Liz and the Blue Bird

A gentle 2018 anime feature that explores the friendship between two high school girls, the story centers on Mizore, a shy, retiring girl who plays oboe in the student orchestra, and confident, outgoing Nozomi, her best (and perhaps only) friend, who plays flute. The two are featured in a duet in their new piece inspired by the titular children’s storybook, but they can’t quite get it right, which reflects their increasingly awkward friendship as they near the end of high school and find themselves drawn in different directions. Directed by Naoko Yamada, this original story based on characters from the popular Sound! Euphonium series of YA high school novels offers little in the way of plot or dramatic action. Yamada is more interested in exploring the delicacy and intensity of female friendship, expressed through simple imagery and evocative body language. Passages from the storybook (animated in a style that recalls Hayao Miyazaki) echo the narrative arc of the girls, while abstract images that suggest a bird in flight accompany the musical performance. Ultimately, this is a slight but sweet tale with some insight into female relationships. Presented in a dual-language edition on separate DVD and DVD/Blu-ray Combo releases, suitable for 13-up, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)