348. Maquia - When The Promised Flower Blooms (Sayonara no asa ni yakusoku no hana o kazarô); movie review

MAQUIA - WHEN THE PROMISED FLOWER BLOOMS (SAYONARA NO ASA NI YAKUSOKU NO HANA O KAZARO)
CERT 15
114 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence

Second up on our flight home from San Francisco to London was another on the British Airways in-flight roster - Maquia - When The Promised Flower Blooms.
This was another Brucie bonus because not only was it a film I hadn't seen but it wasn't pre-scheduled.
Nevertheless, there is was and I was able to immerse myself in the mystical world of Japanese animation for an hour and a half.
Mari Okada's film is a story of selflessness, loyalty and a question of belonging thrown in with violence which warrants a 15 rating.
Manaka Iwami provides the voice to Maquia, one of the ageless Iolph clan who spend an existence sheltered from the rest of civilisation.
However,  when an invading territory strikes at their land, Maquia goes out to explore the mortal world and finds a baby in the arms of his dead mother.

Despite dire warnings from her elders, Maquia names the baby, Ariel, and raises him as her own child.
The different backgrounds of 'mother' and child offer a compelling contrast over time. Initially, theirs is the unconditional love of mother and son but as he ages and she doesn't, more questions are asked.
Okada's movie is another example of how Japanese animation is on a different plane to any other.
Of course, Disney and Pixar has its place but they tend to be much more focused on quick-hit entertainment.
Japanese movies such as Maquia offer more in terms of depth and provoke greater thought.
The conflicted reaction of Ariel over a being brought up by a teenager who doesn't age while he drifts from childhood into adulthood is riveting.
Meanwhile, there is the background of an exciting action stiry surrounding the potential wipe-out of an entire people.
I was intending to grab quite a bit of sleep on the journey home from our holiday. I did - but only after finishing a rollocking good movie.

Reasons to watch: Great example of quality Japanese animation
Reasons to avoid: It takes a while to immerse oneself into the story

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Director quote - Mari Okada: "With Maquia, rather than wanting to show a mother-child relationship, I wanted to focus on strong human connections. Maquia has always felt alone, and she wants a strong connection to somebody. 

The big question - What would it be like if we didn't age?

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