Mari Okada directs and pens a film that revolves around three concepts that intertwine and combine to a rather unique presentation: Love, time and memory.

| Nov 30, 2019

(Written by James Perkins) An intimate and beautiful tale of tragedy and maternal love that will bring audiences to tears

| Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 4, 2019

Not only is this film extremely ambitious but it is also a sweet heartfelt story about the bond between a mother and her adopted son

| Original Score: 8/10 | Jan 19, 2019

An exceptional screenwriter debuts as a director with a delicate, imperfect and exquisite work. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Nov 6, 2018

If the film is a bit frustrating on the storytelling front, it makes up for it with some staggeringly beautiful imagery.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 29, 2018

It's sweet to the point of ugly crying with bittersweetness

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 26, 2018

[A] beautiful and melancholic story about myth and reality, death and what it means to live, and the inherent contradictions of parenthood.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 26, 2018

The film embraces its female-centric premise while mostly eschewing traditional romance for its heroine, preferring to focus on passion of another kind, with the movie's rich visuals bringing all of its ideals to breathtaking life.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Jul 26, 2018

Despite being set in a Lord of the Rings-ish fantasy world, the core themes of loss, aging, and motherhood have real-world emotional resonance.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 22, 2018

We don't even notice how deep Okada has driven her storytelling dagger until she pulls it out in the end, and the tears come, adding, to the bitterness and sweetness of this moving and strange little fable, a hefty dose of salt.

| Jul 21, 2018

This eerie and affecting feature debut from writer-director Mari Okada blends fantasy and coming-of-age stories.

| Jul 20, 2018

At almost two hours, the film feels a bit long and suffers from multiple endings, but Okada is clearly a talent to watch.

| Jul 19, 2018

I could easily find myself dismissing these stories strangely told stories and miss out on a beautiful tale, simply because it's different. If you're not a fan of anime, give it try. Be open and patient.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 16, 2018

In her directorial debut Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, Mari Okada weaves a beautiful story about motherhood, aging, and loss.

| Original Score: 8.5/10 | Jul 16, 2018

A colourful, richly imaginative world of soaring dragons and clockwork and castles.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 2, 2018

The visuals outshine the story events in Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 28, 2018

'Fantasy' often conjures visions of a Tolkien-esque mix of dragons, elves, quests and big blokes with axes, but Japanese writer-director Mari Okada's animated epic has done something impressively new with the genre.

| Original Score: 4.5 | Jun 28, 2018

Soppy, heartfelt and at times over-sentimental, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is a wonderful animation that manages, for the most part, to hit all the right notes.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Jun 27, 2018

The storyline doesn't explore motherhood much farther than this, but the emotional resonance is powerfully evocative.

| Jun 27, 2018

Epic yet intimate, this is a visual gorgeous and emotionally lush fantasy drama about love and hope set in a violent but beautifully realized invented world.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 27, 2018