Introduction
The story is set in 1955 in Kokuga, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
One thousand years ago it was the site of the ancient capital, Suo no Kuni, and traces of the Heian Period (year 794-1185) are passed down to us in the form of ruins and historical place names.
The protagonist is Shinko, a third grade elementary school student, who was born and raised in one of the town's venerable families. She is a little girl whose characteristic is a strange curl on her forehead (she calls it her "Mai Mai"), and her love for playing in the fields. On the other hand, her secret joy is to imagine and to daydream about the world of one thousand years ago. Her fantasies travel far into the days of the Heian Period...
One day, a girl called Kiiko transfers from Tokyo and enters Shinko's class. This girl from the big city has difficulty feeling at home in this small town, but gradually her friendship with Shinko deepens.
Before long, the two of them become engulfed in a strange incident of one thousand years earlier...?!
Audience reviews
10 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
1stDecame4Danime
The production group behind this product blatantly intended to imitate the success of Ghibli's 'Totoro' by making a Totoro clone, largely copying many of the broad strokes and changing it up a bit (mixing in some extremely watered-down 'Grave of the Fireflies' much like its similarly imitative 'In This Corner of the World'), hiring on an animator who helped work on Totoro to try to feign creative authenticity as justification for plagiaristic intent.
Ultimately, this movie is very much like if Goro had written/directed Totoro instead of his father. It is a pale, shallow, imitation of emotion. It lacks any spectacle value even despite its large animation budget as the art style is mechanical, sloppy, and absent any decent creative taste or cinematography. But more than all that, it lacks a…
Read at the sourceHydre_Ito
This film is nothing groundbreaking, but its an aesthetically pleasing and sweet, slice of life piece of media with childhood and countryside life among its main themes.
It depicts a wholesome and realistic friendship between two little girls while mildly exploring their girlhood throughout the film. Both characters have very distinct, likable personalities and are relatable. We get to see how their relationship develops and how they gradually open up to each other in the process. Our charismatic main character shows Kiko the meaning of friendship and helps her cope with the loneliness & insecurity she suffered both in school and at home due to her family circumstances. Life in this film is depicted in a mature, calming manner with no over-dramatization or emotional manipulation tactics.…
Read at the sourcexkylehasheartx
There is an excerpt from The Picture of Dorian Gray by the renowned author, Oscar Wilde, that I am incredibly fond of. The quote reads:
"No, you don't feel it now. Some day, when you are old and wrinkled and ugly, when thought has seared your forehead with its lines, and passion branded your lips with its hideous fires, you will feel it, you will feel it terribly. Now, wherever you go, you charm the world. Will it always be so?... You have a wonderfully beautiful face, Mr. Gray. Don't frown. You have. And beauty is a form of genius-- is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts of the world, like sunlight, or spring-time, or the reflection in dark waters of that silver shell we call the moon. It cannot be questioned. It has its divine right of sover…
Read at the sourceFlawfinder
Those of you who have lives and don’t pay attention to all but the most famous of anime directors may not know who Sunao Katabuchi is. Well, I’m sure most anime fans have at least heard of the name: Black Lagoon. Yep, the man responsible for bringing all the kickass in both seasons and the Roberta arc was him, so you’d think he’d have a genuinely successful career in the industry with his talent. Well, he sorta does, but it’s mostly underground.
Despite the popularity of his foray into action, he’s mainly a Ghibli-esque storyteller with the majority of his resume being family friendly stuff that contain very familiar plot points to those who’ve watched Castle in the Sky or Future Boy Conan. And by the majority of his resume, I mean his three other anime (one series and two movies) that no…
Read at the sourceAngry_Anime_Nerd
I wouldn't recommend Mai Mai Miracle to people who hate movies that are strong on nostalgia. I don't think I even like movies about a third grader very much. The characters' short heights were annoying. The voice acting is perfect for the most part, there were some parts where Shinko's voice sounded too old for her age. and so is the animation.
Shinko is way too annoying and she is the one that gives you the most nostalgia. It kind of reminds me of Totoro, though, I wish the sister (I forgot her name) was with her big sister more. The little sister and Kiiko are my favorite characters. The movie is truly forgettable, the second part is hard to follow, the movie is just a slice of life story, you know, no plot and not much of a fantasy either like Totoro is. I'm a Totoro fan and I can't l…
Read at the sourceEliseBlossom
I really loved this movie. I love the characters, the story, it was all so beautiful and its just one of those movies that makes you think about your childhood, and opens your imagination. I really liked the main characters interest in the past, not only because I also have interest in learning about history, but because I think that its important to remember the past and know our past. Its just a really beautiful story and I really enjoyed it. I can't believe I hadn't looked into the movie sooner.
Read at the sourcevash47
Mai Mai is one of those great lesser known animated films from japan. As the work of Sunao Katabuchi, former assistant director of Miyazaki on Kikki’s Delivery Service, the influence shows.
The story centers around Shinko, an elementary school girl on a rural town who likes to daydream about what her town was 1000 years ago, while imaginarily establishing a friendship with a girl from the royalty of classical japan, both of them longing for friendship. One day a shy new student, Kiiko, is transferred from Tokyo to Shinko’s class, soon becoming friends and eventually sharing Shinko’s dream.
The film nails perfectly all the points of a good slice of life: the beauty of everyday things, childhood, friendship, and dreams. All of this with the background of a rural town in post-war Japan, the…
Read at the sourcebobcutpony
Mai Mai Miracle is a wonderful movie that primarily focuses on a friendship and its development between two girls. As well as the friendship, little adventures and resolution to conflicts for the two girls and the people around them ensue.
The art and sounds for the movie are remarkable. I was thoroughly impressed by the attention to detail that included things like the sound of wind and tall grasses. Based on the countryside of Japan in the 1950s as well as the Heian period included beautiful landscaping.
Characters were definitely my favorite part of the movie. With simple yet lovely character designs, the two main girls, Shinko and Kiiko, are illustrated with natural personalities. Shinko's outgoingness and Kiiko's progress with gradual progress as a new kid were heavily developed. Al…
Read at the sourceSheepdude
Mai Mai Shinko and the Thousand Year Magic explores the wonder of childhood through the imaginative minds of Shinko and Kiiko as they create friendships and marvel at the world around them. Set in 1950s-era rural Japan, a small group of elementary school students must rely on their imaginations and the local farmscape to pass the time.
There isn't any one central conflict to string the story along, but the characters learn to make friends, express themselves, and admire their prolific ancestors who once made the land a mighty cultural center. An imagined story of an ancient princess runs parallel to the lives of the characters as they must struggle with issues like death and abusive fathers. The story isn't a tragedy, however, as the kids must simply learn to deal with reality and see the…
Read at the sourceasckj1
I wonder why none of the fansub groups till now never even bothered to look up to this movie. Its been released in 2009 and has been out for a while now. But it is only this month (July 2011) that a proper fansub group released the english version.
A simple but wonderfully executed story of a countryside girl and her everyday fun adventure. Well people have said it has a typical ghibli atmosphere but its definitely not a copy. The taking of the movie has its own distinct way of keeping you engaged in watching further.
Story [10/10]: Shinko, the main protagonist, who imagines all kinds of people and places based on her grandfather's stories of 1000 years ago, meets Kiiko who has comes from Tokyo and who is attending the same schol as Shinko. Quickly due to her appearance and the coloure…
Read at the source