With it being a new work by Mari Okada, it’s actually sad it’s so underwatched.
Summary:
- Maboroshi, a new movie by Mari Okada, just came to Netflix.
- It’s somewhat confusing in execution, but ultimately worth watching, especially because of its visuals.
- Some fans think a lack of a huge marketing campaign is why it’s so unpopular.
Maboroshi (Alice to Therese no Maboroshi Koujou) was originally revealed during the MAPPA Stage 2021: 10th Anniversary event. It was released in Japanese theaters in September 2023, and now it has come to Netflix — but for some reason, no one is talking about it.
What is this movie?
Maboroshi is a new anime-original movie by Mari Okada. She’s an experienced screenwriter, responsible for anime like Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai.) and Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou).
Okada’s works are often characterized by the topics of teenage romance, love triangles and human relationships. Her writing is often described as melodramatic, which some fans don’t like — but she has a lot of dedicated fans. It seems that this work of hers went under the radar, however.
Why is it so weird?
This is a somewhat bizarre occurrence, especially considering the movie is animated by MAPPA. Despite the studio being entangled in controversies involving the treatment of animators, you can’t deny the fact that these animators are extremely good at their work.
Maboroshi is not an exception: it looks absolutely stunning, and might be worth watching for the visuals alone.
Those who have already seen the movie found the plot somewhat confusing. It feels more like an exploration of ideas, and takes some time to sink in — and when it does, the result is great. That approach to storytelling might weird some people out.
Besides that, Maboroshi doesn’t actually feature characters by the names of Alice and Therese — which confused some of the viewers.
The Japanese name comes from Okada’s experience in school, where she thought that the Greek philosopher Aristotle is two people (Aristoteles and Alice to Therese would sound the same in Japanese).
Worth watching or not?
Overall, the movie is definitely underrated, even if a bit weird. It deals with the themes of love and family, and mixes supernatural elements with down-to-earth drama. If you enjoyed Okada’s work in Maquia, you might enjoy this one — you can see it on Netflix.
Some fans attribute the apparent lack of popularity to the lack of promotional materials. There’s definitely some truth to this: with how much of current anime discourse relies on hype, a non-action movie that didn’t try to appeal to the broader audience with flashy trailers definitely wouldn’t become a mass hit, even if it is good.