Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou

Let's start with the obvious: Yes I did give this movie a bold 10/10.

I wasn't sure how to feel about it so I watched it twice in cinemas in Japan with a one week cool-off period in between both viewing.

Honestly, the first time it simply blew me away and stayed in my head non stop for like 3-4 days. This is a heavy statement but it is indeed one of the best animated movies I've ever watched. The second watching was in order to try to find flaws and to focus a bit more on small details of the plot and the music.

Let's structure ... a bit the mess in my head, here goes:

Story:
Well, Mari Okada all right. She is known for her emotional stories and this one indeed enters the category just fiiiine!
The movie feels very long in a good way: The story, the world and places, the character development, the sub plots... All these elements adds up and fill the ensemble to the brim giving the impression to have lived and discovered a lot with the characters ; and that is one of the main strenghts here. Everything is well rounded and the difference of pace in the various plot elements do not leave any space to get bored. There is a well-balanced mix of emotional moments, intense action and everyday life organized in a non generic narrative structure, which I find very refreshing.

The theme developped is that of the relationship between mother and child. It is not a very common subject developped in detail and I really enjoyed the depth and various angles the movie takes to treat the subject.

Art:
Here, we have a very prestigious staff making characters and backgrounds.
For the characters, Akihiko Yoshida character designer on Final Fantasy and Granblue Fantasy did a great job in creating the various types of characters. Even with the adaptation done for animation, you still see his strong influence, especially on the astounding work done on the clothes that are very stylish, diverse and inspired. The resulting chara design is very simple and round on the faces which can be a bit unsettling at the beggining but very cute nonetheless.

About the background: the most prestigious animators of PA Works created incredible places helping to create a very rich world to discover. It is without a doubt the most impressive visual aspect on my end.

To conclude this section, the CGI: globally well done and integrated, some rare sequences stand out too much but it isn't much of a problem in my opinion.

Sound:
Kenji Kawai is quite recognizable as a composer and you get that very easily here with the usual sound and instruments used. Nonetheless it is a very inspired soundtrack that come and goes with some very insistant themes that really shape the movie and the emotions. Also very well paced and used.

Character:
I am not gonna go in too much detail here because I don't wanna spoil the story but once again the characters are very well made, the vast majority of them are very logical in their motives, development and thought processes. The whole focus of the movie is obviously Maquia and Erial (or Ariel whatever) and their relashionship. So much so that you may feel that some secondary characters / subplots are not developped enough... Well it is indeed an argument but remember: It is the story of Maquia and Erial, so it is good the movie doesn't dwelve too much in various directions.

Enjoyment + conclusion:
Well I suppose this is clear enough already!
I very deeply enjoyed this movie that awed me and obsessed me for days on end. It has a compelling story with a not so common theme in a fantasy setting including memorable scenes and very well developped characters with whom you grow fond of very quickly. It gets very emotional towards the end, all thanks to that very well paced development and evolution throughout the film.

Beware, it is indeed a tear jerker and both times the whole room was crying at the end.
Also, in case it isn't clear enough already, this is not a family oriented movie, it is geared towards adults and some themes and element are quite dark and mature.

I've been trying to find flaws but putting aside very minor stuff, I don't see any major problems. Add to that the overwhelming impact of all the goodness I developed above and you get a masterpiece to be remembered. Hence the 10/10.

Not everybody is gonna like it the way I did but if you are okay with emotional stories and fantasy, please give Sayoasa a go without hesitation and you won't be disappointed.

Thank you for reading!

Seeing many of these 10/10 reviews and people saying they cried shocked me. I wondered if we had even seen the same movie. I, and seemly many who left the theatre did not leave angry; but we certainly were not raving about it being a masterpiece either. And in the whole theatre, only a single person cried. I overheard many conversations after the movie of it being "okay" and "a lot of stuff didn't make sense" and a few more criticisms. And I agree with them, this movie is no masterpiece. However, it is not bad either. So, here is my review

Story:5/10
Firstly, I find the ... plot to be all over the place, and it never seems to have enough time to focus on each 'arc' of the story. Due to this, we see a few time jumps that aren't explained and many many many coincidences throughout this animation. So many coincidences it's actually ridiculous. So many unexplainable coincidences made it seem pretty silly many times throughout the film. The best example would be when Maquia one night disappears, and then the next thing we know she's getting her hair cut in some random room and then next thing we know she's heading an invasion of some sort. Like, wtf just happened? I have a general idea, but wow. There is literally no explanation other than she vanishes and then bam shes back again so you're left to put together the pieces. And, of course, the fact that in a massive metropolis city she manages to 'stumble across' every main character multiple times across the entire movie. "The Clan of the Separated"? Yeah right... This for me dampered many scenes that would have otherwise been fairly heartwarming or sad. The overall plot isn't a bad one. It's actually a very interesting concept that I feel was just simply not done right. Or, maybe needed 2 parts and more time to do it correctly.

Art: 7/10
Animation wise it wasn't bad. Certainly wasn't great either. A few scenes looked quite silly but those were few and far apart. Was up and down throughout the film and sometimes is quite plain and boring but decided on a 7. Overall, not many complaints here.

Sound 7/10:
Here I had no complaints. No song really stuck out and made me really think about it deeper but all the songs seemed to match their scenes and OST was well done. No issues here

Characters: 6/10
Characters were pretty good. Clear development was seen in our two main characters which was nice to see. However, many other characters who seemed like they had importance, or could have had importance were simply forgotten about which was very disappointing. The biggest of which is the Army General Izol who swore to atone for his sins to Leila who was seen after that for maybe less than 5 seconds. In addition, the drunk man whom we never learn much of anything about whi randomly appears to save the day or just simply out of nowhere could have been done a lot better too.

In conclusion, it was a Weak 7. The movie was decently enjoyable but was literally coincidences the animation. Had a good concept with potential but didn't live up to it. However, still created a movie that was appealing and a decently enjoyable watch if you don't think too much about it.

I saw this movie already few weeks ago, but I am posting my review for it delayed because for the first time in several years, I was lost in what to say.

*might contain light spoilers*

Let me start by giving some backstory information: I am huge fan of drama series, but unlike most people who consider themselves a fan of drama: I hate almost every drama that is being made today. No matter how highly praised the series and movies I watch are, they always end up disappointing me. Shallow teenagers cry in them for no reason whatsoever. Emotional depth is at near 0% if ... achieved at all. Story telling and characterization rely too much on spoon-feeding the feelings. The world building is miniscule since the sole point of the series is always just to offer some cheap tearjerking for those who never ask for more. Execution-wise, silence; situations where nothing needs to be said are the heaviest possible way to convey drama, but the audience is almost never respected or trusted in this way. So instead, the drama is directed at viewers via over-exaggerated voice acting, crying scenes and downright pathetic yelling sequences which only purpose is to show how much emotions the characters are feeling, but the viewer is always forgotten. What 'When the Promised Flower Blooms' does is different because the feels are not hitting the characters: they hit the viewer instead. For the first time in 7 years, the anime industry has managed to create something that made me cry.


I will keep this as simple and honest as I can.


Story:

-Takes place in a world that is a mixture of high-tier utopia fantasy where peaceful beings similar to elves are coexisting with nature and medieval human race in where kings and knights rule their part of the land in highly immoral and not-so-peaceful manner.

-Mixes together political thriller, war, drama and daily life of both races.

-Focuses on interracial willing and unwilling relationships. The main plot line being about elf-woman and a human child starting a family together where she takes the role of a (foster) mother. Another heavy motherhood-related concept is related to another elf-woman who is raped by the human king and becomes a (biological) parent to her child, but never sees her.

-Deals with heavy questions about family, love, living, finding your own place in the world. As well as regret, adapting and one's purpose in life.

-Several different themes are presented via different characters and their circumstances to a point that it is hard to see how at least one of these POV's wouldn't resonate with its viewer.

