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| I think 2-hour dramas such as Sayoasa will always have different mileage depending on the audience, but I thought this was perhaps the most emotionally sophisticated anime series/movie I've watched, and it's hard to even come up with something close to it. The fact of the matter is the plot is incredibly lackluster. But that's probably never the point of Sayoasa: what it really tries to sketch out is the characters and their development and change from start to finish. And in that respect, I would say it succeeded in large measure. Everything obviously began with the trauma caused by the invasion of Iorph and the displacement of their people. From there, paths diverged significantly. Maquia found Ariel and ultimately her calling--which is to continue forging bonds and writing Ariel's story despite the goodbyes she will have to say along the way. Leilia lost her freedom and all else against her will, but in the end found the will to be free and let go of her past. Krim unfortunately, but understandably, became a husk of himself and drove himself to his ruin. The most interesting character was of course Ariel, who may well have had a feeling for Maquia at some point, but strove to forge his own path and eventually did so with resolve. It's honestly difficult for me to summarize Ariel because there was just so much to him. But more generally, this movie did a fantastic job with illustrating the internal struggles and multifaceted nature of life, growth, and development without trying to sugarcoat or gloss over anything. It's going to be hard to find a movie with as vivid characterizations, maturity, and attention to detail as this one. Just a great piece of work and well worth the time. |
| Finally watched it, totally not like what I expected (somehow thought it would be another immortal girl x normal human aged until he died kind of story). The pacing is really weird, suddenly maquia got kidnapped and suddenly ariel said i will become a father and i was really confused af because i thought it’s still in the same damn timeline loool. Became a father with whom ??? and then wham he’s married with his bully from childhood LMAO i just couldnt take it seriously after that. Also I didn’t agree with a lot of charactersk choices in this story, like it went against logical decision I expect them to do and it frustrated me so much. Near ending when the son wanted to be a soldier and when she was kidnapped, I was disappointed to not see him trying to search for her whatsoever. In the end I can’t even feel that the familial bond is on equal? Feels more like maquia playing mother instead of it being equal familial bond. This also made me dislike this movie more. In the end, since it’s movie about them and other charas are barely touched (maybe leilia? Her decision also made me ???? a lot) i cant really appreciate it for what it was. Really lacking for such a supposedly emotional movie It’s a really nicely animated film though (backgrounds and the akihiko yoshida adapted character design are just so pretty!! Cygames should take an example from this film when animating gbf anime geez) I just feel like they could take better take of the story since the premise sounds interesting, in the end it just doesn’t feel moving at all since the character interaction is so...lacking. A 7/10 for me, wish it could be better story wise. |
umagiAug 13, 2019 7:32 PM
| Pretty nice movie and ending. Maquia learning how to grow a child or being a mother is simply the best part of this movie. There are so many cuts from here that left us with questions that shouldn't happen if possible, this would be better as a tv series imo. Leilia's decision about abandoning her child is one of the unsatisfying scene, Leilia was like FORGET ABOUT ME and tried to escape from her. I mostly can't agree with that part, Medmel was like traumatized because of that, they like meet for the first time and that is the time also where they will part their ways, simply as greeting and saying goodbye at the same time. Ariel's decision is nice too, instead of developing a feeling for his mother he decided to do it with his childhood friend. Other than that, the ending was nice and sad at the same time. Being able to live longer is not good at all, you will only hurt yourself if you love someone even once as the elder said. I almost at the last part, I guess it wasn't that strong enough to make me cry hard. |
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| Admit it -- you cried. T_T |
| Not a perfect movie by any stretch, but I did enjoy it a bit. Damn ninjas and their onions got me at the end |
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| A very well crafted movie that is sure to pull on your heartstrings. A very sweet and heartwarming movie about a bond between a mother and her adopted child that stood the test of time. A must watch movie created by Mari Okada. Aside from the stunning visuals and beautiful music, the story is quite something. Damn, one of the movies that didn't only made me shed a tear but made me cry. 10/10 |
| “What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means? Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or do you remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?” ― Lelouch Vi Britannia |
Rewatched it on teathers. I don't have words to actually describe it, honestly. Comrade, don't cry! |
 Decide once every certain number of years which members of the ruling class will oppress and crush the people in parliament: this is the true essence of bourgeois parliamentarism, not only in the constitutional parliamentary monarchies but in the most democratic republics - The State and Revolution (September 1917), Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov "Lenin". |
| Pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a high fantasy anime with battles, wars, magic. It did have all that, but it was so much more. I didn't expect it to be a beautiful story that covers a lot of themes, chief among them being motherhood and love. I don't know how many times my eyes welled up over the course of watching the movie. From the get go it pulled at my heartstrings. It was so heartbreaking to see how Ariel treated Maquia starting from his young adult days until they met again at the battle. Maquia didn't deserve any of that at all. There are still some things that I have yet to understand. Such as why did Maquia have to leave when it was clear that Ariel literally called her "Mom" and didn't want her to leave. Why Leilia just left her daughter without doing anything, not embracing her, why did she leave anyway? But the ending was still so sad yet beautiful. It really hit me when I realised that the little girl wasn't Ariel's daughter, it was her granddaughter. Yet Maquia was still so young (in appearance). And Ariel could no longer wrap his hand around hers like he did when he was a newborn. It's always painful for a mother, a parent to witness their child dying. The scene were Maquia cried and the flowers were flying all around her, I got goosebumps and tears in my eyes. It was so beautiful, sad. Bittersweet is the best word. Also surprised that the director is the writer of The Anthem of the Heart which I just recently watched. Truly she's a genius and one of my new favourite people in the industry. I felt it was really beautiful and I wanted to give it a 10. But despite how beautiful and how much I loved it, I just don't feel it's "masterpiece" quality. So giving it a 9, with a 10 for me personally in my heart. Barlow's quote though. Not all partings need to be sad. |
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| I became interested in the works of Mari Okada lately, and I dedicated watching this movie as a start. This movie definitely showed her talents as a screenwriter. The story was moving from the beginning to the end, the characters were interesting and got lots of development trough the story, and the animation was awesome, trough, I need to give the praise to P.A Works in that case. And the ending.... Ok, now, I need to finish AnoHana, and then comes Anthem of the Heart, that will be one hell of a ride... |
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| One word: BEAUTIFUL!! |
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| Kinda teetering 6/10, timeskips screws up the story. But damn the plot twists got me. Unpopular opinion, I think Leilia should've died nearing the ending. lol screw her. |
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| Absolutely beautiful movie. I'm sorry for putting you off for so long. |
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| Most beautiful anime movie i've ever watched T_T |
| My ships T----T (I know it's not right, can't help it) it makes me sad especially the ending 😞 I don't understand about the war though. |
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| It looked pretty. That's about the most positive thing I can say about this. The second half in particular was a complete fucking mess. 5/10, waste of time. |
| It's one of those movies that are average in most quantifiable aspects, but do one thing extremely well. To the point of becoming remembered not for - but through that thing. For SayoAsa it's the encapsulated essence of parenthood with all its ups and downs laid on the axis of time passage and coping with it. It did it brilliantly, but due to the nature of the theme itself, it's probably not a 'one size fits all' movie. I'd argue that younger demographics might be a bit bored with the movie and nitpick its shortcomings, while older part of the audience should appreciate it to a fuller extent. Notwithstanding the praise, SayoAsa had its share of issues, and while they were mostly overcast by what the movie excelled in... well, they're still there. 8/10 from me. Numerous, significant issues which bent under the weight of irrefutably amazing execution of the main theme. Highly polarizing. |
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| Pretty good movie. 7/10 |
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| What does Maquia mean by saying Ariel is my Hibiol? Kinda confused me and thought it's a big part of the story. |
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| I liked this overall. Knew I was going to cry because it would be sad, but dang it got me like three times at the end because I got attached to the characters lol Story and certain details definitely could have been expanded (this is one movie I wouldn't mind seeing a series about) but I still enjoyed the ride a lot. This is one I'm probably going to buy just to recommend it to people. Not sure if I'd rewatch. |
| I was suprised, I like it a lot actually . |
 Yahallo! Yatta! Baka! <!  "Humans, your existence was a mistake. Conflicts, lies, jealously, greed. You once caused me to lose everything and today I will devour everything... Because I am the Valkyrie Goddess"> |
| Tbh the plot was all over the place, but the last half-hour was pretty good. |
| Rely on nothing under heaven |
| I thought I was gonna suffer a heart attack cuz all the heavy crying I was doing. Goddammit, it's been a while since I've watched something so sad. Straight to the favorite movies of all time list it goes 10/10 |
