Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
elumizu
If a town is frozen in time to preserve a fragile reality, what happens when the human spirit refuses to stay locked inside a perpetual winter? Mari Okada’s Maboroshi stands as an ambitious anime feature that attempts to walk the fine line between poignant coming-of-age drama and surreal psychological allegory. Visually, MAPPA delivers an absolute feast for the eyes, utilizing hyper-detailed background art, breathtaking lighting, and fluid character animations that make the trapped, soot-covered town of Mifusumi feel intensely atmospheric and hauntingly cinematic.
Narratively, however, the movie struggles under the weight of its own conceptual ambition. While the core premise of a town forbidden from changing is deeply intriguing, the execution suffers from a frustrating lack of narrative…
Read at the sourcelala_lxlx
I felt stupid watching this anime.
almost throughout the whole anime, I couldn't understand anything of what was happening. The plot, pacing, everything was so confusing, to the point I thought I was stupid to even understand anything. Watching this movie felt like having my IQ level sucked out despite having such a good art style and ATLEAST A BIT of romance. I can't grasp enough from the amount of times I had to pause every minute of the movie in order to understand the slightest plot, and just taking more time to watch the movie than it should've been. I wouldn't say this is a bad or good review, but at the same time I can't even write a proper one because I'm just... confused. I can see this being somewhat similar to Your Name, it truly does. There were things that I couldn't understa…
Read at the sourceDasVeryCool
Maboroshi is an eccentric but beautifully animated movie. Ultimately, the pacing of the film leaves little room for viewers to reflect on what they have seen in the moment, which only worsens the fact that the plot is a very tough nut to crack. Perhaps it is the intention of the filmmakers to force viewers to only be able to think in hindsight.
For nearly the entirety of the runtime, it was difficult to relate to most of the characters. Their interactions seem like puzzle pieces that need to be put together. Only as the exposition continued that the motive behind each action became clear. Furthermore, there is no objective villain in this story: each character only acted to affirm their own perspective of the situation at hand.
At the end of the day, the viewers follow the characters a…
Read at the sourceKali__
Maboroshi is an extremely odd movie. I very much felt the emotions it was trying to convey and I find the message it wants to communicate very beautiful and well executed. There are a few plot conveniences that didn't disturb my watch but can be noted nonetheless. I am still unsure of what the movie's ending is saying. It's extremely hard to understand what happens at time. Personally, I love it and it makes my brain work a lot. Is it for everyone? Absolutely not. I think the confusingness is at least partly intentional, and as an artistic choice, I can absolutely respect it. It's not easy to get into, tho.
Recommend if you don't mind not understanding some of what you see. Awesome music, great art, confusing plot, cool characters.
Read at the sourceSiluetta
Maboroshi is an anime that tries to tell the story of loss, emotion and coming of age in a very fairytale-like way. It has a melancholic tone, as if someone had combined A Silent Voice with the gentle world of Bakemono no Ko, only... quieter.
Not every anime film needs to shout to leave a mark - this one rather whispered.
Animation & Art Style
Wonder. Simply a marvel.
Maboroshi resembles a painting created with watercolour and light. Everything is delicate, pastel, soft, and the alternate world looks like it's from a child's imagination - and that's exactly the point. It's a film that you just want to watch frame by frame, because there are so many visual gems. Even if the storyline loses something, the animation will hold you.
Sound & Music
Music? Subtle, beautifully synchronised with t…
Read at the source1stDecame4Danime
This story is Peter Pan without the main draw of the whimsical boy who refused to grow up, Peter. As such it deals with the issues of growing up/moving forward vs staying still/arrested development. But what is Peter Pan without Peter? A very dull story of some girl who stumbles into Neverland with her child relatives and sits around while the annoying antag holds her captive before all the kids use the power of tryharding and love/friendship to send her home in a 1-note plot.
Not only is Peter absent, but the girl is effectively a child raised by wolves and all the other cast are similarly noncharacters. The MC is a stoic brooding-teen cringe artsy cliche noncharacter incarnation of an indecisive blank-slate who decides to do something (thematic character arc so unsubtle someone might n…
Read at the sourceManu_
So Mari Okada created and directed this. It's not the worst she has done, and it certainly feels like one of her creations. The movie's weakness lies in the symbolism that is omnipresent in the characters and their actions. Okada seems determined to convey some criticism about modern society and human interactions, specifically, the struggle to move forward in a static society and the effort to feel alive in a world devoid of deep meaning.
