P.A. Works’ “Maquia” to Premiere At Glasgow Film Festival

J

Josh A. Stevens

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Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana o Kazarou) the directorial debut of acclaimed anime screenwriter Mari Okada (The Anthem of the Heart), will have its international premiere at Glasgow Film Festival, Anime Limited announced this afternoon.


Produced by P.A. Works (Shirobako), the film is set to be shown on Saturday, 4th March at 1:30pm – marking the first international showing following the film’s Japanese release the week before. Anime Limited describe the story of Maquia, as follows:


“Acclaimed screenwriter Mari Okada makes her directorial debut in this animated fantasy feature.

The people of Iolph have a lifespan of hundreds of years and maintain their teenage appearances for life, but when the peace of this town is shattered by those who want the secret to their longevity for themselves, a young girl named Maquia is forced to escape. Wandering the land alone, upon finding an orphaned baby she chooses to raise him, but as this boy grows up so the difference in their lifespans is thrown into ever-sharper relief.”
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The staff list is as follows:
Director/Script: Mari Okada
Chief Director: Toshiya Shinohara
Art Director: Kazuki Higashiji
Art Design: Tomoaki Okada
Music: Kenji Kawai
Character Designer: Akihiko Yoshida, Yuriko Ishii

Voice Cast:
Maquia: Manaka Iwami
Erial: Miyu Irino
Leilia: Ai Kayano
Clear: Yuuki Kaji
Rashine: Miyuki Sawashiro
Lang: Yoshimasa Hosoya
Mido: Rina Satou
Tita: Yōko Hikasa
Medmel: Misaki Kuno
Isol: Tomokazu Sugita
Baro: Hiroaki Hirata

Anime Limited will also be releasing Maquia in UK cinemas, although further details are still to be announced.

Tickets will be going on sale shortly – and we’ll let you know when they do!

Continue reading...
 
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D1tchd1gger said:
What was wrong with it? Did your "ship" not sail? 😜
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They build up their relationships to only wreck it in the end for unnecessary love triangle drama. And don't get me started on baseball dude... That just made me furious and it would've been a 10/10 movie without that BS
 
Robbl said:
They build up their relationships to only wreck it in the end for unnecessary love triangle drama. And don't get me started on baseball dude... That just made me furious and it would've been a 10/10 movie without that BS
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In other words your "ship" sank and you got all salty 😜 I've seen that response a lot. Just because something happens people didn't think was going to happen doesn't make the film less great than it is. I liked the ending because it was different and non-clichéd.

I know Mari Okada is known for her melodrama, and there are love triangles in most of her stuff, certainly the ones I have seen like AnoHana, Kiznaiver (more like a love hexagon!) and even MSG:IBO! But this is slightly different: Taku never confesses any actual feelings for Jun, he's just really kind to her (to his detriment as the teacher says) and she, not having any experience due to her lack of communication, takes it the wrong way. There are clues that Taku and Nitou still love each other (but lack of communication, I see a theme developing) and even that Tasaki likes Jun, especially after she defends him (although it did take reading a few comments and a rewatch to pick this up!) and that all seemed fairly realistic to me rather than the clichéd Hollywood BS in A and B like each other, but something silly (rom-com) or serious (drama) gets in the way, but they still end up together. I know @Neil.T likes this film as well, what says you?

Anyway it looks like Maquia is about the changing relationship between someone that grows old and someone that stays the same age, so will be different.
 
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D1tchd1gger said:
I know @Neil.T likes this film as well, what says you?
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Ah, sorry, man: I missed this in my alerts somehow. Honestly? I just have to echo what you said in your post above. I'm a big fan of this film.

I will admit that the first time I saw it, I felt like the final act crashed a bus through the heart of everything. A BD purchase and a few viewings later, and the scene with Jun onstage has me in tears. I think the character arcs are outstandingly well written — actually more so than A Silent Voice. Everyone gets their turn in the spotlight and has their own concerns and hangups.

It's one of the only things I've readjusted my MAL score for. It eventually crept up to 10/10 for me. It's that good. It's got a lot of hidden depth that you uncover with repeat viewings.

@D1tchd1gger: You've got Jun among your favourite characters on MAL, haven't you? I get why.

EDIT: Just checked, and I didn't actually get an alert for this, for some strange reason.
 
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Neil.T said:
@D1tchd1gger: You've got Jun among your favourite characters on MAL, haven't you? I get why.
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Yep, my favourites also include her VA Inori Minase (who just happens to play Mari in A Place Further Than the Universe 😍). Oh and Mari Okada as well, so maybe I'm a bit biased 🤫

BTW will you be able to get to Glasgow for any of the films they're showing?
 
D1tchd1gger said:
BTW will you be able to get to Glasgow for any of the films they're showing?
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It doesn't look like it, unfortunately. Glasgow Film Theatre used to show three anime films on the same day during the film festival, but Maquia and Mary are on different days this time. My local's really good for anime, though, and there's Scotland Loves Anime later in the year, which I always go to, so... fingers crossed.

How's your local cinema(s)?
 
Neil.T said:
How's your local cinema(s)?
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Well there is now 4 in Southampton as of about this time last year. Showcase de Lux is the newest and shows lots of anime and classics and has reclining seats, so is my go to cinema now. Then there's the Picturehouse which also shows a lot of classics including anime (must get round to buying my Ghibli tickets soon). Then the Odeon, I don't check it much now-a-days, but it has an IMAX on which I saw Your Name. last year. And finally a Cineworld which I haven't been to in literally decades! The nearest big town also has a Vue which I've been to a few times, the last being for Ghost in the Shell (live action). So well covered, but don't really get many things like ALS or that Japanese film tour (can't believe Lewes got chosen, it's a small town close to Brighton).
 
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