Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
1stDecame4Danime
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 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 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 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 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 sourceQuinsey
Hundreds of anime in my pocket, and never have I seen one more underrated than this. This is my first ever review I will keep it very short and sweet. First off, if you like me were worried the story would be confusing or not make sense all i can say is at least for me the entire story made perfect sense and never felt confusing. Every element is written to make sense and I was surprised at how coherent it all was because i had seen so many reviews saying it was confusing. If you are someone who pays attention don't let the reviews scare you. The story makes perfectly fine sense and is not hard to follow in my opinion. The animation is beautiful and the art is stunning. The portrayal of emotions is especially superb. I'm sad to see this anime not get the attention it deserves but am very h…
Read at the sourceJahra
The story feels incomplete, like they had an idea for a movie and just ran with it without having an actual story to tell.
Story 5/10
There is no story, just an idea for one. The story had potential to be decent but just doesn't deliver. There are countless instances where content is missing between scenes, or so it feels.
Art 8.5/10
Beautiful art and good animation, just not quite movie quality. There is nothing to complain about. Near the end, some of the car scenes looked somewhat funny, but it's not a big deal.
Sound 9/10
Great voice acting fitting of the characters. Other sounds such as environmental ones are also really good. The soundtrack is just amazing, especially the ending song by Miyuki Nakajima, easily one of the best anime songs of 2023.
Characters 6/10
Most characters a…
Read at the sourcePtipana2077
In my own interpretation, the movie aims to show that life is not essentially a search for happiness or control; life is a search for meaning. When we give ourselves a cause to serve or another person to love, we become more human, and we love ourselves more. The movie represents love as a power that offers the experience of dreaming and helps you escape loneliness. The world needs love. The power of love is what can help you survive. Love is about wisdom. Love is what makes our hearts live and beat. The movie succeeded in addressing the theme of love and showing its importance and how it gives meaning to our lives. While it is true that love has a bright side, on the other hand, it also has a dark side that can break your heart and destroy your own life.
Read at the sourcem1ster
Ignore the hate. It’s a solid movie. Great art, great sound, feel good storyline and most importantly great characters. People are trying to find “logical” flaws everywhere but forget to realize this is a work of fiction and it should be enjoyed as such. Kick back, relax and enjoy :)
The story was not predictable. Art style was beautiful, and loved the detail in minor things. Sound design was also awesome.
I seriously think you all will enjoy it as long as watch it for what it is and not what it isn’t. If you want something scientifically accurate watch a documentary or National Geographic.
Read at the sourceKoolkid25
What the fuck did I just watch?
The Good:
The only redeeming qualities from this was the amazing art by MAPPA and the insert songs which is the only reason its not a 1. In my opinion I feel like this movie was just a side project for the animators to flex their skills and they just decided to tack on a story afterwards as a passing thought.
The Bad:
I think I got an aneurysm trying to understand the plot, this was more confusing then the last season of Attack on titan. The movie just tries to introduce way too many plot points, and there are also gaping plot holes i.e where the town is getting food and gasoline when they are in an isolated bubble which was never explained in the movie mind you. All the relationships feel so forced and go through more fluctuation in the period of 2 hours…
Read at the sourceZettaiken
It is a movie animated by Mappa and created/script written by Okada Mari. It is hard to say if it's a good or bad title, I can see the idea where it was about to go, but it didn't. I would say it would be way better in a 24+ episodes TV series with expanded takes on few stuff with a higher focus on characters and on smaller plot events.
If I would have to tell in nutshell what the story is about, it can be understood as philosophical approach, or at least I would search one plot message in this, as with the direct story shown.
I will begin with direct story which we follow through without overthinking, it is a story of living in a town Mifuse in which time has stopped, people still live there but they are isolated from everything else and it was supposed to keep like that. Our main char…
Read at the sourceonespankman
The trailer for Mari Okada’s latest project implied something amazing. Moody and high concept, with beautifully rendered backgrounds, smooth animation, and a killer soundtrack. It had the makings of a masterpiece, and a great studio to back it up.
When it quietly released on Netflix this January, I was excited to watch, though its score caused some trepidation. Indeed, all those elements the trailer promised are here in some form. If this film succeeds in any regard, it is aesthetically.
Okada’s direction is sharp as ever here, as is every other aspect of the production. Its soundtrack is consistently strong, though misapplied occasionally. The voice actors all give good performances, and the sound editing is as good as any other theatrical release. While it doesn’t quite measure up to…
Read at the sourcePuji10
This opinion will have spoilers and I am going to divide it into 3 points, the animation, the plot and the message.
