Maquia’s lighting and water reflections are some of the most advanced ever seen in animation. The traditional anime is absolutely gorgeous with some of the most fantastic background art ever seen in anime. This is poignant storytelling with a heartwarming message, tinged with a melancholic undertone.
The movie is such a mature and polished anime that Maquia instantly earns classic status. It’s hard not feeling great sorrow and sympathy for Maquia. The mother-son dynamic between Maquia and Ariel is grounded in tragedy, but a joy to behold on screen as it develops over the years. If Anohana made you tear up, bring the tissues watching Maquia. The driving creative force behind such beloved anime as Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, writer Mari Okada effortlessly makes the jump to full-fledged director with Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms. Her life will head down a bittersweet path as the realities of an Iorph parenting a human child start intruding into Ariel’s life. Maquia’s people are scattered throughout the kingdom and hunted for their blood. Hiding from the army, she raises the baby Ariel as her own despite immense struggles for the both of them. Maquia escapes the assault and devastation by sheer accident.Īlone and isolated from everything Maquia has ever known, she discovers an orphaned human baby in his dead mother’s arms. Okada wraps her well-developed and charming characters into an ambitious fantasy world of kingdoms and mythic fablesĪ warring kingdom in control of fearsome dragons invades their village, seeking out the Iorph’s precious blood in hopes of discovering the secret to their immortality. That peace and happiness are soon shattered. Maquia lives a sweet, carefree life with her friends like Krim and Leilia. An elder warns Maquia not to fall in love with someone outside the clan, or she will have great sadness. Isolated from humanity, the Iorph weave each day into fabric they call Hibiol. She’s an Iorph, a clan of nearly immortal beings that never age past adolescence. The plot revolves around the young Maquia, a girl no older than 15. The poignant themes coalesce into an emotionally involving plot that neatly twists and turns, surprising even astute viewers. Okada wraps her well-developed and charming characters into an ambitious fantasy world of kingdoms and mythic fables. Maquia resonates with a heartwarming story of a mother’s abiding love for her child, despite many hardships and obstacles in a cruel world. There will be few dry eyes left in the house after watching this moving and imaginative tearjerker. The directorial debut of acclaimed anime screenwriter Mari Okada ( Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day and The Anthem of the Heart) has gorgeous animation that sets a new benchmark for anime. The sentimental fantasy epic weaves a mesmerizing tale of tenderness and genuine pathos in its richly-imagined world of dragons and a tribe of immortals struggling to hold on.
Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms is a captivating anime masterpiece. Meanwhile, Maquia still looks as a girl, no matter how long time passes.Mari Okada Explores A Mother’s Love The baby is named Ariel, and grows up as a boy. Then she finds a "lonely baby" who just lost his parents. With an empty mind, Maquia wanders in the dark forest. Maquia is somehow able to escape, but loses her friends and a place to return. In the despair and chaos, Iolph's most beautiful woman Leilia is taken by Mesarte, and Krim, the boy whom Maquia has secretly fallen in love with, also goes missing. The Mesarte Army riding on the ancient beast called Lenato invades their town to look for Iolph's blood that offers a long life. However, their peaceful life falls apart in a flash. Maquia, an Iolph girl who has lost her parents, has spent her calm days surrounded by her friends, but has felt "loneliness" somewhere in her heart. They are called "A Family of Farewell" and have been regarded as a living legend. Their appearances stop growing in their middle teen and they have a lifetime of hundreds of years. The people of Iolph have lived quietly weaving daily events into cloth called Hibioru in a remote land.