Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms

[robkelk]

Epsilon and I saw Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms yesterday.

It has a 100% "fresh" rating with 20 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes the last time I looked, a few days ago. It deserves that rating.

The movie isn't an action flick or a traditional rom-com - a nice change from the usual crop of summer releases. It's small-scale fantasy-style SF that explores the question "what happens when a small group of people have vastly longer lifespans than everyone else?" It's very much character driven, and the major characters - especially Maquia herself - get believable character development over the course of the movie.

Highly recommended, assuming you don't mind subtitled releases.

There are some Big Names in Anime involved in this movie: It was written and directed by Mari Okada, and the music is by by Kenji Kawai. Miyu Irino is the voice actor of the lead male character (whose name is spelled "Ariel" in the subtitles and "Erial" in Anime News Network's review); he previously played Syaoran in Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and Sena in Eyeshield 21. I had not previously heard of Manaka Iwami, Maquia's voice actress, but I'll be watching for her name in the credits from now on.

It's still playing today and Monday in Ontario, CA; Santa Clara CA; Baltimore, MA; Raleigh, NC; and most large Canadian cities. It'll also be playing September 5 and September 9 in Lowell, MA; Revere, MA; Edgewater, NJ; Farmingdale, NY; and Providence, RI.


(Dartz, you don't need to feel left out; Anime Limited has the license for Ireland and the UK, so you should get to see this movie eventually.)

[Dartz]

Oh I've already seen this one - with the director.

And can second the recommendation. It does pull on the heartstrings a bit - and has a breath of time that's not often seen. The world is developing and changing around as the story does.

[robkelk]

I've started an All The Tropes page for the movie.

[SelfCloak]

I just saw it yesterday, and it's a great movie. I'd even say it ranks up as a classic. Amazing soundtrack, too.

What I found the most interesting about the story is something that has to do with the Iorph being warned that loving others would bring them true loneliness in the end.

Spoiler

While Maquia, with her son Ariel, had a happy life with its ups and downs, Leilia and Krim lived absolutely miserable lives, with Leilia forced into an arranged marriage and forbidden from seeing her daughter, and Krim losing his lover Leilia and failing to convince her to leave her place again and again. The warning came completely true for them.

[robkelk]

Bumping thread for two reasons

First, to remind forumites living near Edgewater, NJ that the movie will be playing at the Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas on September 5 and 9.

Second, to mention there's a dub that'll be shown in dozens of US cities at the end of September. (As for other regulars here: Nine venues confirmed in the LA area. The closest showing of the dub to New Jersey is in Upper Darby, PA. No showings booked for the San Antonio area yet, but three cinemas in Houston and six in D-FW whill be showing the dub. As for the Florida Panhandle, your drive's even worse: the closest showings are two in Tampa, three in Atlanta, and those three in Houston. But you're better off than us Ottawans, who'll have to visit Buffalo.)

EDIT: Oh, and there's now 21 professional reviews counted at Rotten Tomatoes. Maquia still has a 100% "fresh" rating.