X
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Eleven Arts
- 1 h 55 m
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Eleven Arts
- 1 h 55 m
Summary The people of Iorph live far away from the lands of men, weaving the happenings of each day into a fabric called Hibiol. They live for centuries while maintaining their youthful appearance. Maquia, an orphaned Iorph girl, lives her life in an oasis surrounded by friends, yet somehow feels “alone”. But the tranquil lives of the Iorph are ...
Directed By: Masakazu Hashimoto, Jong Heo, Tadashi Hiramatsu, Tatsuyuki Nagai, Mari Okada, Toshiya Shinohara
Written By: Christian La Monte, Mari Okada
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Eleven Arts
- 1 h 55 m
- 2018
- Not Rated
- Eleven Arts
- 1 h 55 m
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
72
8.0
Summary The people of Iorph live far away from the lands of men, weaving the happenings of each day into a fabric called Hibiol. They live for centuries while maintaining their youthful appearance. Maquia, an orphaned Iorph girl, lives her life in an oasis surrounded by friends, yet somehow feels “alone”. But the tranquil lives of the Iorph are ...
Directed By: Masakazu Hashimoto, Jong Heo, Tadashi Hiramatsu, Tatsuyuki Nagai, Mari Okada, Toshiya Shinohara
Written By: Christian La Monte, Mari Okada
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
72
75% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
25% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
72
75% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
25% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
In her directorial debut Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, Mari Okada weaves a beautiful story about motherhood, aging, and loss.
It’s possible that the film’s passing pleasures are so rich that we don’t even notice how deep Okada has driven her storytelling dagger until she pulls it out in the end, and the tears come, adding, to the bitterness and sweetness of this moving and strange little fable, a hefty dose of salt.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 User Ratings
8.0
82% Positive
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
12% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
6% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 User Ratings
8.0
82% Positive
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
12% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
6% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Maquia is a magically wonderful movie. The relationship between a mother who could live for 100s of years and a normal mortal living child makes for an engaging story. There was definitely some worries that the story might go in "that" direction. Thankfully the movie sticks to the mother and son theme and it is all the better for it. Even though you know how this film is going to end from the get go, it still manages to tug on your emotional strings.
The art style is gorgeous with beautiful backgrounds and stylish character designs. The music score is phenomenal as well. Only issues I had with the film is some slow pacing and the fact that the subplots don't have a strong resolution. This leads to some lingering questions even after the film ends.
Nevertheless, Maquia is one of the most memorable original anime movies in a long time. The story will stick with me for a long time.
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Okada both wrote and directed Maquia, which showcases her ability to depict complex relationships and project delicate character arcs.
Though not unusual for animated movies to provoke tears, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is perhaps the second animated film I would openly classify as a “tearjerker” (the first being Grave of the Fireflies).
If you’re not a fan of anime, give it try. Be open and patient.
At almost two hours, the film feels a bit long and suffers from multiple endings, but Okada is clearly a talent to watch.
It is a poignant set-up but, disappointingly, Okada’s ideas about motherhood don’t cut as deep as they could.
I enjoyed this film as a piece of anime fantasy escapism, in these troubling times. Its got an almost medieval setting to it and thematically it reminded me a little of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and also of Violet Evergarden, with loneliness being a key theme - that and displacement.
As ever with such an anime film, the quality of the seemingly 2D animation is quite remarkable and I particularly liked the scenes which showed more traditional animation but with a 3D element, such as it seeming as if the camera is swooping through (sometimes quite vibrantly colourful) landscapes. Its quite an engrossing watch in a sense. I appreciate how honest the main character is, to other characters and I'd say the dialogue/script is quite good. It's perhaps a little sentimental for some but I certainly enjoyed it overall - I also liked the music played in the background of some scenes, including harp music. It adds to the overall atmosphere. I enjoyed this film and I would recommend it to others, yes.
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I forgot the last time I feel something watching a movie, but Maquia made me feel something its a rollercoaster of emotions, the screenwrite and direction of art is awesome, and the final scene is just pure art, it fails a little bit in some parts but overall it's a great film that even if you didn't like this tipe of filmography
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This is nowhere close to the best movie I've watched, or even the best anime movie I've watched. But it holds a special place in my heart.
This movie's visuals are excellent. The use of CGI is actually bearable, and the character designs are great. Some of the shots are drop-dead gorgeous, and overall, the production value is very high.
It has a lot to offer in terms of storytelling. It contains themes of motherhood, legacy, loss, and growth. The plot and characters are interwoven so well. Never before have I experienced a story so grand in scale yet so intimate at the same time. The emotional climax is enough to make any man cry, and overall, the themes are portrayed very well and the characters and world are remarkably fleshed out.
As far as flaws go, there aren't many to point at here. The visuals are good, but it's not spectacular or standard-setting. The score is good, but I've heard music of similar ilk many times before. This movie excels in the storytelling department, but everything else is just good.
This movie is a personal favorite of mine, and this review really doesn't do it justice. Give it a shot, whether you like anime or not.
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Definitely one of the worst movies I've seen. It's the story about a girl who is destined to live centuries and therefore end up losing any person she grows attached to. Still a teenager, she meets a newborn orphan and adopts him in spite of all difficulties, but she remains the same as he grows, with a war threatening to destroy their whole world. The premise is not too bad, but the execution... oh boy!
So, imagine a story that develops along decades. It could work with strongly developed characters, drama and emotions, but in this case it's like a director randomly picked up the stupidest moments, concentrating only on scenes where someone is whining for the most idiotic reasons. Seriously, every f***ing minute there is someone bawling, while the story is forgotten, the characters are barely sketched and then immediately abandoned. It's impossible to care for anyone, since you don't get to know them. Characters are introduced in two seconds and then those idiotic, maudlin scenes start again. The war? Apparently it's fought by a couple dozen people on either side and lasts two whole minutes before it's over.
Really, this is a tear-fest where everyone keeps crying all the time, but everything else is sorely lacking. Without a solid infrastructure, the drama falls flat on its face.
Gotta admit that the horrible dubbing in my language gets a good part of the blame. They picked a super whiny, querulous, grating voice actress for the protagonist, so that every time she spoke, usually between sobs, I felt like my brain was hemorrhaging.
Why 2 and not zero? In other languages, with better voice actors, it will still be abysmal but maybe a little less excruciating.
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Production Company
Bandai Visual,
Cygames,
Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures,
Lantis,
P.A. Works
Release Date Jul 20, 2018
Duration 1 h 55 m
Rating Not Rated
Tagline Aishite, yokatta. (It was good to have loved.)
Awards
IGN Summer Movie Awards
• 2 Nominations
Shanghai International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
