Lonely despite her friendship with the beautiful, adventurous Leilia (Ai Kayano), Maquia is cautioned by the tribal Elder that she will be lonelier still if she ever falls in love with an outsider, as she will be destined to vastly outlive her partner. They are also blessed/cursed with extreme longevity, and Maquia, at 15, is as old as she is ever going to look. Maquia is a timid 15-year-old hailing from the Clan of the Separated, AKA the Iolph, an ancient enclave of blond-haired mystics who weave Hibiol, a fine, translucent cloth that marks the passage of time and contains messages only other Iolph can read. It is exquisite in every way - sometimes almost too exquisite in its precious sensitivity to the hardships of life as an outcast single mother - but against such intricate magic-hour backdrops, the only thing not beautiful here is the ugly-cry its devastating, happy-sad finale induces. “Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms” is the directorial debut of prolific and successful anime screenwriter Mari Okada (“Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day”), and though set in a medieval-styled, distinctly “Game of Thrones”-esque fantasy world of dying dragons, imprisoned princesses, warring kingdoms, and mystical cloth into which is woven the stories of our lives, the trembling, overflowing heart of the film is a story of motherhood, self-sacrifice, and forgiveness that is informed by Okada’s own fraught relationship with her mother. But mother or no, it’s a promise any viewer of this gorgeously rendered, acutely sentimental animated phantasmagoria would be foolhardy to make. “I’m a mother!” she says, beating her fist lightly against her belly in a gesture of defiance that makes the boy smile. Mari Okada has done a wonderful job making a beautiful film and hopefully people will seek it out and reward her for her tremendous effort.“I won’t cry, I promise,” vows the ethereal, long-living Maquia (voiced by Manaka Iwami) to the little mortal boy she is raising as her son. Rarely do we get movies with so much ambition and artistry, and they deserve an audience.
Even if you don’t love anime, if you love female-centric stories or fantasy films I recommend checking it out. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is being released in the states starting July 20th. This makes Maquia learning to be a mother interesting and Leilia’s forced marriage devastating. Leilia is all these things and we see her diving off waterfalls at the beginning. I like that Maquia is not a kick-butt hero girl she’s not the most smart, capable, sweet, or brave character. However, Maquia is an interesting character and so I was willing to forgive these problems. The downsides to Maquia is the pacing can be a bit sluggish at times and some characters are more hero/villain archetypes, which makes them very predictable. Each moment is immersive and stunning, whether it is a battle scene or Maquia caring for Eriel.
MAQUIA WHEN THE PROMISED FLOWER BLOOMS FINAL FANTASY FULL
The animation is stunning, and Mari Okada has created worlds full of light and darkness that surround our characters. It is wildly creative and told with real heart.
Maquia is obviously not for children but teens and adults should enjoy the fantasy adventure.