-All of this is build around a solid story and inside a world so masterfully crafted that despite its drama-heavy content, it could as well be called just a fantasy movie.

-Build together in such an impressive manner that after finishing the 2 hour movie, I felt like I had seen a 24 episodes long tv anime. So much content, hardly any filler, smooth and impressive from writing to directing.

Characters:

-Simply put: they are genuine, often very lost, trying their best, miserable beings at times, yet developed into something beautiful.

-Most of them struggle to face reality, some simply can't. Ideas such as suicide are brought on the table. In generally, great many characters are put in places that are against everything they would prefer. The best part is how much sense the drama makes in the series and how honest the character reactions to every situation are.

-Elf-people are have close-to-immortal lifespan which creates confusion especially in the main plotline where our mother realizes she is cursed to outlive her adopted son. The son simultaneously has to deal with his own confused feelings where he starts maturing and surpassing this person who no longer starts to seem like a mother to him, but a litle sister.

Art:

-Fucking amazing.

-Very familiar feel to it. Fantasy world similar to video games such as ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian + also the Disney Movie Atlantis.

-Character movements can look occasionally weird for they can never truly match the backgrounds that are so insanely beautiful.

-No money was saved in the making of this piece of art. It looks cold and brutal at times, yet so often incredibly beautiful. Water surfaces work like mirrors, the lighting and color pallet make details come alive.

-In generally, the art serves the immersive nature of the series so well that it can't really be said to be none less than its very own thing. Something that can't quite be found anywhere else.

Sounds:

-Some of the cast are voiced by annoying "shonen-like" seiyuu's which is a minus.

-The important roles are highly fitting to the characters. They offer personality and practically never go over board with the seiyuu work. Even the rare emotional voice acting feel real and genuine.

-Music is used in the smartest possible way. Otherwise this doesn't have an OST I would listen separately, but it really feels like it was made just for this movie.

Enjoyment:

-The first 15 minutes made me think this is going to be highly mediocre drama like all the other recent drama.

-Rest of the movie quite literally flew by.

-It left me with a long lasting impact, highly memorable piece.

-My eyes got wet in total of 3 times, and I legit cried during climax of the story where everything went down.

Conclusion:

-Highly recommended.

To start, I watched this in theaters in Japan.

The art for this series is fantastic. Backgrounds, buildings, and landscapes are all works of art. The characters, on the other hand, are not so great. I hope they improve them for the Blu-ray release.

The voice acting was pretty good, but there were a couple places that had me wondering how it passed pre-screening.

The story starts out kinda slow, kinda jumps to a bit of action, then slows again. There is a lot of character growth, and you do get attached to them.

Finally, this movie is an emotional rollercoaster. I usually don’t cry in movies, but this ... one had the whole theater (including me) crying at the end.

Overall, I would say it is worth seeing at least once, maybe even worth buying. But I can’t see myself going to watch it a second time in theaters, mainly because I don’t think my heart can take it.

This will be a very in-depth review.

This is the greatest movie that I've ever watched. More objectively speaking, based purely on critical reasoning, there is much to discuss, but the beauty of this movie trumped all of that. I will begin a more critical review of all of its strengths and flaws, but first, let me give my experience.

I watched this movie alone, without anyone around me, without a worry for the time. Without this, I imagine my experience could have been different, as it's difficult for me and many to make themselves vulnerable outside of the safety and comfort of privacy. I cried. I, ... who haven't cried to any sort of media in a few years, cried in a way that I might have cried only a few times in my life. I cried until I literally ran out of tears. It was so beautiful a movie that I've never cried so happily in my life. It was, for me, a catalyst of release that I didn't know I needed, a story so beautiful as to imprint itself into my mind in a way that I will absolutely never forget.

Even then, I was experiencing and attempting to analyze the movie as I watched it. I was trying to see all the imagery and symbolism, follow the themes of the movie, and see what the movie was trying to tell me. I held back tears until the very end of the movie, but when it all began to end, I just couldn't hold it back. Without exaggeration, everyone needs to see this movie. If even one person is inspired by this review to willfully experience it in the way that I did, I will be thankful. It may not touch them in the same way that it broke me apart, but if even one person comes to see the beauty of this movie, I will be endlessly joyed.

This movie touches on a common theme in a way more holistically than most are willing to. It's a difficult task to challenge the theme of family, of relationships, and of building oneself in the way that this movie accomplishes. After all, these are all extremely familiar themes to everyone, yet the unique format of the movie manages to expand on that theme in a way that I've never seen or experiences. In addition to these are minor themes of freedom, release, and ambition. With this said, let me get into a more critical review of how they accomplished this well, and how it wasn't totally perfect. In my ratings, please note that a rating of 9 is great and a rating of 10 is outstanding. Though not perfect, I find all of the story, art, and character creation to be done absolutely outstandingly.

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Story 10/10: The story takes on the format of an epic, with events happening in an inconsistent chronological scale. The events of the movie happen during different times, and one of the weaknesses in the storytelling of the movie is the lack of effective transitioning between the times. By all rights, this a holistic story that has the plot arc of rising action into climax, but with this format, it can blur the lines of consistent rising action. The misinterpretation of such, especially in a long two-hour time frame, will inevitably weaken the climax and the overall storytelling of the movie. It is potentially overly ambitious for the story it is telling.

That said, I also believe its format to be a unique strength. Beyond the lack of perfect transitions and beyond the possibility of misinterpretation, the story is written in a way that through every time skip, we will see the progression of the characters and world in a way that fills in the periods of time in between. The movie dares to spread itself throughout what seems to be around 20 years, and it doesn't address some of the minor slices of life in between. Every scene is thus impactful and feels useful in creating the grand story.

Used in tandem with the art and the sound, the worldbuilding, which is important in setting the stage for the events in the movie, is done to an outstanding degree. The sound design will follow the periods of time and the development of the world around our characters, and the art will reflect a dynamic and immersive environment. It strikes a balance between what is relatable and what is fantastical to enrapture the viewer while simultaneously giving an ethereal feel. It may seem somewhat contradictory to say so, but that is exactly the setting I saw the movie trying to create, and exactly what the movie did accomplish creating in the case of me. The incredibly realistic, vivid, smart, and dynamic character design only serves to drive all of these factors forwards. It accomplishes on all fronts what almost all other movies and shows will fail to accomplish. This is why I believe the story to be definitively outstanding amongst all others.

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Art 10/10: It goes without saying that this movie is beautiful. One look at literally any scene in the movie will go to show the polish put into it. The way that the sun and lighting are portrayed, the ethereal landscapes, the imaginative yet fully developed world, and even the tiny details such as the look of bricks were clearly polished and given thought. This is one of the greatest aspects of the movie.

In much of what the storytelling lacks in time of narration, it makes up for in sound and art design. For example, the world's continual push towards industrialism is seen and reflected in world design. Scenes of similar areas in different time periods will have the nuances of the time period worked out. The introduction of steelworking is reflected in the lighter nights, the sight of smokestacks throughout regions of the city, and even more specifically reflected in the lives of the world. As the introduction of more industrial applications is continued, some jobs, for example, weaving on the loom, are accurately presented as slightly less common for it can be expected that such developments are becoming more centralized in factories. These are the sorts of nuances that will draw a viewer in without them fully realizing, and the degree to which the imaginative world reflects realism in such an intricate manner is what drives me to say that the story is outstanding; it is because the art and sound are outstanding to a degree that it greatly strengthens the story.

One of my first worries about the art in specific was the usage of CGI in the animation of the movie. Yes, there are perhaps two scenes where the usage is notable in a way that could affect immersion. Despite that, the usage of CGI was so well accomplished that I was instead pleased with the fluid animation and vividness that it allowed. Thankfully also, the fluidity never subtracted from the style of the movie, and only added. It was a surprise to me seeing the two layered on top of each other to such great effect. That said, every facial animation and every camera angle was given much care as well. Even without extensive film training, I could see the desired effect of such framing in a way that was incredibly natural; that's just one more thing I was impressed by.

