maboroshi
アリスとテレスのまぼろし工場
maboroshi
アリスとテレスのまぼろし工場
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
3/5
Complex
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Maboroshi is a Japanese animated film with a dreamlike, melancholic atmosphere, following teenagers trapped in a town frozen after an industrial disaster. The main sensitive elements come from its eerie and oppressive mood, scenes of danger around the factory, a growing sense that reality is unstable, and emotional material involving loss, confusion, and isolation. Physical violence is limited and not graphic, but the psychological tension appears regularly, with several moments that may unsettle children who struggle with sad, ambiguous, or unsettling stories. The film also asks for some emotional and narrative maturity, because its mysteries and symbolic imagery are not always easy for younger viewers to process. I would recommend it mainly from age 11 for independent viewing, and around 9 or 10 with a parent who can offer reassurance, explain the stranger story elements, and talk afterward about change, grief, and growing up.
Synopsis
A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving teenage Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.
Difficult scenes
The factory explosion and the discovery that the town has been cut off from the outside world create an early atmosphere of disaster and confinement. The scene is not gory, but the idea of being trapped in an eternal winter may worry children who are sensitive to end of the world situations or long separations. Several scenes in and around the factory place teenagers in a dangerous industrial setting, with fire, smoke, machinery, and a real sense of physical risk. The feral girl hidden there may also feel unsettling because of her unpredictable behavior and the mystery surrounding who she is. As the story progresses, cracks appear in the sky, characters begin doubting the reality around them, and one classmate vanishes in a striking scene. This moment is not especially graphic, but it can be disturbing because it suggests sudden disappearance and makes the world feel unstable and threatening. The film also carries a strong emotional weight linked to frozen time, fear of change, and sadness about things that cannot last. Younger viewers may be less shaken by any single image than by the ongoing feeling of melancholy, separation, and uncertain fate that runs through the story.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2023
- Runtime
- 1h 52m
- Countries
- Japan
- Original language
- JA
- Directed by
- Mari Okada, Seimei Kidokoro
- Main cast
- Junya Enoki, Reina Ueda, Misaki Kuno, Koji Seto, Kento Hayashi, Taku Yashiro, Tasuku Hatanaka, Daiki Kobayashi, Ayaka Saito, Maki Kawase
- Studios
- MAPPA, Warner Bros. Japan, dentsu, KADOKAWA, Cygames, Bushiroad, movic, LEGS, NatureLab, Mainichi Shimbun, Lawson
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
3/5
Complex
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
Maboroshi is a Japanese animated film with a dreamlike, melancholic atmosphere, following teenagers trapped in a town frozen after an industrial disaster. The main sensitive elements come from its eerie and oppressive mood, scenes of danger around the factory, a growing sense that reality is unstable, and emotional material involving loss, confusion, and isolation. Physical violence is limited and not graphic, but the psychological tension appears regularly, with several moments that may unsettle children who struggle with sad, ambiguous, or unsettling stories. The film also asks for some emotional and narrative maturity, because its mysteries and symbolic imagery are not always easy for younger viewers to process. I would recommend it mainly from age 11 for independent viewing, and around 9 or 10 with a parent who can offer reassurance, explain the stranger story elements, and talk afterward about change, grief, and growing up.
Synopsis
A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving teenage Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.
Difficult scenes
The factory explosion and the discovery that the town has been cut off from the outside world create an early atmosphere of disaster and confinement. The scene is not gory, but the idea of being trapped in an eternal winter may worry children who are sensitive to end of the world situations or long separations. Several scenes in and around the factory place teenagers in a dangerous industrial setting, with fire, smoke, machinery, and a real sense of physical risk. The feral girl hidden there may also feel unsettling because of her unpredictable behavior and the mystery surrounding who she is. As the story progresses, cracks appear in the sky, characters begin doubting the reality around them, and one classmate vanishes in a striking scene. This moment is not especially graphic, but it can be disturbing because it suggests sudden disappearance and makes the world feel unstable and threatening. The film also carries a strong emotional weight linked to frozen time, fear of change, and sadness about things that cannot last. Younger viewers may be less shaken by any single image than by the ongoing feeling of melancholy, separation, and uncertain fate that runs through the story.