagawa (VA: Konomi Fujimura)

3rd year in high school. Deputy head. Plays the euphonium.
Entered the bass band at the beginning of her first high school year. During her junior high days, she admired Nozomi, who was always the center of the circle.

Yuko Yoshikawa (VA: Yuri Yamaoka)

3rd year in high school. Club head. Plays the trumpet.
She has been concerned about Mizore since she left the club once two years ago.

Ririka Kenzaki (VA: Shiori Sugiura)

1st year in high school. Plays the oboe.
She is trying hard to communicate with her oboe senior Mizore.

Kumiko Omae (VA: Tomoyo Kurosawa)

2nd year in high school. Plays the euphonium.

Hazuki Kato (VA: Ayaka Asai)

2nd year in high school. Plays the tuba.

Sapphire Kawashima (VA: Moe Toyota)

2nd year in high school. Plays the contrabass.

Reina Koka (VA: Chika Anzai)

2nd year in high school. Plays the trumpet.

Satomi Niiyama (VA: Hoko Kuwashima)

She is an external leader in charge of teaching woodwind instruments and highly appreciates Mizore’s performance.

Masahiro Hashimoto (VA: Yuichi Nakamura)

She is an external leader in charge of teaching percussion. Has a bright personality and is being trusted by the club’s leaders.

Noboru Taki (Takahiro Sakurai)

Advisor of the brass band. Despite being only about one year in the office, he is an excellent leader who leads the young brass band to the national competition.

Comments from the Cast

Comment from Atsumi Tanezaki as Mizore Yoroizuka

‘I can not forget the moment when I learned that Mizore and Nozomi’s story was made. I depicted it in the form of Liz and the Blue Bird, what I felt back then at a time when the world was narrower than today,… actually, I can still feel it. I remember the emotions I had piled on top of one another. Although it is really unsettled, it is truly peaceful and very delicate. I hope you will feel the little changes in the two girls.’

Comment from Nao Toyama as Nozomi Kasaki

‘Liz and the Blue Bird is a work that values the atmospheric feeling. Their expressions, gestures, and sighs, everything has been produced in order to portray a calm charm. It is difficult to put it in words. Even though they are just casually doing one thing after another, it seems so dramatic. Anyways, it is a beautiful movie. When I read the script I had tears in my eyes, but I don’t know the reason. I think that Nozomi is a bright person who seems to be respected by others. I think that this movie, full of human traits, just moved my heart. I would appreciate it if you could take a look at this independent spin-off movie of Sound! Euphonium and would be happy if you could watch over these two girls.’

Comment from Konomi Fujimura as Natsuki Nakagawa

‘Liz and the Blue Bird’s characters Nozomi, Mizore, Yuk, and Natsuki are pretty delicate but also very strong. This movie made me realize a very pleasant feeling again, that everyone is creating important moments with their words and actions, both born from their own feelings. I hope that everyone can enjoy each moment of your life. Natsuki is lovely as ever, so please look forward to the movie!’

Comment from Yuri Yamaoka as Yuko Yoshikawa

‘For a moment, one might think that Liz and the Blue Bird is not Sound! Euphonium, but rather a new movie. But this is not that big of a mistake. Of course, it is still similar to the Sound! Euphonium you know, but at this time’s recording I had the feeling of creating a brand-new work. When watching this movie, I think that it became a work that makes you feel disturbed even by your own breathing sound. A delicate moment of these girls shouldn’t be missed, because it is a waste not to watch them. Please enjoy this movie to the fullest, which is different from Sound! Euphonium works until now, because it has a different taste.’

Comment from Shiori Sugiura as Ririka Kenzaki

‘As an ordinary girl who is honest with her feelings, I was trying to act frankly while trying to cherish the emotions that come out naturally. I love the feelings that Yoroizuka is showing Nozomi and would like you to see all scenes without missing even one cut. Her straight and dedicated feelings are beautiful, delicate, and dazzling. Mizore is cute. Certain piling up moments from everyday life have carefully been drawn. Please watch this movie, as I think that it will quietly enter your hearts.’

Liz and the Blue Bird

To open on 21 April 2018

Story

That girl is a blue bird.
To fly freely in the blue sky is her joy.
But because I was scared of being alone, I put her in a bird cage and pretended not to notice her sorrow.

Both are members of the Kitauji High School concert band club: Mizore Yoroizuka, who plays the oboe, and Nozomi Kasaki, who plays the flute. They are in their third year and it’s their final competition. For the free song, they chose the song ‘Liz and the Blue Bird’, which has an oboe and flute solo.

‘This song seems like us.’

While Nozomi is enjoying her instrument fully, Mizore is happy with her days spent with Nozomi but fears the day when she won’t be able to do so. They are supposed to be best friends. But their oboe and flute solos don’t go well together and causes them to feel the distance between them.

Staff

Original Work: Ayano Takeda
Director: Naoko Yamada
Screenwriter: Reiko Yoshida
Character Design: Futoshi Nishiya
Background Art: Mushio Shinohara
Color Setting: Naomi Ishida
Instrument Setting: Hiroyuki Takahashi
Director of Photography: Kazuya Takao
3D Director: Umetsu Tetsuro
Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka
Music: Kensuke Ushio (Agraph)
Music Production: Lantis
Music Production Cooperation: Senzoku Gakuen Music Academy
Supervision of the Concert Band: Masahiro Owada
Animation Production: Kyoto Animation
Production: Hibike! Production Committee
Distribution: Shochiku

Cast

Atsumi Tanezaki as Mizore Yoroizuka
Nao Toyama as Nozomi Kasaki
Konomi Fujimura as Natsuki Nakagawa
Yuri Yamaoka as Yuko Yoshikawa
Shiori Sugiura as Ririka Kenzaki
Tomoya Kurosawa as Kumiko Omae
Ayaka Asai as Hazuki Kato
Moe Toyota as Sapphire Kawashima
Chika Anzai as Reina Koka
Hoko Kuwashima as Satomi Niiyama
Yuichi Nakamura as Masahiro Hashimoto
Takahiro Sakurai as Noboru Taki

Web

Official Website: http://liz-bluebird.com/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/liz_bluebird