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Sound 9/10: Before anything else, the voice acting is on point. Not once throughout the movie did I feel as though it subtracted from the experience. In addition, when it really mattered, the level of emotion put into the voices really pushed through the message in a way that was outstanding, even among modern standards. The voice acting really helped as a liaison into the world. With such vivid voices and sound, the immensity of this imaginary world is really tightened into a form that is approachable and incredibly impactful.

The soundtrack and the background sound design are also done very well. In specific, I found that the soundtrack wasn't as effective as it could have been. Yes, it was a great soundtrack and never once subtracted from the atmosphere, but the volume balancing at times wasn't very dynamic. In a climactic or tense situation, a crescendo of noise is present but not defining. None of the soundtracks and character themes are incredibly useful in illustrating a scene such that a character would be associated with any soundtrack. That is, though perhaps intentionally done, one of the ways that its soundtrack failed to live up to some of the roles it could have filled.

In contrast to some of the soundtrack work, that which pushes the sound design into a 9, a great rating, is the atmospheric sound. Whether it be the steps, the banter, the steam, or even the wind accompanying the movement, it was all incredibly immersive and effective in worldbuilding. Without the sound, the beautiful art would have been lacking in some of the colors that fill in the setting. This movie, however, doesn't lack in either, which is what lays such a solid foundation for the story to be told.

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Character 10/10: It's not as though there was never a character struggling to grow into a motherly role. It's not as though there was never a character growing through the young ages of his life into becoming a great person. There has never been, however, so centric a pair of characters that reflect so many of the intricacies and complications of relationships as well as the two main characters of this movie.

Without spoiling too much, the development of the characters is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish with the chronological format of the movie. The movie chooses to forego some of the common character development tropes that exist, such as contrived reasons for the main character to be kind to someone. It instead shows a real and vivid character. Each character is relatable and understandable in a way that fits into common perception, yet each character is uniquely individualistic. The movie portrays this not in any sorts random quirks, but in the development of the character through their slightest movements, their facial expressions, their initial and later reactions to events. All of it adds up into a character the viewer relates to, cares for, and understands in a way beyond just fitting them into a stereotype.

The movie accomplishes through its storytelling format a way to play on both existing understandings of people and on each character's dynamic individuality. The perfect balance creates perfect vessels for the story they desired to tell. Again, however, there exists the valid argument that the two-hour frame of the movie is simply not enough to build an incredibly deep connection to the character. The movie's response to this is that it focuses primarily not on every single aspect of the characters, but instead on building them in a way that pushes forward their desired messages in the themes they wish to explore. Such a method is perfectly effective in the story. Characters and story are balanced in this movie such that they seem perfectly intertwined. Characters don't seem contrived for the sake of storytelling, and the storytelling doesn't seem to be forced around the relationship of two characters. This balance is one of great importance and something accomplished remarkably well in this movie.

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Enjoyment 10/10: This is my favorite movie of all time. Period. I believe the best way to enjoy it is to fully make yourself vulnerable to the messages it wishes to convey. While this argument is true of any dramatic work, much of the messages touch close to home in a way that requires vulnerability. Through one's formation in life, they naturally build themselves in a way that masks some "childish" emotions. Whether it be the love of their mothers, blissful ignorance, or even the desire to be able to depend on someone, all these emotions are gradually hidden, and the experience of the movie is greatly enhanced in letting these emotions out. This is the sort of emotional release that made the movie such an outstanding work of art, and I hope that others will also be able to appreciate in a similar way.

So before anything, I did put a 10/10 for this movie, which apparently seems to tick off a lot of people, and I exactly understand why, but I'll get to that later. Also, this is my first review on MAL, but please do not let that affect the way you feel about this review. So for those of you who just skim reviews, here is my overall opinion:

Maquia is a masterpiece and you should all watch it.

... Now for the detailed review:

-Story 10/10 : Given there is no cinematic composition, or even a script section in the review noting I assume this all falls under the story section. See, a lot of people I think have been put off by the way this anime was set up. By that, I mean the anime felt disconnected, like mere parts of Maquia's life put together, and due to the maturing of the characters, didn't feel like the previous section. While it may have disturbed a lot of people, it felt purely normal to me, it actually felt impressing. I mean, this is a story told through Maquia, and given how much longer she can live, time must go by in a blink for her, so the "unconnected" parts of her life felt to me as an actual amazing addition from whoever thought of it (I know Mari Okada directed the movie but maybe it was someone else's idea). So that was for overall script direction, as for the story, it's gorgeous. You dive into a world whose fantasy is slowly fading away into legends, add to this the use of those fading fantasy species, which includes Mquia's species as political and military weapons and you have the whole base of this anime's story and of Maquia's reason for being in the world of humans. It's happy, it's sad, it's funny, you just go through such a huge amount of emotions in under a simple 2 hours that it's close to unbelievable. I would go into more details as for the plot, but I went into this movie close to fully blind and I loved the hell out of it, so I recommend you do the same.

-Art 8/10 : Would I have not seen Your Name and its beautiful and deatiled background art, The Shape of Voice with its amazingly expressive animation, or Violet Evergarden and its way of making everything constantly pretty, I would have put a 10/10 on the art and animation. The backgrounds are as defined as Makoto Shinkai's maybe sometimes even more, the animation expresses so much warmth and happiness when needed, while also being able to express sadness without going over the top, and still managing to do some sick action shots. The characters are pretty simple and do not require much lineart, which I would usually say is a bad thing, but hell is it well used here. They probably have the same amount of lineart as your usual seasonal anime, but it allows for the colors to show more, for us to notice that slight shine on the hair we would have usually completely ignored, a change in the eye even from a considerable distance, but also allows for the backgrounds to shine while completely fitting in, a close to perfect blend that even Your Name, at least to my tastes, didn't achieve. It makes it seem as if the characters are part of the background, without making us lose focus of them whatsoever, probably being closer to Violet Evergarden on that stage. The one thing I would say is "badly" done is the CG. Crowds are fine by me when using CG, and even then the anime sometimes fully draws full crowds, which made me quite happy. However, there's a few shots where its obvious CG was used, wether on the dragons or even sometimes on important characters, and that sort of stuff sort of pulls me out from the experience, the characters and the world setting being a major part of the movie

-Sound 7/10 : Maquia is quite special when it comes to music. Maquia is a character-driven anime, and one of the main features of this type of anime is the close to constant(or at least it feels like it) usage of music, in order to express the emotions of the character, and emphasize them whenever they're clearly exposed. But Maquia went about this differently. When I figured out it was a character-driven story, the anime directly felt weird. There was not too much usage of music. Actually, I'll be honest, it felt like there was none in the first half (I mean there was at a few moments, but most of the time it was extremely basic and could barely be noticed). However, I feel like it worked out for the best. The lack of music made it so that when the music went all-out towards the ending of the anime, it literally blew you away, more than any anime I've seen before. Because not only does it blow you away significantly more, but the OST on their own were already amazing, like, really really really amazing. They don't use nay special instruments, the chords are not innovative either, it's just orchestral music, taken to its roots, and done perfectly. And as an orchestral music fan, that just left me in pure awe (and tears).

- Characters: 10/10. I have seen many dramas, slice of life, romance and all other genres that tend to be thoroughly driven by the characters for the simple reason that they tend to be my favorite animes. And, well, in terms of characters, Maquia holds quite a high spot. And it seems only logic given how the anime works. You see the characters growing, so the character development that is usually done through flashbacks or other means of going back to the past are not necessary here as you are literally seeing all characters grow from children to adult. That means that the character development is close to complete, as you see all the important moments of their lives but get to live it at the same time as them and really gets you to like the characters a whole lot more. Along with that, although I'm not really sure whether what I'm about to say falls under Story or Character, the fact that you see the characters grow along the whole movie means you see their departures and deaths making it sad or at least gloomy, but it also makes you feel incredibly happy when friends that you had left at the beginning of the story reappear as adults, even if you saw them for only a minute or two before. For that simple reason, I consider this worth a 10/10 as i have just not seen anything better than that done before in terms of characters.

