さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
Hibiol
The Hibiol, the woven cloth of the Iorph, symbolizes the passage of time, memory, and the interconnectedness of lives. Each thread represents a moment in time, and the completed tapestry tells a story.
The Iorph weave Hibiol daily to record their long history. Maquia wraps the infant Ariel in a piece of her Hibiol, symbolically weaving him into her life's story. Messages can also be woven into the Hibiol, as seen when Maquia discovers Leilia's fate through a piece of cloth in a shop.
Renato
The Renato, the dragon-like creatures, symbolize a dying era of magic and legends. Their susceptibility to the "Red Eye" disease and their diminishing numbers reflect the changing world and the fading of old ways.
The Mezarte kingdom uses the Renato as weapons of war, but their power is waning. One of the last Renato inadvertently helps Maquia escape her home. At the end of the film, Maquia and Leilia fly away on the last living Renato, signifying a departure from the human world and a return to their own kind.
Philosophical Questions
Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
The film directly explores this question through Maquia's journey. The Iorph's philosophy is to avoid love with mortals to prevent the pain of loss. Maquia's experience with Ariel challenges this, suggesting that the joy and meaning derived from love outweigh the inevitable sorrow of separation. Her final realization is that loving her son, despite the profound pain it brings, also brought her happiness.
What is the true meaning of motherhood?
"Maquia" presents motherhood as a bond forged through love, care, and sacrifice, rather than just biological ties. Maquia, who is not Ariel's biological mother, embodies the struggles and triumphs of motherhood. This is contrasted with Leilia, who is a biological mother but is denied the experience of raising her child. The film suggests that motherhood is defined by the act of nurturing and loving a child.
Core Meaning
The central message of "Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms" is a profound exploration of motherhood and the cyclical nature of life and death. Director Mari Okada uses the fantasy setting to delve into the universal human experience of love, loss, and the pain of outliving loved ones. The film posits that despite the inevitable sorrow of separation, the love and connections we form are what give life meaning. Maquia's journey as a mother to a mortal child, despite the warnings of her people that such a connection will only bring loneliness, ultimately leads her to understand that the happiness derived from that love is worth the pain of loss. It is a story about the strength found in maternal love and the bittersweet acceptance of life's transient nature.