Eleven Arts Anime Studio has secured North American distribution rights to Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms — the directorial debut for accomplished screenwriter Mari Okada (The Anthem of the Heart, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day) and the first theatrical feature from studio P.A.Works (Sakura Quest, True Tears). The feature will be released in the original Japanese with English subtitles on July 20, 2018.
Screening locations and times will be available at www.elevenarts.net/animedistrbution/maquia closer to the release.
Far from the lands of men, the long-lived people of Iorph weave the threads of human fate into a fabric called Hibiol. Here, an orphan named Maquia lives an oddly lonesome existence despite being surrounded by beloved friends — but everything is thrown into chaos when a Mezarte army and their dragons come to reap the Iorphs’ powers of longevity with violence. Managing to escape, Maquia finds a baby boy left alone in the world by the carnage. She takes him to raise as her own, names him Ariel, and watches him grow up as she herself retains the form of a young girl.
In this fantastical story, Okada wraps themes of motherhood, adolescence, femininity, and leadership into a sweeping, emotional epic. Maquia features lovely character designs by Final Fantasy franchise veteran Akihiko Yoshida and a stirring score by composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell). The film was initially released in February, and had a successful international premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival.
