Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms (Blu-ray)

I had never seen this movie prior to purchasing it, but what attracted me were the visuals/bright colors and details in the artwork, as well as what I expected to be sort of a action/drama animated movie. (FYI, this is not so much an action movie). Without spoilers, this is essentially a movie that approaches the concept of the cycle of life, over the course of roughly a little longer than a human's average lifespan (lets say maybe 80ish or more years). The main characters grow emotionally and psychologically over the course of time, and very realistic responses to the given circumstances are made (purposefully vague :) ). The ending, for me, was a real tear-jerker. Sad yet sweet, and very beautiful in the artwork. A couple pros for me: Not just the main characters, but ALL characters in the movie actually develop/change over time. Some become jaded, some become more level-headed than they used to be. For a movie, they packed in quite a bit more than you'd expect. Also, the visuals, of course, were pretty great. Music was appropriate, and the details of the quilts were very nice. The view on life from the film was less about "right and wrong", and more about personal beliefs, and the ability to potentially change, as well as the significance of relationships. My only con would be: I expected it to be a little more "actiony". Overall that's not a problem, but as I said, I sort of expected it to be initially, based on what I saw from trailers, etc. Outside of that expectation, as a film about life, it's very good. I would highly recommend it as a "thinking" movie, with some good takeaways.

Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms, is a masterfully crafted fantasy epic about motherhood, love, and life itself. Written and directed (her directorial debut, in fact) by Mari Okada of Anohana fame. Maquia tells the story of the titular young girl from a race of long lived elf like weavers. She is forced from her home and large parts of her people slaughtered or captured. Abandoned in the wilderness she takes in an orphaned baby boy who, like Maquia, has been stranded by fate. The film details the evolution of the low fantasy world around them and the struggles of motherhood across the many stages of a human's life, while she herself seemingly does not age. The film is powerfully written and ponders poignant real-world issues and themes, and handles them with due delicacy and thought. The storytelling is excellent and is a tearjerker, as one would expect from the brilliant Mari Okada. Maquia is a must own anime film and now proudly sits as one of the crowning glories of my collection of films, animated and otherwise. Make certain to bring tissues.

I was blown back by the story....the characters are very well done in a way where your are fully invested in them...through there lives you experience a personal connection with these characters, when you realize that time is passing you cant help but want to see more.....the animation is solid and the dubbed is better than I expected...it is a breath of fresh air with a great story a great world ..something you can appreciate away from all the high powered anime you see today...all anime fans a must see...keep tissue near by it got me and it will get you...

It created a world where the characters' motivations and actions make sense. The characters have development; some more than others...The animation is alright; some of the backgrounds look particularly creative and thought out. The thing that sets this anime apart for me is the adult themes, not sex and violence, you don't have to look too far to find anime with those...but longing and loss. If you don't like fantasy tropes, look elsewhere: here there be dragons. I also don't know how much this might appeal to a younger crowd; I think the big life experiences this film touches on, such as having a child, seeing your parents grow old, might have more emotional resonance if you've actually been through it. At any rate, it worked for me. A few words of caution: this movie tries to make you cry. By the end it was almost enough to take me out of the moment being hit with the 'cry, damn you, cry!' montage. It also shares a quality with the finale of The Return of The King; 'is it over?...is it over now? How about now?' But it's just...good. It's thoughtful, it's wholesome...it even dare I say shares a quality with the best of Ghibli (not that I'm saying it's trying to be LIKE Ghibli...this film has it's own style and does it's own thing) of having those emotional catharsis moments that make you feel happy and sad at the same time. Five stars.

I bought this movie purely on the flavor text on the back and the trailer. It hits you hard in the Feels. I smiled, I cried, I loved it. A moving film that shows the depths of a mother's love for her child - regardless if they are related by blood. I thought it was a beautiful story. The run time is just under 2 hrs - longer than most anime films - I think it could've gone another hour and it would've been amazing. A must own movie.

I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I had heard some good things about it, thought the premise was interesting, and had read some good reviews of it so I gave it a shot; I was not disappointed. The basic premise is that the lead, Maquia, is of a race of people that live centuries never aging, after her home is destroyed she finds an infant boy and adopts him, and that's all I want to say as anything else would give to much away. This movie knows how to hit the emotional beats with its themes. The whole movie is about motherhood and, despite the fantasy setting, it all feels quite grounded and real. The ending of this movie had me in tears despite guessing how it would end. The animation is beautiful, despite the occasional bit of CGI that doesn't quite mesh with the rest of the 2d art. The entire soundtrack has a bittersweet feel to it and accompanies the emotional moments perfectly. There are also a couple places where the pace feels a bit rush and I feel it would have benefited from an extra 10 minutes or so, but these complaints are minor. If you get the chance, watch it.

One of my top 10 animes. Pulls at the heart strings pretty hard. Makes you appreciate what precious time we have with our loved ones.

This review is based on the 'MAQUIA: When the Promised Flower Blooms' BD/DVD release by Shout! Studios / Eleven Arts (2019). My discs are without any technical fault. This review relates to story & production with minimal spoilers. With a nod to Kim Morrissy's detailed review on Animé News Network, and a nod to Jacob Chapman for his interview with Mari Okada, also on ANN. An Epic Fantasy-Adventure with Mythological undertones and Grand Scope. Trying to negotiate life in a confusing world of war and conquest, while having the 'gift' of agelessness and a VERY long life-term. Exploration of the changing emotional-connection in personal relationships and of ethics strained by the currents of the times. It presents multiple themes of human interaction with compassion and more depth than what the run time should allow. Exquisitely beautiful environments and fantastic world-building with a realistic 'feel'. A somewhat over-reaching Epic with more heart-warming soul than can likely be digested in one sitting.

Magnifique

パソコンで普通に鑑賞出来ました。環境により字幕消せません。物語の内容については、人によっては薄味に感じるかもしれません。特に主人公のマキアを薄情な人に感じるかもしれません。しかし、ラストシーンを見ていると、この物語がマキアにとって、生涯の出来事の、ほんの一かけらであることを思い知らされます。ある程度年齢を重ねた人向けかもしれません。 久しぶりに鑑賞、感想追加。 大河ドラマの第1回のような作風です。 「男はつらいよ」みたいにシリーズ化したら面白いのではないでしょうか。

La película llegó a tiempo y en buen estado. Está película tiene una muy buena animación, su historia es bella, abarca un gran periodo de tiempo, es lo único que creo le falla, ya que es mucho tiempo en la historia que se resumen en una película, ya que se sienten los cambios de tiempo algo abruptos, pero en general muy buena película.

I took a chance with this movie and no regret! It's a wonderful story, beautiful animation and a must watch and own in your collection ^-^.

There is a country where only women live, weaving a long chain telling of their lives and history. They can also ride dragons. Because they are beautiful, and because they seem to have the secret of a long life, men from a rival country arrive to kidnap them, hoping their offspring will inherit this long life. Happy ending!