First speaking of the audiovisual, it is crazy, all the details are very careful, it has incredible fluidity, backgrounds to match and what would stand out the most is the color palette and the good use they gave it to emphasize and elevate many moments , they knew how to convey the despair of the world very well and they also knew how to highlight the small happy moments that the characters can have. As for the music, it is well implemented and thanks to it it accompanies different emotional moments very well.
Regarding the plot, it could be said that it is similar in several ways to Alice in Wonderland, but this time the point of view we have is that of someone inside the…
Read at the sourceFirechick12012
Oh, Mari Okada, I wish I knew how I felt about you as a creator. After her theatrical debut with Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms, she's back in the director's seat with a brand new movie, Maboroshi, or if you wanna use its Japanese title, Alice and Therese's Illusion Factory. No, I don't know why the Japanese title is so strange. I read something about how the names Alice and Therese, when said in Japanese together, also pronounce the name Aristotle in their language, which makes you wonder why they didn't just call it Aristotle's Illusion Factory, especially since there are no characters named Alice and Therese in the film, but I digress. Anyway, Mari Okada is pretty prominent in the anime circle, and people tend to be divided on what she works on or creates. Some like her stuff,…
Read at the sourceAkiraMiyazaki17
Okada’s work is always so difficult to talk about. She blends surrealism with melodrama and conventional narrative tropes in a way that completely absorbs you in the beauty of her worlds, without sacrificing mainstream accessibility or emotional edge. Often it can come across as underdeveloped or lacking in cohesion (or even just generic), but generally I’ve always managed to find a personal connection somewhere within her stories, although I understand that they don’t work for everybody.
Maboroshi, like the rest of her work, really struggles to hold itself together sometimes, but at its best moments it’s absolutely brimming with passion. Its contemplative reflection on the human condition, on the nature of love and ultimately on motherhood is just so Okada. Her direction has gotten much…
Read at the sourceTypo_comma
When Mari Okada was in elementary school, she thought Aristotle(アリストテレス - Arisutoteresu - Aristotelēs) was two people(アリス と テレス - Arisu to Teresu - Alice and Therese), so if you understand this, you can stop searching for "these two characters" in the movie.
In a world where time stopped flowing and life is replaced by a constant numbness. The Immutables tried to find the feeling of being alive - even if it's pain - under this dome and look for a way to escape, while the visitor found love in this numbness and decided to stay. Every time Okada can create a theme that deeply attracts me and makes me enter her story resolutely - until I discovered once again that this subject was not what she was paying attention to.
The positive viewing experience piled up due to the immersion in the worl…
Read at the sourceWeebston
Alice to Therese no Maboroshi Koujou feels like an anomaly in the modern anime world.
Despite being produced by arguably the most well-known animation studio currently in the game (MAPPA) and written / directed by one of the greatest living authors in the Slice of Life-genre (Mari Okada), this movie has had almost zero marketing or "hype" behind it. Its theatrical release in Japan came and went without much fanfare, until Netflix eventually bought the rights to it and decided to all but shadow-drop it on their platform. No one I talked to even knew this movie was coming out, which makes its "non-existence" in the public eye all the more confusing to me, especially considering how good it actually is.
First up, let's touch on the story. The story is... good, but convoluted. If you've read…
Read at the sourceNineTnk
“Being alive here is painful, but together with you make it less painful”
Story 7.5/10
A story of desperation and love in the world that is hopelessly lost.
I’m never a fan of high abstract plot like Bubble and the Floating Apartment one, which I thought was pretty bad and a wasted potential with no message to say.
Yet, Maboroshi, I manage to understand the whole plot on my first viewing and understand the message it tryna say pretty well. The story does create a good parallel for us to learn in real life which I thought a high abstract story never manage to do.
Still though I wish for a more world building on how the mechanic work and how life were before and after the story that takes place so I could feel more satisfied.
Visual 10/10
This is MAPPA’s original movie that took 4-5 y…
Read at the sourcekumajoi
Review summary: Fantastic MAPPA art work. The story is difficult to understand. But a story you can't get anywhere else.
Who should see it: Interested in story that closed space and feelings. Or People who have seen Mari Okada's past works.
(+) Fantastic Art Work
Produced by MAPPA. The worldview, the description of the steel mill, the expressions of the characters, everything was wonderful. If you've seen the trailer, Fantastic Art work continues from beginning to end. If you know MAPPA, I would recommend watching the movie.
This story is set in January 1991. I'm glad that the scenery from my childhood has been clearly captured in a movie. Example, Beverage vending machines and shopping streets.
(+) music
In addition to fantastic art work, it was a wonderful music. It expresses a closed…
Read at the source