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.