However, the plot is weak, the logic of the events is unclear, and while the characters sound like something Okada would write, they dont feel particularly interesting on their own.
The ending was the best part of this movie. A tender reflection about the importance of people in our lives, even when they are not there anymore.
The art is beautiful and…
Read at the sourceggultra2764
Maboroshi involves the residents of a small Japanese town being trapped in a mysterious stasis following an explosion at their local steel mill. Trapped in this stasis for years and becoming emotionally numb, the residents accept their circumstances as some sort of divine punishment for their actions that they must atone for before they can return to reality. However, the town’s younger residents come to find this existence an empty one with their inability to grow into adulthood. One of these residents, middle schooler Masamune Kikuiri, encounters a feral young girl within the steel mill that reignites his hope and purpose, coming to believe she may be the key to sorting things out with the stasis his town is trapped in.
Maboroshi’s biggest strength comes from exploring how the town resi…
Read at the sourceSCA_CriticalEye
Critical:
A beautifully animated film that has a pretty engaging world with a lot of interesting concepts... though going in a somewhat odd and unfocused direction, with narrative beats getting lost of its own making and a few moments where character motivations are uncalled for. It's a coming-of-age story about change and it's an honest, intimate take on the whole romance plus world-ending crisis scenario. Give it a shot if you want a heartwarming, albeit sometimes confusing, film.
Personal:
The first thing that came to mind to me is that like Sonny Boy, it uses the fantasy world (though it bears saying it's more of a time-freeze / stuck in the SAME reality) to really hone down on themes surrounding the coming-of-age and inevitable change. The issue I have with this film is 1.) some of…
Read at the sourcedplgngr811
TL;DR: This is probably one of the most stupid ass half-baked movies to ever exist, period. Do not watch it if you value your time and if you have expectations just because it is MAPPA's work.
Let's keep it short. I watched the trailer when it released and was very excited. I didn't know anything about who the studio or the people making it were. I was just genuinely excited just by looking at the trailer. Then later I realized that it was MAPPA's work and was happy that it's going to be a masterpiece and OH BOY.
It's shit. It's fucked up.
The only good things about this movie are the art, the animation and the music. Nothing else.
The characters are shit. The plot is shit. I have never watched a movie in my entire life where you have so many hate-able characters. The girls are just so…
Read at the sourceKlazzama
Alice to Therese no Maboroshi Koujou presents a visually stunning experience. The animation boasts vibrant colors and captivating character designs, a feast for the eyes. However, this brilliance clashes with the narrative, which frequently delves into uncomfortable territory for a middle school setting. The story feels like a frantic sprint, cramming key moments together without letting them breathe. Characters appear and disappear before we can connect with them, leaving a shallow emotional impact. While a few scenes spark intrigue, they're quickly drowned out by extraneous plot points. The potential for a captivating narrative is there, but the rushed pacing prevents it from taking flight. Further compounding the issue is a time loop twist that arrives too abruptly to fully address the…
Read at the sourceSenpaika
A very simple and easily understandable story that will give you a tear. It has Movie-style animations with intricate moments, each character feels just right yet it comes a long way to take the throne of other amazing movies.
The story is very subtle making sure the viewer understands it even with closed eyes.
What to write to not spoil anything...
This show is heavy on the story part so let's not talk about the details I would like anyone reading it to enjoy it by themselves:
Animation:
In short nice beautiful and classic. I am pretty sure this style will suit a lot of people.
Music:
The background music is nice when it matters and gives the environment its unique atmosphere.
Story:
To not spoil anything let's just say that it's very very good. If you liked Kimi no Na was you will defin…
Read at the sourceMapleRose
The music, art, and animation for this movie are great! The plot is intriguing with a hint of mystery, which makes you want to keep watching to see what happens next. I like the way the story is told, revealing little details a bit at a time. There is a moment midway through that makes you go "oh", when you start to realize what is happening/has happened to this town.
However, once you figure out the mystery (or when you get to the part where it solves it for you), that's kind of where the good part of the plot ended. Everything after the reveal, including the resolution, becomes messy, and actually kind of infuriating at times...
