Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

[Vivi Hyuuga]

I just finished this beautiful movie, am sitting here recovering from sobbing, and have nobody to share it with. So, who here has seen it and what are your thoughts? I'll try to share more thoughts myself once I am less bleary-eyed.

[Kit Kat K]

I watched it a while back and loooooved it. It almost made me cry (a miracle, I am usually stone hearted when it comes to the emotional stuff). When I looked at reviews afterwards, a lot of people were saying it was a bit rushed, but to me the length was perfect. I feel like by making the movie span all of Ariel's life, it kinda shows just how short it is. Honestly is was sweet and had a lot of heart.

Animation and music were top notch aswell. The concept of Hibiol even got me interested in weaving with a loom.

[Vivi Hyuuga]

I totally agree with you! I'm honestly surprised to hear people think it felt rushed, as I thought the pacing was just perfect. It hit me especially hard this week, as I was already dealing with the emotions of the fragility and shortness of life, so the tears came easily. But, I loved it and I really want to introduce it to my family. In fact, I think even my mom would like it, and she never is one to be interested in anime.

The music was gorgeous! Immediately upon finishing the movie, I found some of the soundtrack on YouTube to listen to as I recovered from the emotions.

I loved the way in which they dealt with the conflict between Ariel and Marquia. It illustrated how even if we love someone and have the best of intentions for them, we can act in a way that hurts them. By pushing Marquia away Ariel was causing her pain, but it was all because of his own frustrations at himself and the desire to protect her. He saw the struggle she had to hide who she was and the risk of being found out, and wanted to quickly grow up into a man so that he could protect her from that. But, ultimately, he didn't know how he could protect her as there were few options.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Vivi Hyuuga

[Kit Kat K]

The only thing I didn't quite understand was that whole 'growing your hair long only if you're pregnant' thing. What happened to Maquia?

[RyePotatoes]

18 hours ago, Kit Kat K said:

The only thing I didn't quite understand was that whole 'growing your hair long only if you're pregnant' thing. What happened to Maquia?

Yes, I was confused on what actually happened to her. Did she got pregnant? Cause she did grew her hair.

 

Spoiler

Wahhhhhhhhhhh, It was very dramatic and sad and really melts my heart. All the characters were relatable. My heart really exploded when Ariel finally called her Oka-san and his last words. He was waiting for her to finally come back. The longing, the regret and finally welcoming someone back. I also felt sad for Krim even though he kind of played the Antagonist role and gone kind of berserk about Leilia. "Why is it? Leilia and Maquia. Why has time moved forward?" UWU I was really strucked. He was the only one who couldn't move on from the past. Leilia and Maquia had more things to worry about. I couldn't take it all in in just one watch sooooo I had to rewatch it two times to let it finally sink in to me. The movie's feelings and the ironic encounters really gets to me and somehow I can really relate it with real life. Like it's normal for children to go away soon after they became adults and somehow for our parents it's a bittersweet moment to let them go and let them feel independent and that they are finally ready for the world. 

P.S.

I didn't know there is a spoiler option now. Wooooah. Sugoii! I've been away for long lels

Edited May 4, 2019 by RyePotatoes

[Kit Kat K]

Spoilers here!!

Spoiler

Leilia's story-line really added an even bigger level of interest to the story, and I really sympathized with Medmel as a character. Leilia  begging and screaming to her daughter broke my heart. I wish Medmel could've seen her mom for more than a couple of seconds.

Even if I've finished the movie, I still find myself coming back to it in the form of AMVs or discussions, it's just that amazing. I heard that even Makoto Shinkai said he was jealous of it.

[Vivi Hyuuga]

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

On 5/4/2019 at 9:24 AM, Kit Kat K said:

Spoilers here!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

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Leilia's story-line really added an even bigger level of interest to the story, and I really sympathized with Medmel as a character. Leilia  begging and screaming to her daughter broke my heart. I wish Medmel could've seen her mom for more than a couple of seconds.

 

I really agree! 

About being pregnant, I watched the movie a second time and I don't think it was anything majorly important. I think he was simply stating that he was cutting her hair because on their island it would never have gotten that long otherwise. As to why it had grown out, it seemed to be that he was so fixated on everything being the same as it had been previously he didn't like that she had dyed her hair in order to live in hiding. He wanted her to look like an Iorph and he resented the fact that she had lived happily as if she weren't one. Therefore, he kept her in captivity until her hair grew out and the timing was right to attempt to rescue Leilia. Once that time came, he simply cut off the portion of the hair that had been dyed.

[Kit Kat K]

It did kinda show Maquia returing to Iorph and leaving her life as a human behind, it's just that pregnant line that threw me off. Thanks for clearing it up!

[Aytan99]

I rewatched this movie yesterday, and I sobbed like a baby at so many points. The last time I watched it was in 2018/19, right when it was first released. 

I feel like maturing more makes u notice the little nuances and emotions of the movie better. 

Additionally, I feel like the relationship between Maquia and Ariel cannot be compartmentalized into anything, although it is largely a mother-son paradigm. But I definitely feel like it was strongly hinted that Ariel developed feelings for Maquia as a teen, and I feel like he ran away because obviously it was not a good thing. He hated himself for it, and he felt like he was no longer safe for Maquia to be around. All this is human given that Maquia is actually an immortal and not really related to him. He also hasn't had real parents or family life because Maquia was an actual kid herself and they were always on the run. As a teen, everyone experiences intense feelings. I think Ariel couldn't place his intense feelings for Maquia and misinterpreted it in the worst way possible due to external influences and what society expected them to be. 

But as he grows up and becomes a parent, he finally understands his feelings, and recognizes everything, and realizes that Maquia is, in fact, his adoptive mom, and he isn't a sick person, and that Maquia did him the best favour she could (raising him), and that Maquia is not a bad person (and that he was wrong to resent her), and that what they have defies societal expectations and taboos ( such as Iorph interacting with human being a taboo, and that her being his mom as a taboo, or the fact that she looks like a kid next to him but is still his mom being a taboo). 

 

15/10. You need maturity to understand this film.