-Enjoyment and Overall: 10/10 I put those two sections together because, in my opinion, the only thing that genuinely matters in the end is whether you enjoyed it or not. As for me, this became my favorite anime of all times. What I seek from anime is a beautiful world that is close to ours while having its own uniqueness that will get me to either like or dislike the place depending on the director's wish. I seek to feel emotions that I would never get to experience in real life because it is too dull (at least mine is). I seek to cry my heart out, to laugh, to love; I seek from anime to make me experience "something else" without having to resort to an empty character like a lot of animes do. And Maquia fits perfectly in everything I seek. It allows you to experience the joys of the countryside, what life in the city feels like, what losing someone feels like, the anxiety and pain of a full-on war, the madness that is brought about through loneliness and the pain brought about by the loss of all you have.

Final thoughts, I am telling you if not obligating you to watch this anime. This is definitely a one of a kind movie that will probably not have something come even close to it anytime soon. If you don't like it, then don't like it. If you do like it, you're in for one of the most amazing journeys you'ever had through anime. Which is why, if you're not sure whether to watch this not, for my sake, and the sake of the huge quantity of tears i let run down my cheeks while watching this, give this anime a try. Go entirely through with it, because maybe you'll prefer the older characters to the younger ones, or maybe you'll prefer war to a calm and happy countryside story, So please, with all my heart, I beg you to watch this.

This ends this review, thank you for your time.

Too often are we limited in our perspective to our current circumstances. It's truly a challenge to be able to step out of our shoes and view the world from a different perspective because, quite frankly, our perspective is the one we are most familiar with and the one we own. Our relationship with others are oftentimes influenced by this limited perspective as well. As a child, oftentimes you may be blind to the world at large, to the troubles and responsibilities of adulthood. Growing up, you may be blinded by your personal problems and challenges to see the efforts of and problems faced by ... those around you.

Similarly, in anime and manga we are often bound by a limited perspective. We oftentimes follow the protagonist through selective interesting snippets of their life story, we see perhaps the most exciting moments and see them overcome a challenge they come across in the period of the character's lives. Flashbacks are usually brief and in passing, future depictions limited to an episodic epilogue. Similar to our perspective in life, anime or manga presents to us life in a small moment.

In Maquia, Director Okada, I think, accomplishes something that is very unique in this medium. Through this movie she gives us a full and wholistic perspective of life in passing. Okada is able to weave together a beautiful story where you follow the characters and their growth as they age, change, grow from their mistakes, and face truly relatable and human challenges throughout the span of the movie and their lives. You are able to watch and experience as their present slowly turns into their past and ongoing events in their lives slowly turn into their instrinsic motivations.

For me, those entering young adulthood or parenthood may get a little more out of this movie, having more experiences to reflect on and more time to see the gradual change that they have undergone. Being able to see conflicts they had when they were younger and perhaps reconciliations that they were able to make as they grew older and gained life experience allows them to really empathize with the characters featured in this movie as they too go through stages of their life, blindly struggling with the concept of parenthood, age, life and death, and love.

Furthermore, not only does this movie feature lovely art, Director Okada does a striking job of integrating subtle imagery and symbolism in the construction of the scenes and the background. It was as if Okada brought storytelling to life, mixing in metaphors into the flow of the story to the point where it doesn't detract at all from the viewing experience but gives a small enjoyment to those who notice them. It makes you have a greater appreciation for how beautiful anime can be as a medium for artistic expression.

Finally, in the first film Okada directed entirely on her own, she selects an array of truly relatable topics as the underlying themes. The idea of family, the bond between mother and child, what it means to be a parent, what it means to be human, and the oftentimes sensitive topic of life and death are all struggles that we face as we age and are also questions that we may have changing answers for as we reach different stages of life. Going back to the first point, it is precisely that we ourselves may be able to reflect on our changing views towards these topics that makes this movie which features growth and change more relatable. In particular, for me these themes hit very close to home to the point where even as I'm sitting here hours later typing this review, I still think back to scenes and moments from the movie in contemplation and thought.

To me, Marquia is a classic and an experience that I hope I will revisit time and again to relive. It that struck a deep chord and made me so emotional throughout the film, that I found myself full-on crying at three or four separate moments, bottom lip quivering uncontrollably, trying my hardest avoid disturbing other moviegoers with sniffling and tears. It was the hardest and most I've cried in the many years now.

To me, Marquia was nothing short of a masterpiece and I have nothing but praise for this beautiful work that Director Okada has weaved together. It is my hope that, if the director's participation in other titles such as Anohana, Nagi no Asukara, Sakurasou, and Wixoss, or the beautiful cover art and promotional video art, or the reputation that P.A Works has as a quality studio had not already done so, this review and these thoughts will convince you to give this movie a try. And I sincerely hope that you are able to get as much out of this film as I did.

Thank you Mari Okada for directing such a wonderful movie and giving me a chance to add this beautiful experience to my own personal Hibiol.

I... was not ready for this. I don't know what I expected. I'm not even sure how I found this movie. I seem to remember randomly seeing the thumbnail on a streaming website and thinking it was pretty. Safe to say, it was easily one of the best spontaneous decisions I've ever made.

This movie is what you would get if you could put beauty in a bottle. The Iorphs are elf-like humanoids, pale, blonde, living isolated from the rest of the world, and their average life span is probably in the thousands of years. All they're missing are the pointy ears. Throughout history, they've come ... to be known as the Clan of Partings.

Maquia, our protagonist (voiced by Kana Hanazawa), is merely 15 years old. She's an orphan and, as such, there are many things she doesn't understand. She wants to see the outside world and can't grasp why their village elder would advise against it. The reason why they're called the Clan of Partings is, as of yet, still mysterious to her. Unfortunately, fate is not kind enough to allow her to wallow in ignorance. When tragedy strikes and their isolated, peaceful society is destroyed, she is forced to face the world, face the reality of being a nigh-eternal being in a garden full of ephemeral flowers. Gradually, the meaning behind her people's name becomes painfully transparent to her.

The sheer amount of unfair plight suffered by her and her people in this picture will break your heart, however, if there's a silver lining, then it's the technical mastery behind this project. It's not the sadness, but the beauty of the film that keeps it all together. At any given moment, you'll be at a loss between feeling heartbroken because of the story or being in awe of the background art. The film's animation is great, but it's nothing you haven't seen before. The background artwork, though, would give Makoto Shinkai a run for his money, and in fact, I enjoyed it here more than in any Shinkai film, because it was actually meaningful here.

