In Europe, Asmar and his mother are treated as disposable servants and outsiders.
Quando a ação se move para o Oriente Médio e Norte da África, a tela explode em cores e detalhes. Ocelot inspirou-se fortemente na arquitetura de palácios reais, como a Alhambra em Granada e as mesquitas de Istambul e do Norte da África. Os cenários são repletos de arabescos intrincados, azulejos geométricos (zelliges) e mosaicos deslumbrantes.
The story condemns bigotry in all its forms. In Europe, it is embodied by Azur's arrogant father, who despises Jenane's culture and cruelly expels her once her services are no longer needed. In the Maghreb, it is embodied by the xenophobic locals who reject Azur purely because of his blue eyes, which they consider unlucky. By showing bigotry on both sides of the sea, Ocelot makes a powerful statement: intolerance is a universal folly, and no culture is immune to it.