The Blue Bird
Directed by Kenji Nakanishi
Plot
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.
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Cast
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