My only warning is this; in case it hasn't already dawned on you, there is a lot of drama in this film. Maybe don't watch this if you're low on tissues. Otherwise, by all means, treat yourself to this marvel.

this story is about the real meaning of the "hebeol" its the connector between the humans and its more than love it self if i see amazing thing in this movie its how he show the feelings between humans , in every death we know how they feel and after watching this movie it's feel like being reborn in another life with clear soul and lets start :)

story :- 10 /10

this story is amazing i have never seen something like it before it's between the slice of life and the fantasy and when you see how its so balanced between ... this two things , it's just perfect and i like how story start directly in the drama form the first 10 Minutes everything is so damn great and you cant leave your chair just for one moment because everything going so fast no need to wait the action to start not like another also story every event happened just make my heart beat so hard i just want to cry with them and want to smile with them and this show show values that is more than family values its self and its called the Humanity in her shape like words and actions also how he use the legend of this people who can live for a really long time for compered to the normal humans and he used this to make the Value of the life and memories in the end and this story is one from the best fantasy stories i have ever seen.

art :- 10 /10

the art is so damn great , i have never seen something like this before also all the pictures in this movie can be consider as part from the anime art i cant believe what my eyes have seen because this so beautiful and its more than this , i cant even describe how pretty is all drawings from drawing characters to drawings the places with colorful colors also drawing the shadows so real that you feel like you are there in this place and this time in end i think its one from the best art i have ever seen in the movies if you don't enjoy the story you will just enjoy the art also the cg art does'nt effect the art at all because its so good and you don't believe its cg so yeah i think the art is so great.

sound :- 10/10

from the start the sounds take my heart and my ear with the beautiful relaxing melodies and this sounds will effect your feelings so hard from the start of the movie they did'nt stop amazing me for one moment also its so good and fits with every action that happened in the story and when you hear it you want to reply this sounds many times with the saddest senses and life moment even in the war moment they still have being so good and i want to hear it again and again with all sense and voice they steel my ear in all happy , sad , painful and relaxing sense they the best and make every thing like its real and you feel like you are one from the characters inside the story because you feel with them because of this ost in the end i hope to see more sounds like this in the movies.

characters :- 10/10

one from the best thing in this story is the characters you feel with them in every moment in the movie and you can find all types from the kind one which is the main character by the way so that make the movie more batter because its show how they take care of each other to show you the real meaning for one for all and all for one and you know whats more amazing is that the characters feel so real and they make thier feeling become so real and the best thing in this movie is how the characters feel alone in the movie when they miss each other and how the movie shows us the value of the Relations between the humans how they cry,smile,being angry ,screaming ,protecting what they love and the most important thing loving each other
this amazing how all characters feel in the end and understand the feeling for everyone of them in this movie because they have thier own true feelings.

enjoyment :- 10/10

i enjoyed this movie so much in these movie from the first moment from watching it he toke my soul with all actions and i am feeling so happy because i have watched this movie and i didn't feel like i wasted my time at all because its learn me something that i wanted to see it he learn a lot of the things about the Relations that i really don't care about in all of my life and for the first time i start rethinking about this values for me how it and how this feelings can be so Precious for the humans i feel like i have reborn again from the start with a white heart and that's why i enjoyed this movie so much and i will like to re watch it more times because i want to enjoy of watching some thing that can make my heart beat so damn hard from the strong feelings in the last i didn't feel like i have wasted this two hours because while i am watching the movie i felt like just its two minutes.

overall :- 10/10

i didn't disliked anything in this movie because its perfect and have all things that i wanted to see and i didn't expected that , i think like :- " oh its good thumbnail and high score lets watch it " and its surprised me so much when i am finish it and i don't have anything to say from the shock that i got from this movie in my heart and its good one to make me feel alive again i hope to seen movies like this in the future because i like the good works like this i hope you have enjoyed while you reading my review and i hope you will have a good watching for this movie and if you see this helpful tell the others about it in the last and sorry for being so long in this review also sorry for the weak english that i have also i edit this review and make more understandable and bye bye :) .

Mari Okada is back and back with one of her best works she has ever done.

Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou or Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is a tapestry of the titular character Maquia voiced by Manaka Iwami, being a Iorph, a secret race of humans able to have longer lives than regular humans, when her village is found out by the forces of Mezarte and she flees, she encounters a baby and promises to protect the baby now named Ariel voiced by Miyu Irino. It's a tale of motherhood in all shapes and situations, a tale of what "immortality" ... does to someone be it good or not, it's a tale of partings.

Spoilers Ahead!

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms' core themes and what Mari Okada utterly nailed is the shapes and situations of what motherhood is like and sure LA isn't one AT ALL, but nonetheless, what Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms brings to the table just shows off Mari Okada directing and passion on the themes of the subject matter. Maquia our titular character having the most focus gives us one of an orphan herself taking care of Ariel and if she's an actual "mother" to Ariel or not, Maquia is multi-faceted as her extremely slow aging is also a factor and what this means to their trials and tribulations Maquia and Ariel both on a personal level but also with outer factors also getting in their way. As such Maquia's constant worry of her not being a mother to Ariel due to her having no experience in the matter not to mention her essentially adopting Ariel when she to was a kid at the time and on the other side, as while Ariel is growing up, Ariel's want to protect Maquia with the outer factors getting in the way to the point of war breaking out in Mezarte. Lelia voiced by Ai Kayano is another Iorph, being captured by Mezarte forces to produce a heir to Mezarte line so they can last forever, but being essentially held captive, no able to her daughter and Mezarte themselves shunning Lelia and her daughter brings in the isolationism to motherhood and how this quite obviously fracturing any chance of a relationship between Lelia and Medmel voiced by Misaki Kuno her daughter.

Ariel as a character is something of focal point as well, even though Maquia is our narrative focus throughout the movie. We get to see Ariel from baby to an adult, from his naivete about the world and what Maquia means to Ariel, his defiance and his want to protect Maquia and though his adolescences is him being a rather annoying brat, he is smarter than one looks, even to adult as a character and the burden and love he gives to Maquia though it comes out in not the way he wants to show it and to be honest those reactions that Ariel portrays is extremely relatable in this sense thus his actions though brash at times does mean alot to Maquia.

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms has two major plotlines, the focus on Maquia and Ariel through the times and that of Lelia and Krim voiced by Yuki Kaji another Iorph who escaped the raid of his village and wants everything to be back to normal and was in love with Lelia. Though Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms spends the majority of it's time on Maquia and Ariel which by all means makes sense, LA would like to see more of Lelia and Krim to this regard as seeing what kind of turmoil they both went through through the times would had been interesting. Though this brings up how each of the escaped Iorph lives their lives, Krim wanting life to be back to normal and willing to do ANYTHING to get that...wanting to keep his cloth as it were, Lelia being forced a life she didn't want, shedding her previous personality for the Mezarte and unable to do anything about it being something akin to someone giving you different clothing for the rest of your life and Maquia who weaves her own cloth but with Ariel, so it's a stronger and unique cloth as a result.

For it's animation done by P.A Works, well LA will say this, the animation is gorgeous to the nth degree and expected of P.A Works but the attention to detail, great battles, beautiful background and expressive facial motions were all spot on and executed to amazing degree, huge and major props to the animators of P.A Works bringing us such beautifully detailed and gorgeous animation.

As for voice work, the voice actors were amazingly casted, from Miyu Irino as Ariel, Manaka Iwami as Maquia and Ai Kayano as Lelia all three that might as well of gotten LA's MVP's for this movie hands down, especially Manaka Iwami bringing so much emotions and range from doting mother whilst keeping her innocence and even nailing the more dramatic moments in the movie, Manaka Iwami is showing off what she's capable of as a voice actor and this might as well be her big break as LA remembers her as Chiaki Hoshinomori from Gamers and Kotoko Watatsumugi from Urahara. But nonetheless the voice cast for Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms has a great cast, from Yoko Hikasa, Yuki Kaji, Miyuki Sawashiro and Tomokazu Sugita and Yoshimasa Hosoya.

With such praise, does Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms have any flaws?, well nitpicks to say the least, due to how interweaved and solid it's theming are to it's characters, some of the few nitpicks LA would say to Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms would be that the movie has lots of time skips and LA will defend this at least they subtly but cleverly gives us hints to this showing the entire "show don't tell" but it has some jarring shifts especially early on, the other is something LA aforementioned of LA wanting Lelia and Krim more screentime but this being MAQUIA: When the Promised Flower Blooms LA thinks it makes sense they didn't and even then Lelia has some relevance to the plot when it involves Mezarte so it's partially satisfying at least. Finally and this it the most nitpicky so this is LA but the movie gets pitch dark at points like LA gets it your trying to portray they are in the dark, but we kinda have SEE as well, otherwise it's nothing but darkness with little animation to convey it besides...darkness with little outlines. Nitpicky but this by NO MEANS deter Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms as a whole as it's strong plot and characters especially Maquia and Ariel was enough to hold the movie to it's fullest potential.

