Sajonara no asa ni jakusoku no hana o kazaró

An incredibly powerful and emotionally impressive fantasy-drama about a community of ageless weavers who are one day banished to the world of ordinary people. When one of them, 15-year-old Maquia, adopts a human newborn, the baby grows and ages while she doesn't change. Since it is necessary for the weavers to hide, the two protagonists must move from place to place, their relationship constantly changing. For Maquia, the boy is first a son, then a brother, and finally a father, until their paths go separate ways. All of this takes place against the backdrop of the collapse of a formerly powerful kingdom and an impending war. The beautiful story, which effectively thematizes the power of maternal love, lacks only a more consistent initiation into the mythology of the fantasy world, and the not-very-elaborate side storyline with the royal couple takes up a little too much space. Everything else is originally designed, beautifully written and naturally touching. (2018.10.13)

This is definitely a very strong and really emotional movie, featuring lessons about what motherly love means, what it means to live life to the fullest, and other subject matter that has some depth. However, it still manages to present everything relatively naturally (although the feeling that it is a bit forced emotionally gets a bit too much sometimes). It has some beautiful moments that grabbed me and touched my heart (though I fought back the tears in the end). It also has some visually beautiful scenes (like when Maquia is kidnapped by the dragon, and when Maquia leaves Ariel after the battle...) it has some wonderful music on the soundtrack, with the final song accompanying the credits being the icing on the cake. This is definitely a very good movie that will move sensitive people a lot, and at least sometimes give perhaps tougher people something to relate to. Of course, I know better, stronger, and more moving movies (like Wolf Children for example), however, I am still glad I sat down and watched Maquia on a chilly afternoon because the movie actually warmed, pleased, and saddened me in equal measures - it just worked. 8.3/10. (2018.11.08)