The characters themselves are not that interesting. The main male lead is kind of generic and boring, and the way their relationships unfolded felt rushed. I f…
Read at the sourcezoraideale79
Ok all in all it was pretty good, MAPPA always goes above and beyond with animation ofc. The story is hard to follow but I loved it because I’m a sucker for wack adventures especially having to do with time, time travel, time loop, time lock, etc.
imo I think this would have been AMAZING as a 12-13 episode anime rather than try to fit all this into a movie. The Not Recommended reviews are speaking truth with the crazy plot here. I just kept thinking of Erased and how well that was developed and thought this could have been similar. Still good though.
Read at the sourceCodeCypheur
I initially thought the main theme of this anime would be about growing up and how futile it is to resist the changes that come with growing into adulthood. It did well to set this up and it makes sense with the setting being a town where you are literally not allowed to change, but instead the story decided to go down a path Sigmund Freud would love with an elektra complex focus for god knows what reason.
To give the film some credit, it has an incredibly intriguing premise - I may have been confused at times but not once was I bored. I didn't read a summary other than glancing at the sypnosis which mentioned how people weren't allowed to change - I think if I didn't see that I would've been a whole lot more confused because I didn't understand this had supernatural elements and people l…
Read at the sourcedenkisoda
Like most of Mari Okada's works, Maboroshi is delicate, emotional, and filled with unreal elements. At the same time it's very "small" - overly focused on the love relationships of a few people, some being unnecessary. Both its strengths and weaknesses are evident.
The visual was impeccable. The use of light was particularly pleasing; it gently guided the audiences' attention, while effortlessly conveying different emotions and situations.
The story featured a small town relied solely on the steel industry, where time stood still following a steel mill explosion. The theme had so much explore. Over the past decades, many of such single-industry towns had to experience the pains amid industrial transformations (as symboled by explosion of the mill). Becoming isolated and gloomy, they were…
Read at the sourceBlernsballMVP
What an infuriating waste of potential.
Aesthetically, Maboroshi is, like most anime films, competent:better than average acting (at least with the Japanese audio), good music (when they bother to have it) and mostly good art, though there's nothing special compared to the many, many other anime films with similar production values (and at times the art doesn't seem to match well with the script-the main character is referred to multiple times as being particularly feminine for a boy, and the only indicator of this is his unremarkable mid-length hair.) So, there's nothing special there. Which leaves the story to carry the bulk of the film, and boy, is it frustrating.
The basic concept for the story is great; a mysterious explosion traps a small Japanese town in a timeless state, with a cr…
Read at the sourceep-46_jaegarist
The second i finished this movie, i knew i had to write a review! oh myy gosh! What a WORLD BUILDING, It sucks you inside of it, The plot, events in the story, depth in charecters, animation, World creation, environment, Vibes, Emotions, Philosophy and the climax dude. This type of movie comes once in a decade. I saw some guys writing review on 'mal' that it has so many plot points and his weak brains couldn't understand whats going on, im like dude you are incompetent to understand the movie just go and watch boruto and shit, and thats the reason why i dont watch any anime or movies based on their rating and reviews. This movie takes you on a trip make your heart shatter, but will also fill your guts with a magical hope that is worth any wisdom i can ever get about life. Genuinly the char…
Read at the sourceAn1meDweeb
Tl;Dr: "Maboroshi" is a stunning anime bursting at the seams with intriguing storytelling, great cinematic moments, and raw emotion. But it’s also a show with some notable caveats. The first is that there are character moments in here that push the needle too far in terms of shock value and novelty. For the most part, I thought the characters in this show are portrayed well within the show’s odd, mature setting. However, there are at least a couple of character moments that come across as needlessly gross, while others at times feel unjustified or underdeveloped. These abrupt points of whiplash in the story are part of a larger issue surrounding the show: that being a shortage of organic character development. Notably, the second act struggles to convincingly connect the other thirds of th…
Read at the sourceRezwan1024
Simply put it's one of the best animated films, mappa out did themselves. I'm Impressed. Although the story is a lil bit hard to understand but it's good when you get it.
There are a lot of plot hole though. Like if they are in a shut off bubble then where are they getting all their food and other supplies from? The sudden change in characters behaviors is another thing. The most annoying thing is that the MCs father and his uncle are little undistinguishable. In one scene I had to search up their name to see if it was the MCs father or the uncle. The sudden change in sceneries and story is a tad bit annoying too.
The movie's strong hold is on the original story and the animations. Without spoiling anything that's all I can say in this review. I would definitely watch it another time a…
Read at the source