LA will say this again and it can't be understated but Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is one of the best work Mari Okada has done, it was her baby that she scripted, storyboard and directed, showing and executing the themes of motherhood and what the pain of partings and meetings are in it's most natural and visceral degree to the point of LA weeping and it takes ALOT of emotional distraught to get LA to cry and Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms did just that and with the few flaws LA pointed out just barely isn't enough to stain the tapestry of Maquia at all...

Parting is such sweet sorrows...but Maquia will always be there and Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms leaves one hell of a mark for future anime movies to come...

Considering this is Mari Okada's debut it is amazing how it turned out to be. That being said I do think it has some flaws which I will get into, which was primarily the story and the characters.

Story: 9/10
The story is simple and executed greatly but not to perfection which is why I did not warrant it a 10/10. The war sub-plot just doesn't feel important enough. You could replace it with any other real-event conflict and you wouldn't change the overarching themes or characters too much. I think Mari Okada just bit off more than she could chew here. Apart from that, ... the story revolves around Maquia, her child, and her friends and her experience with the emotion love. It executes the themes of Motherhood beautifully with great story-telling elements such as the use of symbolism, juxtaposition, and colour to set an appropriate tone and mood for the story. With stories they should always try to immerse you into it, as if you are with Maquia and feeling what she is feeling, which the movie does without any problems.

Art: 10/10
Not many words to be said. Watch the trailer and you can see for yourself the amazing backdrops and the vivid smooth animation of the characters and how beautiful they all are. Each character feels unique in how they are protrayed from the small meek Maquia to the bold and tall Krim. The CG is fine and doesn't look out of place.

Sound: 9.5/10
The sound is amazing for sure but it doesn't feel unique. To say something what Mothers Basement had to say about the movie: it doesn't have a unique musical piece. Its the same fantasy music you hear in fantasy anime and JRPG's.

Character: 9.5/10
My biggest complaint here were the confusing motivations of one of the characters which I will not name. This character and her relationship with her daughter and the interactions between them just don't make sense. The king is just the stereotypical evil fat king with no actual characterization other than he's a fat slob. This is just nit-picking but Krim's motivations also don't feel too believable and that he is just being too extreme and melodramatic. Other than that though, the main characters and their motivations do truly feel relatable and real and justify their actions. How Maquia interacts with her daughter exemplify the themes of saying goodbyes to loved ones no matter how painful it may be. I cried when I saw Maquia cry because she feels like a real person and I was able to connect to her past a superficial level. I could see what my Mother and what Maquia did for me and I could see myself in Ariel. Aside from that the character growth is the biggest prize here. We get to see Ariel grow up: a kid who loves his mother so much, to a teen that goes through a rebellious phase, to an adult who is able to live without his mother - all because of Maquia and the things that she has taught Ariel.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I was simply looking for something to make me feel alive and this made me feel alive. This review is getting too long.

Overall: 9.5/10
If you simply skipped to the end to see my overall rating and just want a TL;DR. If you like moms you will like this movie... probably.

I gotta say I'm a little disappointing at this movie. It was enjoyable, but i just wasn't really feeling it.

The story, while unique and definitely sounded cool, was going so fast i was left unattached and uninterested in the characters and story. I just couldn't 'get into it'. I would've liked to see this in a series format rather than a movie, because it has a lot of potential but just fell short due to the time constraint of a movie. That aside, it had an amazing ending which definitely boosted my opinion on the movie as it ended on a high note.

The art/animation ... and sound were amazing. The characters were cool but as stated above i didn't really feel attached to them. I recommend people to watch this if you have the time, almost everyone else i watched it with absolutely loved it.

My first impression on it was just average, I really considered it as a good movie. Impressed by the visual & then when it came in the middle I recalled my memory & even though I was confused with the story I resumed it. And eventually I have to say it is a masterpiece.

Let me explain my points, this movie is impressively has a great plot, a beautiful world building, good choice of colour palate. The characters are designed briefly but, has defined roles. And with that confusion stuff, so its not new though, many directors choose that process ... where they create a curiosity at the start of the story & clarifying that little by little throughout the journey. The story gets almost 90% clear by the end so its fair. The masterpiece stands for a mixture of all needed stuffs in an entertainment, & it has all of it. it has a little comedy, sadness, action & thrill so it clarify its path to become an master piece in my opinion.
i'd recommend this movie to the mature anime watcher who knows very well about the styles & trends of the animation industry & who enjoy complicated, brain storming story stuffs mostly. This is not an movie that you wanna watch to fresh your mind after a busy day at office or college but, its a great choice for weekends & holidays. watch it calmly open your brain to observe what's goin on & all of it will combinedly give you serious chills at the end.

Let's start with the obvious: Yes I did give this movie a bold 10/10.

Honestly, the first time it simply blew me away and stayed in my head non stop for like 3-4 days. This is a heavy statement but it is indeed one of the best animated movies I've ever watched. i have only watched it once


Story 9/10:
Well, Mari Okada all right. She is known for her emotional stories and this one indeed enters the category just fiiiine!
The movie feels very long in a good way: The story, the world and places, the character development, the sub plots... All these elements adds up and fill ... the ensemble to the brim giving the impression to have lived and discovered a lot with the characters ; and that is one of the main strenghts here. Everything is well rounded and the difference of pace in the various plot elements do not leave any space to get bored. There is a well-balanced mix of emotional moments, intense action and everyday life organized in a non generic narrative structure, which I find very refreshing.

The theme developped is that of the relationship between mother and child. It is not a very common subject developped in detail and I really enjoyed the depth and various angles the movie takes to treat the subject.

-Takes place in a world that is a mixture of high-tier utopia fantasy where peaceful beings similar to elves are coexisting with nature and medieval human race in where kings and knights rule their part of the land in highly immoral and not-so-peaceful manner.

-Mixes together political thriller, war, drama and daily life of both races.

-Focuses on interracial willing and unwilling relationships. The main plot line being about elf-woman and a human child starting a family together where she takes the role of a (foster) mother. Another heavy motherhood-related concept is related to another elf-woman who is raped by the human king and becomes a (biological) parent to her child, but never sees her.

-Deals with heavy questions about family, love, living, finding your own place in the world. As well as regret, adapting and one's purpose in life.


Art 10/10:
It goes without saying that this movie is beautiful. One look at literally any scene in the movie will go to show the polish put into it. The way that the sun and lighting are portrayed, the ethereal landscapes, the imaginative yet fully developed world, and even the tiny details such as the look of bricks were clearly polished and given thought. This is one of the greatest aspects of the movie.

In much of what the storytelling lacks in time of narration, it makes up for in sound and art design. For example, the world's continual push towards industrialism is seen and reflected in world design. Scenes of similar areas in different time periods will have the nuances of the time period worked out. The introduction of steelworking is reflected in the lighter nights, the sight of smokestacks throughout regions of the city, and even more specifically reflected in the lives of the world. As the introduction of more industrial applications is continued, some jobs, for example, weaving on the loom, are accurately presented as slightly less common for it can be expected that such developments are becoming more centralized in factories. These are the sorts of nuances that will draw a viewer in without them fully realizing, and the degree to which the imaginative world reflects realism in such an intricate manner is what drives me to say that the story is outstanding; it is because the art and sound are outstanding to a degree that it greatly strengthens the story.

One of my first worries about the art in specific was the usage of CGI in the animation of the movie. Yes, there are perhaps two scenes where the usage is notable in a way that could affect immersion. Despite that, the usage of CGI was so well accomplished that I was instead pleased with the fluid animation and vividness that it allowed. Thankfully also, the fluidity never subtracted from the style of the movie, and only added. It was a surprise to me seeing the two layered on top of each other to such great effect. That said, every facial animation and every camera angle was given much care as well. Even without extensive film training, I could see the desired effect of such framing in a way that was incredibly natural; that's just one more thing I was impressed by.