| Good thing for this movie. I'd almost tear drop on the most of sad part. The bgm was really fit in every section. This how our mother taking of us please remember this. Being alone doesn't make you forever alone. That's the point imo. Thanks for the great work Okada-san. Graphic really so clean I like it Tbh I feel like want to give this 9/10 but I feel distracted with the plot change so fast and it was shook me. 8/10 for the great movie. |
| I cannot say with absolute confidence since a lot of time has passed between many tear jerking anime I've seen, but the final 10 minutes is definitely one of the saddest goddamn moments I've ever seen in an anime. I want to say the saddest, but again, time passes along with the level of sadness in other anime. Damn I cried my heart out. |
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| An anime about Motherhood from where you least expected it. Just that deserves a 10/10, but also a decent plot about highlander dilemma, and the astonishing visuals of PA. Works. |
Rob7Jul 1, 2020 5:03 AM
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| Its nice to see someone also watched the film at the same time as me ^ above poster. It was emotional, the concepts were great which admittedly took me some time to process what was happening. I loved that me as the viewer even took time to process this little 'not so little girl is becoming a mother... how much harder it was for her to feel like a mom when Ariel started becoming a young man. Its unfortunate what he decided to do and not look back on it. I just keep remembering all the moments he LOVED his mother and always wanted to be by her side... and eventually he came to turn against her. Seems like an accurate depiction of motherhood!!! At the end when she "breaks her promise" and BAWLS dear god I bawled too. And her getting carted away in the wagon... remembering where it all began 70+ years ago, it was quite an experience. In my humble opinion, loving someone was worth it all in the end. |
| Man what a beautiful anime film! One of my new favourites for sure. The artwork was splendid and the emotions were done so well and exhibited through the characters in such a real way. Got teary at the ending too// |
| I'm dehydrated from all the crying |
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| I watched SayoAsa last night after wanting to watch it for so long, but I was afraid I would cry a lot. Even before the movie was released, I cried when I watched the trailers. Listening to the song "Viator" would also make me cry. Still, I went into the movie knowing some common criticisms, just so that I could proceed with caution :D The most common criticsm I've seen is that the Leila subplot wasn't fleshed out. The time skips seem to also something people pointed out not liking. But I found neither points to have been a flaw, nor did they deter me from enjoying the movie. And I think ultimately, it's because this movie constantly evoked emotional responses from me. I cried at many different points of the movie, starting from the very first 10 minutes, when Maquia told the Elder that she had no one. It's difficult to put into words how exactly and why exactly SayoAsa was so beautiful, but I think zannett's post encapsulates my thoughts rather well. Focusing on the plot would be missing the point. The plot is straightforward, but it only serves as stimulus for how the characters would react to the situation, how they would grow from it. Which leads to what I think it the universal theme of the film: life. Most people try to make out the most from their current circumstances, like Mido, whom Maquia met first on the outside. She learned a lot from Mido, and she always tried her best to live with Ariel, no matter how little they had, or that they had to move from place to place. In contrast, Leilia and Krim faced their own hardships but were not mentally well. Not everyone can keep themselves together, especially if they're alone. We saw how differently the characters coped with their situations. Krim's time stopped, and he was bitter that Maquia could live happily with someone she loved. Leila was on the brink of insanity, she made seeing her daughter not a goal, but an obsession that gave her a reason to keep living. That's why at the end, when she saw Medmel for the first time, Leilia could leave her daughter behind. Because she hadn't known her daughter all this time, she was just lonely. It does seem harsh, that Leilia should love the daughter she gave birth to and leave with her. But what Leilia wanted the most was freedom. One can only try to imagine what thoughts went through Leilia's head as she was isolated by herself all those years. Loneliness is a big theme in the story as well, as it's something the Elder warned the Iorphs; that if they love something, it's when they'll truly feel alone. However, just like Maquia said in the end, partings allow for the next meeting. It's actually not the first time I've seen this line (or a similar line), but it still hit deeply since it fits the story perfectly. I also wanted to give my interpretation on why Ariel acted the way he did towards Maquia. Ariel was caught up on why Maquia would care so much about him, someone who isn't her flesh and blood, not even someone from the same clan. I think he had a complex about his own self-worth, seeing that she struggled so much for him. He wanted to sense of the hardships they went through--from having little money, to moving from place to place in order to avoid suspicion. I think this is an important part in understanding Ariel's hurtful words and attitude towards Maquia. He was frustrated at himself the most, but lashed out at Maquia instead. Yes, it was hurtful, but I think all of us have said something or acted in a way that had hurt a parent (or both) which we deeply regretted afterwards, or now, in hindsight. Almost forgot to talk about the visuals, it was really