Liz to Aoi Tori first thoughts!
This isn’t going to be an in-depth post and I’m not sure if I’ll do a longer one later because I have final exams coming up (;_;) but I wanted to say that I just saw Liz today! Here’s what stood out to me:
*THE BACKBONE OF THE MOVIE*
From the first PV, I knew Kyoani was going in a different direction with their visual style (it seems we’ll be getting the old one back for the new movie, not to worry) and I wasn’t disappointed by it
Actually, a lot of the characters looked super cute in this style. Also, it made sense in a narrative/standalone movie kind of way, so no complaints here!
EVERY FLASHBACK SCENE. DRAWN IN WATERCOLOR/PAINT STYLE??? YESSSS
One thing that kept striking me: the super super sweet nostalgic artstyle for the Liz scenes. It felt like they’d taken an anime from the 70s or 80s (or from my childhood cause I ain’t that old) and magically transformed it into the Kyoani Standard of beautiful animationTM. I could pretty much feel through the screen how much it’s influenced by childhood stories and coughGhiblicough
Also the lighting!!!!! For so many scenes!!!!!! Whoa!!!!!!
I literally had no words for the flute catching the light scene. Like, not only is that gorgeous, but it’s also SO CLOSELY RELATED TO NOZOMI’S PLACE IN MIZORE’S LIFE
There were probably a million more little things in this movie, like the FACIAL EXPRESSION ANIMATION (looking at you, last scene) and of course, Naoko Yamada’s classic leg-and-foot shots. But I will say that every scene that had some sort of character interaction was packed with so much emotion, I literally could not
Also, the way they showed the instruments. Carrying on the legacy of Hibike, but this time, showing us the specifics of oboe care. The detail in the way Mizore does this is amazing
THE VISUAL EFFECTS DURING MIZORE’S OBOE SOLO LOOKING LIKE SOME LIVE ACTION CAMERA BLURRING EFFECTS. I NEED TO REWATCH THAT ENTIRE SOLO
If you thought the main show was a character drama, this was 90 minutes of that on steroids
Since this was a movie that focused on characters we’ve explored before in the Hibikeverse, I was already on the lookout for references to the events of the main series. However, I was really glad that they didn’t take up the whole movie. This is a story about facing the future, after all
For those of you sighing over this movie because it doesn’t have the plot of Koe no Katachi or other Kyoani films, what I think is important about this movie is that it’s very character-driven. It’s giving us characters with an already established backstory and dynamics they carry with them from the show. This is touching on them moving forward
In that respect, this movie, to me, is like the opposite of a “facing the fact that we’ll be apart soon” plot (which is what I was expecting). The idea of letting someone go for their own sake plays out so much in this movie, and to me, the ending seems to suggest that Mizore and Nozomi aren’t going to pursue the same path, that they’re going to move forward, but in different directions
BUT THAT’S OKAY. The fact that they were able to clear up their misunderstandings and be honest with one another is what brings them closer together, so even if they have to be apart someday, they’ll still stay connected <3
Speaking of the future, I love how they’re taking charge of the club. I love how Mizore and Nozomi are being called the “aces” of the wind section. Ah, first years, if you only knew what happened the year before…
Which brings me to THE NEW CHARACTERS. Hibike itself definitely addressed the idea of how underclassmen interact with their upperclassmen and how these dynamics change, as well as the idea of leaving something behind for your underclassmen. However, this movie gave us some reverse dynamics: how it feels to have these new kids come along
AND I REALLY LOVE HOW THEY DID IT
Even if the underclassmen weren’t a big part of the main duo’s story, they still had enough screentime to show me how the band is starting to change (in a good way!!) and the legacy that the third-years will leave behind just as the main series’ third-years did
Ririka is so precious, I went in expecting her to be annoying and found her super adorable and charming and a perfect calm balance for Mizore. The oboe duet they did together was perfect <333
The way this movie really shines is through showing the groups within the club interacting, how high school girls actually hang out and chat, pointing out to us that high school life is about the small things and the people we see every day (and not just big emotional outbursts, NozoMizo)
Also our main cast from the show just chilling and playing music and having fun just made my day. They deserve to not be tangled up in drama all the time
And they were so in character!! Do NOT tell me kumirei wouldn’t do that solo themselves in the main series
