Japanese animation studio Kyoto Animation (Hyouka, Koe no Katachi) has opened a new website announcing their upcoming Hibike! Euphonium anime film, which will be titled Liz to Aoi Tori (Liz and the Blue Bird). The film itself will be released in Japan on April 21st, 2018. In addition, the first visual, character designs, staff & trailers were revealed.
The upcoming film, Liz to Aoi Tori, will follow a brand new story featuring Nozomi Kasaki and Mizore Yoroizuka from the anime adaptation of Ayano Takeda and Nikki Asada’s Hibike! Euphonium (Sound! Euphonium) novel series. The film itself will release across theatres in Japan next Spring on April 21st.
A total of two teaser trailers have been released. Here is the film’s announcement teaser:
And here is the second teaser trailer, which introduces to us the main characters of the Liz to Aoi Tori:
The first set of character designs have been revealed for the film, which has a noticeable difference in style from the parent Hibike! Euphonium anime:
- Nozomi Kasaki
- Mizore Yoroizuka
The main production staff of the anime has been announced and includes:
- Director: Naoko Yamada (Tamako Love Story, Koe no Katachi)
- Scriptwriter: Reiko Yoshida (Bakuman., Yowamushi Pedal)
- Character Designer: Futoshi Nishiya (Hyouka, Koe no Katachi)
- Art Director: Mutsuo Shinohara (Hibike! Euphonium, Koe no Katachi)
- Colour Designer: Naomi Ishida (Hyouka, Koe no Katachi)
- Music Composer: Kensuke Ushio (Space Dandy, Koe no Katachi)
- Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka (Hibike! Euphonium, Koe no Katachi)
- Animation Studio: Kyoto Animation (Hyouka, Koe no Katachi)
Advanced tickets for the film will go on sale at Comiket 93 at the KyoAni and Shochiku booths, taking place from December 29-31. The ticket will be available in a bundle that will contain a ticket for the movie and a clear file (below). The bundle will retail at ¥900 (~ US$7.95) for children and ¥1,500 (~ US$13.25) for everyone else. If you are unable to attend C93, the advanced tickets will go on sale from January 9th at selected theatres.
Liz to Aoi Tori is the first of two films based on Hibike! Euphonium that will release in 2018. The second film, which has yet to be officially announced, will follow Kumiko and her fellow band members as second year students.
Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Koukou Suisougaku-bu e Youkoso (Sound! Euphonium) is a music novel series written by Ayano Takeda and illustrated by Nikki Asada. The series ran from December 2013 to May 2015 for a total of 4 volumes, published by Takarajimasha. A manga adaptation of the series was launched in November last year, by Ayano Takeda and Hami that is being published in Takarajimasha’s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web magazine. An anime adaptation of the series was produced for the Spring 2015 anime season by Kyoto Animation (Hyouka, Amagi Brilliant Park) with Tatsuya Ishihara (Clannad, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!) directing. The anime ran for a total of 13 episodes. An anime film was produced in early 2016 and a second season during the Fall/Autumn 2016 season for 13 episodes.
Here is a synopsis of the series from MAL:
Hibike! Euphonium begins when Kumiko Oumae, a girl who was in the brass band club in junior high school, visits her high school’s brass band club as a first year. Kumiko’s classmates Hazuki and Sapphire decide to join the club, but Kumiko sees her old classmate Reina there and hesitates. She remembers an incident she had with Reina at a brass band club contest in junior high school.
The first of the two 2018 Hibike! Euphonium anime films will be Liz to Aoi Tori, following a new story featuring Nozomi Kasaki and Mizore Yoroizuka. The movie will release in theatres across Japan on April 21st, 2018. Further details about the movie, and the other film, will be revealed at a later date.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://liz-bluebird.com/
And follow their Twitter: @liz_bluebird
“Liz to Aoi Tori”, “Liz and the Blue Bird”, “Hibike! Euphonium”, “Sound! Euphonium”, images, video and all associated brands and titles © 2017 Ayano Takeda, Takarajimasha, Kyoto Animation and the Hibike! Production Committee