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Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう
2018 115 min Japan 12+
★8.1
Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Director: Masakazu Hashimoto, Jong Heo, Tadashi Hiramatsu
Trailers
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Description
Fleeing the war, the immortal Machia, graced with eternal youth, finds a baby abandoned in the forest and decides to raise it as her own child, sparking a moving story between a mortal and a being who does not age.
US Gross:
$204,238
Worldwide:
$4.35M
Starring
Manaka Iwami
Actor
Miyu Irino
Actor
Yôko Hikasa
Actor
Awards
3 wins & 3 nominations total
Key opinion
Mari Okada's directorial debut is widely praised as a profound, emotionally resonant exploration of motherhood and the human condition. While a small minority finds the world-building overextended or the narrative abstract, the vast majority of viewers celebrate its poignant storytelling, stunning visual craft, and ability to evoke genuine, cathartic tears.
| Score | The score and musical direction are exceptionally immersive, effectively heightening the film's poignant and bittersweet atmosphere. | |
| Production | The animation quality is highly regarded for its detailed backgrounds, artistic sensibility, and ability to render emotionally expressive character performances. | |
| Theme | The central exploration of motherhood and maternal sacrifice is handled with deep sensitivity, successfully moving beyond typical genre tropes. | |
| Screenplay | The script is praised by most for its nuanced, non-clichéd approach to character relationships, though some critics argue that secondary character arcs and subplots feel underdeveloped. | |
| Originality | The expansive fantasy setting is lauded by many for its unique, non-formulaic aesthetic, yet some viewers find the world-building too vast or insufficiently explained for the film's runtime. |