After almost two years since its announcement trailer, Alice and Therese's Illusion Factory has a new visual, a new trailer, a slightly more detailed synopsis, and a theatrical release date. It will be Mari Okada's second time directing after 2018's Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, and after that film's reception, fans have ample reason to be excited about this new film.
Back in January, we speculated which of MAPPA's previously-announced-but-radio-silent film projects would come out first, between Alice and Therese's Illusion Factory and Yuri on Ice: Ice Adolescence. The answer has come barely half a year later, and though fans of the latter will no doubt be rightfully upset, it's good to know that on September 15th, at least one of these projects will be more than a pretty teaser.
What IS This Film?
When Alice to Therese no Maboroshi Koujo - as it's called in Japanese - was first announced, it was difficult to glean what exactly it was about, despite having such a surprisingly long tease. The only thing that all 5 million viewers knew was that the film looked pretty, and judging by the imagery and the piercing scream that capped it off, it was going to be emotional too.
Such emotional hooks are a staple of Okada's most notable stories like Anohana or Anthem of the Heart, but Maboroshi seems especially reserved about this film's premise. Thankfully the new details have shed some light on the characters and a bit about the threat facing the residents of the film's town, as mysterious as everything might still be.
Masamune, a third-year middle school student, lives in a town where all the exits have been sealed off due to a sudden explosion at a steel mill, causing time to stand still. Residents are forbidden from making any changes and spend their suffocating days in the hopes of returning to normalcy someday.
One day, Masamune's mysterious classmate Mutsumi guides him to the fifth furnace of the steel mill, where they encounter a girl who cannot speak and resembles a wild wolf. The meeting between the two girls and Masamune disrupts the balance of the world, and the unstoppable "impulse of love" from boys and girls tired of their daily lives begins to destroy the world.
The initial teaser hinted at adolescent hormones and angst, but the synopsis takes things up a notch, contextualizing these emotions are one of the primary threats. There's still plenty that we don't know, from the nature of the town's confinement, to what these paranormal entities afflicting the town are, precisely.
The New Teaser
During the MAPPA Stage 2023 event, the new teaser was revealed, and while it is certainly shorter than the last one, the small additions give clues as to what themes this film may touch upon. The most notable change is the look of the supernatural entities that appear to attack the characters. Previously they were bright and colorful, weaving a warm fiery glow with a cool purple. Now, they have a cloudier, dark green look, that gels with the overall art direction a bit better.
Another noticeable change is the presence of a bright blue glow on those targeted by these mysterious entities. The new teaser shows a character with streaks of light covering their body, like cracks in glass with light pouring through. In another scene, a notebook is shown with a sketch of someone covered in vines riddled with thorns.
From the synopsis and the visuals, Maboroshi seems to be telling a melodrama about how "love's impulse with destroy the world" which is quite a bold concept. By the very sound of it, it is also one that couldn't fit Mari Okada's reputation more. Based on the somewhat sexualized imagery, there's a sense that it is honing in on a younger, more desperate, and impulsive kind of love.
Joining Mari Okada is assistant director Tadashi Hiramatsu, with character designs and animation direction by Yuriko Ishii. The music will be performed by Masaru Yokoyama and the art direction will be handled by Kazuki Higashiji. The voice cast includes Junya Enoki as Masamune Kikuiri, Reina Ueda as Mutsumi Sagami, and Misaki Kuno as Itsumi.
Alice and Therese's Illusion Factory is still keeping some secrets close to the chest, but no doubt it will become a very talked-about film come September. Okada's reputation is a storied one and her ascension to that of a director is an impressive one, but she is still new to directing. Here's hoping that her success with Maquia doesn't set a standard for success that she won't quite reach.
Source: My Anime List