Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

**Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms** (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう *Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana o Kazarō*), officially abbreviated as ***Sayoasa*** (さよ朝), is a 2018 Japanese animated high fantasy drama film written and directed by Mari Okada.

## Synopsis

A young orphan girl comes across an orphaned infant and decides to raise him as her own. This story follows their journey through its ups and downs as they find out what it means to be a mother and child.

## Plot

The film follows Maquia, a young orphan girl part of a mythical immortal race known as the Iorph. She is under the guardianship of the Elder Racine, who tells her that to fall in love is to know true loneliness. One night, the kingdom of Mezarte attacks on the backs of Renato, aiming to claim the longevity of the Iorphs for themselves. Maquia becomes trapped in the Hibiol tower when a rampant Renato crashes through the wall. She attempts to flee and ends up being flown far away from her homeland into the dark unknown. She awakes in a tree, the sky above her home turned red from the flames. She briefly thinks of jumping into a ravine when she hears the cry of a baby in the distance. Upon reaching the source, she finds an infant in the grasp of his dead mother. Barlow, a merchant who happened to be passing by, remarks that the boy's Hibiol will end here. In that moment, Maquia decides to take the child with her and raise him as her own.

Maquia ends up at Helm Ranch and is found by Mido attempting to feed her new son from a goat. Mido takes the two under her wing, offering her home and her wisdom as Maquia raises her adopted son, who she names Ariel. After he has grown into a child, Maquia finds a secret message in a Hibiol woven by her dearest friend Leilia, stating that she is to be wed to Prince Hazel, the Crown Prince of Mezarte. Maquia leaves via boat with Ariel, where she runs into Krim, another one of her closest friends who is also aiming to free Leilia. They plan an ambush during the parade, but are ultimately unsuccessful in their rescue attempt. Maquia barely evades capture with the help of Barlow, who reveals himself to be half-Iorph. Maquia then decides to leave Mezarte with Ariel after being abandoned by Krim and the other Iorph.

Eventually, they find themselves in Dorail, where Ariel has found work as a miner. His and Maquia's relationship has become strained ever since he found out they aren't related by blood. Back in the Mezarte castle, Leilia has been thrown to the side after giving birth to her daughter, Medmel, and kept locked in a tower alone and isolated. One day, Maquia and Ariel run into Lang again, who has become a Mezarte soldier. Their meeting further drives a wedge between the mother and son, when Ariel decides he wants to become a soldier as well. Shortly after he leaves Maquia, she is kidnapped by Krim.

Many years later, Ariel now lives in the capital of Mezarte alongside his wife, Dita, a girl he knows from childhood with whom he is expecting their first child. Meanwhile, Krim has been gathering the support of other nations to launch an assault on Mezarte. He takes the still-captive Maquia with him, but they are separated in the forest, where Maquia and Ariel briefly run into each other. Maquia makes her way to the city and hears Dita crying out in pain after going into labor. Maquia helps her to deliver the baby at the same moment Ariel is wounded in battle. He comes to with Maquia next to him, tending to his wounds. They share a heartfelt conversation, then she bids him an emotional farewell before heading towards the castle. In the meantime, Krim, who has found Leilia but been rejected by her in favor of Medmel, attempts a murder-suicide, but is shot by Izol. As the assault comes to an end at Mezarte's loss, Ariel returns home to his wife and newborn baby. Maquia frees the last Renato and flies away on it with Leilia, who manages to briefly reunite with Medmel before departing.

Decades later, Maquia returns to Helm Ranch with Barlow. There, she finds Ariel as an old man on his deathbed and holds his hand as he passes away. As she leaves, she apologizes for having to break her promise to never cry as she breaks down in tears, recalling all of the moments she spent by Ariel's side. She continues on her journey, remarking to herself that, despite the deep pain of loss, she is still happy to have been Ariel's mother.

A post-credits scene shows Maquia and Leilia back in Iorph alongside other surviving Iorphs and their descendants, as well as the last living Renato.

## Extras

The blu-ray special edition comes with a Special Booklet and a Special Story. The booklet details behind-the-scenes information on the characters, and the writing and designing processes.

## Reception

The film grossed $160,988 in North America in November 2018. It grossed $4.3 million worldwide, including $1.2 million in Japan and $2.5 million in China in March 2019.

The film received 100% rating based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.

### Awards and Nominations

In 2018, *Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms* was nominated in the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards for the category **Best Animated Feature Film**.

That same year, *Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms* won several awards:

* 21st Shanghai International Film Festival for **Best Animation**
* 22nd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for the **BIFAN Children's Jury Award**
* 51st Sitges Catalonia International Fantastic Film Festival for the **Fantastic Discovery Category Best Feature Film**
* 5th Anime Trending Awards for **Anime Movie of the Year**

## Gallery

Promotional ArtPromotional ArtLimited Edition Slip-inLimited Edition Menu ScreenLimited Edition Extras ScreenOpening SceneCredits SequencePost-credits Scene
### Concept Art

Proprietress Concept ArtProprietress Concept ArtRiko Concept ArtHyke Concept ArtCivilians Concept ArtShop Owner Concept ArtCivilians Concept ArtCivilians Concept ArtBarkeep Concept ArtBarkeep Concept ArtCivilians Concept Art