Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms - Ending Explained

The plot of "Maquia" follows the entirety of a human life through the eyes of an immortal. After finding the infant Ariel, Maquia raises him as her own. As Ariel grows, he becomes a teenager and feels alienated by Maquia's unchanging age, leading to a temporary rift between them. He joins the army of Mezarte, the very kingdom that destroyed his mother's home, and marries his childhood friend, Dita. During a climactic battle, Mezarte is defeated. Maquia helps Dita give birth to their child while Ariel is wounded in the fighting. They share a heartfelt reunion and farewell before Maquia leaves to help her friend Leilia escape the fallen kingdom.

Leilia, who was forced to bear a child for the royal family, is reunited with her daughter, Medmel, for only a moment before choosing to leave her behind, flying away with Maquia on the last Renato. The ending of the film features a significant time jump of about forty years. Maquia returns to visit an elderly, dying Ariel. In a profoundly emotional scene, she holds his hand as he passes away, finally allowing herself to cry as she remembers their life together. The film concludes with Maquia acknowledging that despite the deep pain of loss, loving Ariel brought her true happiness. A post-credits scene shows the Iorph's village being rebuilt, with their descendants, implying a future for their people and that Maquia will continue to live on and form new bonds.

While the film is largely seen as a story about motherhood, some viewers have interpreted the relationship between Maquia and Ariel as having romantic undertones, particularly during Ariel's adolescence when he feels conflicted about his feelings for his eternally youthful mother. However, the film deliberately avoids developing this into a central plot point, instead focusing on the complexities of their familial bond. Another point of discussion is the ending, with some viewers questioning Maquia's decision to leave Ariel for long periods of his adult life, only to return at his deathbed. Interpretations for this range from her needing to protect him and his family from those who would exploit her, to the idea that she had to allow him to live his own life without her constant, unchanging presence.