MIZORE OPENING UP TO PEOPLE (especially Niiyama-sensei and Ririka) THATS CALLED GROWTH, EVERYONE
Seeing Nozomi be vulnerable around others. Also, seeing her be dense did get a little frustrating at times, but it’s showing us that she isn’t perfect; she struggles, just like Mizore
There’s honestly so much more I could say, but the last scene was just. Oh my god. There is so much imagery of Mizore following Nozomi, watching her back, waiting for her. And finally, finally, Nozomi turns around to look at her. She doesn’t just see Mizore the way she did when they were in middle school or even before she quit the club. She sees her differently, as a girl who is amazing in her own right, even when Mizore doesn’t see it herself
BOTH OF THEM SUDDENLY CHANGING VIEWPOINTS WHEN IT COMES TO THE OTHER (and the scene where their faces are mirrored)
All the ties to the story of Liz. I knew it was coming, but it went even deeper than I thought. This wasn’t a one-sided thing; both Mizore and Nozomi were really closely connected to the story
Also, you cannot tell me that that story of the blue bird was completely platonic. Oh, no. Dropping that “aishiteiru” cemented it among the “ai no kokuhaku” moments of the show
There’s honestly so much I could talk about: the cute grouchy librarian girl (Mayaka!!), the NATSUUKO SCENES, the tiny background dramas in the lives of the flute girls, the super emotional reactions to Mizore’s solo, the mentions of familiar Hibike staples like the auditions, the Agata Matsuri, and going to the pool. I felt like I was back in high school watching the show all over again, and it was amazing
Amplifying the everyday with a new approach
I say this because to me, the music was blended so easily with the rest of the sounds in the movie. Probably because of Kensuke Ushio’s minimalistic soundtrack that uses background sfx constantly
And most of this music tends to play in the scenes of ordinary things, like at school or in the library (the titles of the tracks themselves show this)
I will say that the background music didn’t stand out to me as much as the previous composer’s tracks did, but I’m not complaining because this isn’t a Kumiko-centric Hibike, it’s a whole different story, so it makes sense that the music might be a little more subdued from the perspective of Mizore
I definitely loved the Liz background music, though. Again, the somewhat simplistic, gentle feel of it connected to that childhood nostalgia aspect of Liz’s story (also some of these piano tracks give me Hibike soundtrack vibes)
THE OBOE SOLO. I got chills I haven’t had since Reina’s trumpet solo in the very first competition episode. I know that it overpowered the flute part, but that’s part of the story: Mizore coming into her own and realizing her talent at the oboe
This is random, but the harp. Like, I was not expecting that to come up, but I’m all for it now. That was super pretty, and props to Kyoani for animating it
And because the music in this movie is so intertwined with the everyday, I’m actually GLAD that we didn’t have a Hibike-style concert scene. It isn’t so much about competitions for Mizore and Nozozmi, it’s about their own music (not that it wasn’t for Kumiko and Reina, but they were so drawn to competitions in a way that NozoMizo aren’t). Hibike covered the competition aspect of music. This movie is much more emphatic on music within one’s life and one’s future, especially when Mizore is faced with the prospect of music school
The fact that Mizore was somehow freer when she was practicing alone in the end was great. She was able to be herself and pursue her own sound. It doesn’t mean she’s leaving Nozomi behind, but it means she’s found something for herself :)
I really have to cut myself off there to refrain from further ranting, but I will say that this was an exceptional film. While it might not be what we’re used to from Kyoani, it’s an artistic masterpiece, and I really respect that. While it doesn’t have a huge action-driven plot, it is still showing us something about these characters, about the place they’re in right now, about their inner turmoil, and about their relationship with one another, so it isn’t by any means a story about nothing. Yes, it’s a continuationto a story that’s definitely said and done more in its two-season run than this 90-minute film has, but don’t think of it as just that. It’s a new take, a new perspective, a re-imagined style of Hibike! Euphonium that takes it slower than the original series does. And it was worth the wait.
I may answer some questions on the film if you have any, but any analyses I might do won’t be for a while. I’m still a bit unsure about doing analyses again, but there’s so much about Liz that I still haven’t said, and I’d be happy to talk about it some more. Just be on the lookout~
