The Blue Bird
青い鳥
Synopsis
Higashigaoka Junior High School is in turmoil as one of the pupils, Noguchi, who had been bullied, attempted suicide last term. On the first day of the new term, a substitute teacher arrives to take the second year class. When the teacher, Murauchi (Hiroshi Abe), introduces himself, the pupils are surprised by his stutter. He has a speech impediment. Unable to speak eloquently, Murauchi faces his pupils with ‘words of truth’. His first instruction to the pupils is to return Noguchi’s desk and chair to the original place in the classroom. Every morning Murauchi greets the empty desk, “Good morning, Noguchi.” This causes a ripple beyond the classroom and among other teachers and parents, but Murauchi will not stop doing it. Eventually the day comes when Murauchi must leave.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
『青い鳥』 (Aoi Tori - Blue Bird) Movie Trailer [Hiroshi Abe, Kanata Hongo]
Type: Trailer • Published 2008-09-19
Top Cast
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Hiroshi Abe
Mr. Murachi
Kanata Hongo
Shinichi Sonobe
Ayumi Ito
Ms. Shimazaki
Hajime Inoue
Mr. Ishino
Osamu Shigematu
Mr. Miyazaki
Hiroyuki Kishi
Mr. Koizumi
Taiga Nakano
Inoue Takeshi
Tsugumi Shinohara
Takagi Sunae
Riho Takada
Chiba Reika
Hiroto Itô
Maekawa Shugo
Moe Karasawa
Ozawa Eri
Yuko Araki
Katayama Mai
Moe Miura
Moe Arai
Hayakawa Yuka
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kenji Nakanishi
- Screenplay & Story
- Kenzaburô Iida, Yasuo Hasegawa
- Original Title
- 青い鳥
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 45m
- Production Studios
- Bandai Visual
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kenji Nakanishi
Kenzaburô Iida, Yasuo Hasegawa, Kiyoshi Shigematsu
Akira Moriya
Department Leadership Roster
Kenji Nakanishi
Director
Kenzaburô Iida
Screenplay
Yasuo Hasegawa
Screenplay
Akira Moriya
Producer
Featured In Curated Collections
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Kinema Junpo - Best Japanese Films (1926-2024) [Imported]
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Blue Bird
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Blue Bird about?
Higashigaoka Junior High School is in turmoil as one of the pupils, Noguchi, who had been bullied, attempted suicide last term. On the first day of the new term, a substitute teacher arrives to take the second year class. When the teacher, Murauchi (Hiroshi Abe), introduces himself, the pupils are surprised by his stutter. He has a speech impediment. Unable to speak eloquently, Murauchi faces his pupils with ‘words of truth’. His first instruction to the pupils is to return Noguchi’s desk and chair to the original place in the classroom. Every morning Murauchi greets the empty desk, “Good morning, Noguchi.” This causes a ripple beyond the classroom and among other teachers and parents, but Murauchi will not stop doing it. Eventually the day comes when Murauchi must leave.
Who directed The Blue Bird?
The Blue Bird was directed by Kenji Nakanishi.
Who stars in The Blue Bird?
The principal cast of The Blue Bird includes Hiroshi Abe, Kanata Hongo, Ayumi Ito, Hajime Inoue, Osamu Shigematu.
When was The Blue Bird released and how long is it?
The Blue Bird was released in 2008 with a total runtime of 1h 45m.
Is The Blue Bird based on a book or true story?
The Blue Bird is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Kiyoshi Shigematsu".