If you were suddenly able to live for hundreds of years, how would you spend those days? How would you interact with the people around you, knowing that you will outlive every single one of them? Would you shun yourself from society to avoid having to experience inevitable losses, or cherish the interactions you do have with others? These are the types of questions that are explored in the anime film “Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.”
Written and directed by Mari Okada in her directorial debut, whom anime fans may recognize for her work on “Anohana” and “Toradora!”, the movie centers around the titular character Maquia, a girl who hails from a race called the Iorphs.
After soldiers from the neighboring Mezarte kingdom invade the Iorph village, Maquia finds herself separated from her own people who possess incredibly long lifespans. The film immediately put viewers on the back foot, picturing the eponymous character completely lost, contemplating jumping off a cliff. Even though prior scenes made it clear that this movie wasn’t afraid to get dark, a suicide attempt was a stark directorial move, especially this early on.
Thankfully, she doesn’t go through with her choice, interrupted by crying in the distance. Encountering an ambushed caravan, she finds an orphaned human baby inside and decides to raise him as her own, naming him Ariel. From this point forward, the movie follows the two over a lengthy period of time as Ariel grows from a newborn to an adult.
As the movie continues, Maquia reunites with a few of her fellow long-lifespan Iorphs, Krim and Leilia, under unfortunate circumstances. Krim is working to save Leila, who was forced into an arranged marriage with the prince of Mezarte, with the hopes that she’ll birth a child with the lifespan of an Iorph.
This sub-plot takes a back seat to the battle between Mezarte and the surrounding nations. In fact, the kingdom’s eventual downfall is not even caused by the main characters. Clearly showing that the down-to-earth bond between Maquia and Ariel is centered first and foremost.
I found Leilia to be a rather tragic foil to Maquia, as she also has a child of her own, yet is forbidden from ever seeing her. This only makes her lonelier than before, unlike Maquia, who becomes closer to her adopted son. It was also saddening to see how these two characters change due to their circumstances, to the point that it feels like they’ve swapped roles by the end of the movie. While Maquia goes from being shy and withdrawn to more outwardly extroverted, Leilia, used as a tool by the monarchy, becomes emotionally devastated, abandoning her previously energetic self.
Moving to the main part of the story, I found the relationship between Maquia and Ariel to be absolutely sweet, with the two constantly looking out for each other, even if things become rocky between them. Even though Maquia’s decision to take in Ariel may have seemed impulsive, this moment displays her selflessness, kindness and dedication. She tries her best to be a good mother to Ariel despite her complete inexperience.
Though Ariel himself frequently acts like a brat, he never comes across as overly annoying. The arc of his growth is evident and complete; he even admits in his teenage years that he wants to protect his mother in return for the sacrifices she makes to protect him. Unfortunately, Maquia eventually chooses to leave Ariel to reunite with Leilia once she is finally freed from her forced marriage. I am still quite unsure why Maquia left him at this specific moment, but it was nice to see the remaining two Iorphs meet again after so long.
The final scene left me feeling especially emotional, and I do believe that it is a wonderful culmination of Maquia and Ariel’s relationship. Years later, Maquia finally returns to meet her adopted son. It’s shown that he now has a granddaughter, with Ariel himself being an old man lying on his deathbed. Maquia shares some parting words with him during his final moments before leaving, having finally faced the inevitable.
What truly got me was what’s shown afterwards. A montage of her memories with Ariel plays on-screen, fully highlighting just how much he meant to her and made up her life to this point. I knew early on that Maquia was going to outlive Ariel, yet it didn’t make the ending any less heartwrenching. The execution of the scene was simply that powerful.
One of my biggest praises for this movie goes to the visuals. This film has numerous shots that are absolutely gorgeous, making great use of color and lighting to emphasize the mood and atmosphere of each scene. The artists of this film capture moments with an almost blinding white light, highlighting Maquia’s Iorph nature and former innocence. To demonstrate the solemnity of Maquia’s separation, the directors chose to dull the brightness of her once-strikingly blond hair as a stark contrast between her mystical origins to the grounded nature of the outside world, effectively communicating the hardships Maquia faced raising Ariel.
“Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms” is an emotional journey chronicling the life of someone who chose to raise a child despite knowing full well that she will eventually far outlive him. While watching, I found myself fully immersed in this fantasy setting and the characters that inhabit it. The emotional core of this movie, the bond between Maquia and Ariel, is where it absolutely shines, leaving my cold heart aching long after the film ends. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of anime, animated films or even just films in general, I highly recommend checking out “Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.”
Joon Kim PO ’26 doesn’t have a preference between subs or dubs in anime and would rather stay away from the debate. Sometimes, he will watch the subbed version. Other times, he’s in the mood to watch with a dub.
Facebook Comments