Sound: 9.5/10:
The sound is amazing for sure but it doesn't feel unique. To say something what Mothers Basement had to say about the movie: it doesn't have a unique musical piece. Its the same fantasy music you hear in fantasy anime and JRPG's. it feels very nostalgia.

Characters: 10/10:
I have seen many dramas, slice of life, romance and all other genres that tend to be thoroughly driven by the characters for the simple reason that they tend to be my favorite animes. And, well, in terms of characters, Maquia holds quite a high spot. And it seems only logic given how the anime works. You see the characters growing, so the character development that is usually done through flashbacks or other means of going back to the past are not necessary here as you are literally seeing all characters grow from children to adult. That means that the character development is close to complete, as you see all the important moments of their lives but get to live it at the same time as them and really gets you to like the characters a whole lot more. Along with that, although I'm not really sure whether what I'm about to say falls under Story or Character, the fact that you see the characters grow along the whole movie means you see their departures and deaths making it sad or at least gloomy, but it also makes you feel incredibly happy when friends that you had left at the beginning of the story reappear as adults, even if you saw them for only a minute or two before. For that simple reason, I consider this worth a 10/10 as i have just not seen anything better than that done before in terms of characters.

Overall: 10/10
This anime takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, showing the hardships of the MC and the destiny fated to the clan of partings. My favourite quote from the movie, "Once you love someone, you'll truly be alone". This movie made me love love more, not just romance. Tear-jerking, heart-breaking, heart-mending. Beautiful movie, an artwork on a digital canvas. i simply scrolled down on MAL to see amovie for the night but it ended in a shocking happy way how good the movies truleyt was.

Maquia is an exceptional film that has left a profound impact on me. This review will henceforth be extremely biased as I enjoyed it so much I've rewatched it more than 5 times over the years.

Much like Ariel , I was not raised by my biological mother but had a mother-like figure. As such , the film was oddly relatable and left a strange sadness in me. This film is a touching and thought-provoking exploration of love, loss, and the passage of time. It covers themes of identity, sacrifice, and the transient nature of existence. Through the eyes of Maquia (a youthful, nigh-immortal ... girl), we witness her journey through the joys and hardships of motherhood, offering a fresh perspective rarely seen in anime.

Due to the context, the pacing was fast and involved many time-skips , so as to say that time in the eyes of the immortal go by very quickly. Years appear to pass by in the blink of an eye. It was meaningful but it may have messed with the storytelling.

Characters in Maquia are beautifully realized and remarkably relatable. Maquia herself is a respectable protagonist, navigating the challenges of motherhood while grappling with her own immortal nature. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, their struggles and growth add layers of depth to the narrative. These characters have been imprinted into my head long after the credits rolled, a testament to their impact.

The OST deserves special mention, as it perfectly complements the film's emotional journey. In moments of adversity , I find myself replaying these ethereal melodies and haunting compositions which evoke a powerful sense of wonder and melancholy. The sound design further helps with the immersion, creating an atmospheric backdrop that intensifies the emotional resonance of the story.

I don't write reviews and I don't know how to, this is a special occasion. I'll just talk about why this is so underrated and how much degree it's supposed to be on top of how many anime.

[b]Recommendation:[/b]: If you're into family themes, this one totally isn't something you'd like to miss. If you're into asdkja straight up amazing art, i'd totally recommend this one. If you're into [i]happy tears[/i] I'd recommend this one.

Now for useless information...

First of all, this is REALLY underrated. I really think this should be on top of 90% of the anime out there. I literally thought this ... was so popular that my inner hipster self was barely standing. Unfortunately, MAL says otherwise. I understand there are limits of the distribution and the availability of the anime perhaps that's why it didn't get much attention it deserved.


[b]Story:[/b] it's 85% better than most anime in therms of sound. It did a great job on making an emotional connection between the watcher and the characters. Imagine how you'd make that connection on a 100 year life of a person.

[b]Art:[/b] DEFINITELY 95% better than most anime out there. Lighting, details, shadow, particles, etc. It's PERFECT. [b] Even the director of Kimi no na wa was jealous of this work.[/b] (just wanted to point that out)

[b]Sound:[/b] Great, I'll say it's 85% better than most anime out there. Perfect emotional timings.

[b]Character:[/b] I'm not sure, because this is a whole new level of subjectivity. Again, the emotional attachment of the characters was great.


I'm suppose to end it on a higher note yea? Let's just say this is one of the most overlooked anime and the level of art isn't something you'd want to miss.

Mary Okada as a director and studio P.A. Works were able to reveal their full potential with "Maquia : when the promised flower blooms"

I've actually seen a lot of bad reviews for it, probable reasons are :

-Early subs for the movie (pre blu-ray releases fansubs) are really messy : sentences are badly turned, which makes some scenes lose sense(like the one between Maquia and Krill). Moreover there are a lot of timeskips thus the viewer needs full attention to get in the flow of the movie.

-Some people just hate Mary Okada or don't connect with her works. She has a unique style of storytelling and ... pacing that is different from what you usually see in anime productions.

-Lastly you need a certain emotional maturity to fully grasp Maquia and Ariel motivations.
Thus I wouldn't recommend the movie to teens. The reason being that teenagers generally don't have enough retrospective on their own lives to understand and feel empathy towards the mother and child relationship that Maquia and Ariel have.

Each of us have at some point acted cold towards our mothers and then reconciliated with them towards early adulthood, and that is the accuracy in the interactions between Maquia and Ariel that makes it such a good movie. I was laughing when Maquia and Ariel were laughing, I was crying when they were crying and I was cringing when Ariel was doing something stupid because I have also been there before, the way they interacted felt so real to me.


The art was georgeous especially background art and the character designer Akihiko Yoshida (Nier Automata, Final fantasy tactics) models blend in well with it.

Another highlight is the sound : voice actors for Maquia, Leila and both V.A. for Ariel ( child and adult) made a poignant performance.
The ost is also really pleasant to the ears and is timed well with the strong moments from the movie making them even stronger. You could however nitpick about the lack of variety in it.


In conclusion: Maquia is a tale about motherhood and the shapes it can take and it capitalises on the empathy one will feel towards its characters. However once it grips you, you're in for a rollercoaster of emotions comfirming Okada's "genius of character drama" title.

The ones who are reading and watching this review, I recommend you 100% to watch this movie. This movie is such a fantastic anime story which circulates you in non-ending emotions.

This superb movie script was written by Mari Okada, the one famous for anohana, gundam iron blood and many more. I have yet to watch anohana but by watching the movie I can expect more of the series.

I am sad that its not in higher ranks. This movie is such a underrated gem and it should be on the level of fantastic movies such as Your Name and A Silent Voice.You guys should circulate this ... movie around the world and share it please, I dont want to see such a best gem in lower ranks.I have also saw that there are many fans disliking the movie plot or about characters but I don't care even it had some skips this movie made my day and i enjoyed it.

Story=9.5
The story is a bit skipped but overall its not that much to be considered as a worst. The story is such a emotional rollercoster which is why i had towel of mine instead of tissues. Well this movie is that much great that it will leave a impact in your heart and whenever you will remember the movie it will calm our heart. This movie looked a novel type to me but i have seen that its orginal and there is a on-going manga. Remember whenever Mari create something its always feels.For me i liked the story pretty much and i will not forget this movie in m entire life which taught me about love.

Art=10
PA WORKS did a really good job. Every best scene was animated beautifully and the backgrounds were heart warming. There was also CGI animations but i still loved it anyways. The movements,sceneries and much more which i can express but will be too long to do it so. I really hope with PA WORKS to work better in the future and show us the hardwork which they shown us in this movie. Thanks for creating such a beautifull animations for this movie.

Sound=10
Voice actors i salute you! They did a fantastic job and every scene matched perfectly with the character expressions just wow. The song is sad one which i really like to listen.