beautiful (as expected of Higashiji + PA Works). There's something about Higashiji's artwork that is so elegant in its execution. I can't say much about the cinematography since I was too busy sobbing, but I do recall seeing a few beautiful shots. Maybe I'll re-watch it one day and pay attention, but not anytime soon. Kawai Kenji's music is also, as usual, on point. Nothing flashy, but very fitting, reminiscent of his work in Seirei no Moribito. I particularly like the tracks "Iorph, Wakare no Ichizoku," "Haha ni Naru Hibi," and "Yakusoku no Hana." Maquia's motherhood was really well done, but I still think that above all else, it was a story about life. I'm also not always the biggest fan of multiple time-skips, but it worked well in SayoAsa. We got to see the characters at different points of their lives. No matter what happened or the changes, they kept living, but they also never forgot each other. I think the lyrics to the theme song "Viator" supports this. The lines "It's alright. No mattter what kind of future, the sun will rise for sure" is particularly beautiful and hopeful. |
tingyAug 29, 2020 3:55 AM
| Awesome animation. If only the CGI was on par with that. The dragon looked legit like it was from Overlord 3. I loved the drama in this movie. I usually don't like drama centric Japanese works maybe because they don't resonate well with me. This was a rare exception. Aside from certain weird moments such as those after Maquia's abduction, everything else was perfect. 9/10 for the movie. |
| I want to like this film, and I know there's a good story in here somewhere, but it feels fragmented and disjointed. At first, I thought Maquia was going to be a romance film between an immortal girl and a human boy with the heavy-handed warnings to not fall in love. I'm happily surprised that this ended up being the love between mother and child, rather than the overdone romantic love. However, I wish the film had solely focus on Maquia and Ariel. I don't know what's the deal with the writing, but it was absurdly mean-spirited toward Leilia's character. Much of her screen time was devoted to just torturing her, and her character's resolution was to tell her child, who she had to forcibly bear, to forget her as Leilia would forget her too. And...That was a miraculous moment where both Leilia and Medmel were happy about? The moment went by so fast that it went from a tearful first meeting between a mother and child in years, to an immediate unceremonious departure where both characters were just fine with everything. Leilia's character seemed to exist just to parallel Maquia's experience with motherhood, but it didn't feel necessary. In fact, the whole Krim and Leilia plot didn't seem to go anywhere. The kingdom understandably tried to tame wyvern-like beasts as proof of power, but I don't completely understand the point of marrying and having a child with a woman from a long-lived race of weavers. Was the halfblooded child supposed to have some sort of special power, or also be long-lived as well? If it was just a show of power, where Leilia was just supposed to be a trophy wife, then I could understand that much, but she was thrown aside by both the prince and the narrative. Leilia didn't really have much of a presence, but she was somehow present enough to detract from Maquia's and Ariel's story. All the suffering just seemed uncalled for, unreasonable, and unresolved. As a matter of fact, why did Leilia have to be the one out of everyone else among her kind who was kidnapped and forced into political marriage? Actually, what was the original plan with the kidnapping? Take as many women as possible, yet kill any of them that tried to resist? I feel like kidnapping requires them to be alive, and genocide goes against the goal. Regardless of my gripes, I still feel that there's a good story in here somewhere. The film took a lot of risks with its portrayal of motherhood, in combination with the Iorphs' long-lived characteristic that makes for a unique take on character relationships. I enjoyed the parts where Maquia and Ariel tried to come to terms with each other, as well as themselves. I enjoyed their journey through time, where Maquia had to be at peace with having a lifespan magnitudes longer than Ariel. I enjoyed Ariel trying to grow up and live independently, but still come back to Maquia as his anchor to life. I'm just...not really certain about everything else surrounding their story. |
| Holy crap, I cried like a baby. I hate tear-jerkers like this T---T I am just a sobbing mess. I did not expect this movie to be this heart-wrenching?! Looking at the trailer and poster I thought this was like a Romeo and Juliet kinda setting. I was SO wrong. Dis tew much T--T I have no regrets. I am just sad. but 10/10 sad. |
| I feel sorry for Krim. He doesn't deserve this hell. :( |
| "The future is always blank. Only your willpower can leave footsteps there." "Ruling over death means ruling over life. Death is the climax of life. To have the best death, you must honor life." |
| Well now I’m extremely sad and feeling lonely. Fuck imma die eventually |
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| Beautiful ending. I had a really bad feeling that Maquia would come back after a large time skip, but I didn't think it would be when Ariel was on his death bed. I was hoping Lily was actually Ariel's daughter since we never got to know her name. If you think about it, watching Maquia live her life while her son lives his while she doesn't age makes for a heart wrenching story itself. I only wish that the route that the movie went was where Maquia frequently visited the family and looked after Ariel's descendants. |
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