Overview
A tale of timeless love and loss set against the backdrop of war and immortality.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- poignant
- lyrical
- quiet evening
- anime film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's colorful fantasy world and deeply poignant treatment of motherhood, aging, and loss.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maquia remains physically adolescent while raising mortal Ariel through childhood and adulthood.
The Iolph people stop aging in their mid-teens, while Ariel experiences a normal mortal life.
After Mesarte invades Iolph, Maquia becomes a wanderer before taking responsibility for the orphaned Ariel.
The peaceful land of Iolph and its surrounding wilderness are set against invasion, destruction, and military conflict.
Films like Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, and why
Wolf Children
shared high fantasy worldbuilding, war-torn displacement, and deeply poignant parent-child bonds
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
shared hand-drawn fantasy animation, bittersweet coming-of-age, and themes of mortality and family
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
shared epic fantasy conflict, emotionally intimate relationships, and melancholic reflections on aging and loss
Children Who Chase Lost Voices
shared anime fantasy setting, military upheaval, and tragic family-centered storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Mari Okada
- Release Date
- 2018-02-24
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 8.1 / 10 (737)
Cast
- Manaka Iwami
- Miyu Irino
- Yuuki Sakurai
- Ai Kayano
- Yuki Kaji
- Yoshimasa Hosoya
- Rina Sato
- Yoko Hikasa
- Miyuki Sawashiro
- Tomokazu Sugita
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms about?
- An ageless young woman raises a mortal orphan through a lifetime of love, separation, and war in an exquisitely mournful fantasy.
- What is Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms as moderate.
- What did critics think of Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms?
- Critics broadly praised the film's colorful fantasy world and deeply poignant treatment of motherhood, aging, and loss.
- Which films are like Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms?
- Films with a similar feel include Wolf Children, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices.
- How long is Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms?
- Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms?
- In United States, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