Character=8
I can say this much the characters were also created better not best. The reason is that i will spoil you if i told you the reason so watch the movie yourself and consider it.

Enjoyment=10
Really enjoyed the movie i wish to watch the similar tyoes of this kind of movie.

I just watched the movie today and i can't sleep well because the movie was so great that whenever i close my eyes i can see the best scenes from this movie. Just watch the movie and rate it accordiing to your own taste as you know everyone has different taste. This review is based on my thinking and ii hope to rewatch this awesome gem movie.Thank you guys for support and wish you good luck.

A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou, or so-called "Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms" is an amazing movie resolving around Marquia, a member of a race called the Iorph, a race that can live for hundreds of years. One day, the outside world found out about her race, attacking her homeland and kidnapping Iorph females because the king of the power-hungry kingdom wants immortality of the Iorph to his bloodline. Luckily, Marquia escaped from the power-hungry kingdom by luckily getting carried away by a Renato.

The Renato carried her ... until it lands on a forest and dies. Marquia then found a baby in a destroyed village and decided to raise him. Naming him Ariel. Though she is inexperienced, she still tries her best to raise the baby with all she could.

I'd give the story around a 9. The "mother's love" plot was quite emotional and it touched me. Nearly making me cry. However, I feel like the story is missing some important factors that if added, it may fill the unfilled gap and make the movie become a masterpiece. I also feel like the movie's slightly rushed, so I didn't really feel like I got much development from the story.

For the art I'd give it around 8. Hey, don't get me wrong. The art's beautiful. But I don't really like this type of art style. That's all.

Sound, 9 out of 10. Probably because it fits the scenes within the movie, especially important ones. That's all.

As for character, 9 out of 10 as well. Character development is overwhelming, but could've been better if it didn't feel too rushed.

I enjoyed this movie. It was so fun and entertaining that it didn't even wipe by depression from Dusk Maiden Of Amnesia. But instead added more depression into my heart. Fuck.

Overall, this movie was great. Well, could've been better. But it's still great. You can watch this if you don't know what else to watch. Seriously, it's an amazing movie.

Whether this is your kind of story or not, the execution is brilliant. The themes of immortals raising mortals and forever baby fever are admittedly not a "safe bet" like good vs. evil and (good xor bad) boy meets !(good xor bad) girl. So there are moments where the actions of our two polar opposite personalites and forever young Mama Bears Laylia and Maquia seem trite or unfortunate. But again, the execution is brilliant - and frankly those moments can either be read as true to the character OR trite, depending on the viewer. I think this is the main axis that splits people on ... meh/love for this movie. The story is quite ambitious - it spans a lifetime and explores all stages of life thematically through a mature lens, without focusing too much on this aspect and making room for a dynamic plot about people stuck under the rule of brutal regimes and what they must do to eek out a living, or to survive when they find themselves at the center of conflict. As that implies, there is some solid action and the stakes feel quite high.

I loved this thing. The story and everything that supports it. This is a complete package. Sound and score in particular are just amazing, the art is phenomenal although not as colorful as we are used to for most of the movie - but I will point out that the muted palette contrasts with the vibrant one we begin/end the movie with. Clearly this was intentional, it reflects the arc of life and parenting which has it's greatest joys and greatest struggles roughly in step with the choice of palette here which is awesome and hilarious. It is a more "realistic" style and the major effort seems to have gone into the detailed backgrounds, scale, and overall fluidity between the characters and their environment, the mood of the scene and mode of art direction appropriate for that scene. The production values are subordinate to the vision, the direction - as it should be. Still, many of the animation "accents" and action scenes were remarkably good and hit their marks without fanfare. The subtelty is appreciated.

I don't usually put sound on a pedastal, but this is a beautiful soundtrack. We open with the sound of a harp and a massive industrial loom working in sync. Slowly we are shown angles that reveal the absolutely massive extent of this process in a beautiful spire with flowing water as a scintilating cloth that filters light like a prism and is to be understood as what The Fates of greco roman mythology weave i.e. a record of the past/present/future is spun. This melancholy, free spirit progression sets the mood for the "clan of the separated" and where they live to perfection. The quality of the opening tune and shots was incredibly immersive. Right after that, we get a clear first look at the personalities of Laylia and Maquia who will drive the plot forward later on. The exuberance of Laylia and trepidation of Maquia are both conveyed in the score as well as this scene. When things do turn dark, the sounds of the dragons and fire and things getting destroyed is equally impressive, likewise for the BGM. The same could be said of the final battle scene. Top notch voice acting for everyone except ironically Maquia, who has that very high-pitched "oh, uh, um..." thing going on, completes this package. They really got the sound effects, BGM, and the voice acting to a level you rarely see. The feel is that of a sophisticated high-quality live action that isn't trying to be sophisticated, just trying to do what makes the most sense. In line with that the sound and art (which clearly draws direct inspiration from lord of the rings) reminds me of the lord of the rings movies. Most scenes found a useful synergy between sound, art/set dressing/makeup, and the script. Bravo!

Spotlighting the artwork, I'll go back to the opening. They conveyed with the bright colors and remote mountaintop vista a peaceful life observing the flow of time without affecting it, beyond the reach of the mortal realm. They wear white togas and sandals, the architectural features are reminiscent of ancient greece and stonehenge, certainly there is a druidic influence to the designs - but with functioning wooden windows and doors. The interiors are reminiscent of Hobbiton from LOTR. Plain stone steps, circles and ovals, simple quarters with wooden looms and a small bed by a window, candlelight, water flowing everywhere. It is all beautiful and simple and functional - a purposeful existence. I felt they were alluding to mount olympus in that they appear to be at the peak of some mountain somewhere, but there are so many other influences it feels unique. A warm place for some of the elves, and a cold place for others - for Laylia, an ill-fated, free-spirited girl, it is a home. For Maquia, whose fate is less tragic, and who does not appear to have any loving relationships with other elves in contrast to Laylia, it is a limbo. Just as we begin to feel comfortable with the setting, amid a beautiful field of blooming flowers in the night... DRAGON RIDERS! OH SHIT! "Take the women, kill any who resist!" - well then, and now for something completely different! A completely different set of influences and elements will now be revealed as we explore the world beyond this mystical mountaintop. These dragons look incredible by the way. The mouse like Maquia, having escaped, will be shown prying the rigomortised fingers of a slain mother away from a crying baby in the night and taking him in. We see from this point on a marked change in the art direction - it is as if the idea of the place where the cloth was woven has been forgotten. It's really good. This is some game of thrones stuff in terms of the world they are able to create visually - and thankfully no one drew their starbucks onto anyone's desk.

My feeling overall is that this is one of the best movies I've seen in recent memory. The package is generally appealing enough as a film, that it makes my very short lists of "Anime for people who hate Animated stuff", "family viewing", and "plan to rewatch" titles. Clearly some recycling from live action classics like lord of the rings, probably game of thrones too - but it was distinct enough to feel original. Reminds me of Kyousou Giga in a way. Something of a case study on bloodless family bonds and how to navigate them as an immortal being that hits surprisingly close to heart for the viewer, because it puts a strain on the natural version of these bonds that the average lifespan cannot. The theme of motherhood, in all its high glory and ugly desperation, overriding all other aspects of being regardless of circumstance is really what we're exploring in this movie. The grief of losing a loved one and the relative value of our bonds when they pull in opposite directions, war and the strange duality of citizenship - it is both the most and least important thing, we are both detached from and inextricably linked to the political absurditites of those who rule. It succeeds quite well most of the time in dealing with the long arc of life and intracacies of love - both a sad, and a happy ending. What glues it all together is a beautiful soundscape and score that nails every section of this story - it's not particularly original, but it is just perfect for precisely the sequences it supports. That's the +1 from a 9/10 for me, having watched the dub I have to say every supporting character does incredible work in an atypically mature style of dialogue, and the title character's more anime-traditional delicate flower voice is not much of a drag on that thankfully.