It had been surprisingly long since my last anime movie that was unambiguously a fantasy. All I knew about this one was the cover image, but it seemed promising as a departure from my latest viewings.
In what I'd call a flintlock fantasy, Maquia belongs to a human(oid?) race called the Iorph, who stop physically aging in adolescence. They live in a secluded utopia until an invasion by the Mezarte kingdom, bent on learning how to replicate their longevity. In the commotion, Maquia, then age 15, rides a Renato (read: six-eyed wyvern) and ends up far away. She discovers and adopts a newborn orphaned boy, whom she dubs Ariel. Over the course of decades, she must find her place with regard to Mezarte society, the surviving Iorph, and Ariel.
Yep, another story in which someone ageless has to keep moving around. Here the consequences are extra serious, because Mezarte authorities are heartless toward Iorph. At least the half-elves in Tales of Symphonia have a history of reversing the oppression; what did the Iorph ever do to be called "monsters" repeatedly? Guess anime villains don't need much of a reason.
I should warn you about Maquia's closest Iorph friend, Leilia, who gets abducted and coerced into a loveless marriage of "convenience" with a prince of Mezarte. When Maquia meets her again, she's pregnant but doesn't act like a rape victim. She chooses not to escape, for the sake of her daughter, perhaps unaware that the two will be cruelly separated after birth.
That said, the main focus of the story is on Maquia and Ariel's evolving interactions. They range from strong mother-child love to resentment beyond the usual for teenagers. After all, it's hard having to uproot oneself every few years, and there comes a point at which they have to self-identify publicly as siblings. (Maquia's hair turns the same color, possibly by magic.) When acutely aware that they're not related by blood, Ariel questions the wisdom of acting related at all.
Apart from "Renato," there is one frequently used unique term, "Hibiol." It refers to a type of cloth into which Iorph weave subtle messages, mostly to document events, reminiscent of the Fates. Maquia also uses the word metaphorically for Ariel. Make of that what you will.
Without a doubt, this is the most dramatic anime I've seen that wasn't based on a true story. Get used to lots of crying on screen, as well as several instances of chastisement for crying; I'm not sure which annoys me more. YouTube commenters keep saying how they cried too, but I just found it excessive. Maybe that's why I kept checking the clock for 115 minutes.
I'm also unsure about the morals herein. Maquia was warned not to fall in love with a non-Iorph, lest she be "alone," as if loving nobody were less so. In the end, she prefers heartbreak. Leilia, meanwhile, would rather forget her daughter ever existed, even when they have the chance to reunite for good. Neither approach is depicted as wrong.
Nonetheless, it's a solid story with a rather beautiful depiction. I'm glad I checked it out.
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