Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

For those who insist that cartoons of all forms, and particularly anime, are for children, I present you with Grave of the Fireflies. This amazingly well-done anime has some of the most touching, most depressing scenes I've ever seen on a screen, regardless of format.This film is set in Japan near the end of World War 2. Seita and Setsuko live in Kobe with their mother, whom they adore. When the air raid sirens sound, Seita and Setsuko run ahead to the bomb shelter, leaving their mother (who has a heart condition and cannot run) to follow. Seita is obviously not happy with this situation, but the early teen youth cannot carry both his toddler sister and his mother, so he agrees, sure his mother will join them at the shelter.From here begins the long, sad tale of the losses that Seita and Setsuko suffer through together. This is very much the story of a young man forced into the role of provider, protector, and nurturer years ahead of time, and of his little sister who adores him. Seita struggles to provide for himself and for Setsuko, and refuses to surrender himself to despair, regardless of the obstacles he is presented.I feel that this movie is all the more heart-wrenching for the way that the hurt and the pain and the fear are interspersed with the moments of joy and lightheartedness. For much of the movie, it is almost possible to believe that Seita and Setsuko will come out of this together. Of course, since the movie opens with Seita dying, alone, you know that your hope is misplaced, but you want them to survive. The love they share, and the joy they take from one another make you root for them.The characters in Grave of the Fireflies are remarkably well acted. Seita, standing strong, doing whatever is necessary to take care of his little sister. Setsuko is the perfect toddler. Happy one moment, crying the next, unsure of why anything is happening, but sure that Seita can fix everything. The childrens' aunt, a cold, sarcastic, bitter woman, taking every opportunity to ensure the children, especially Seita, is aware of how much they impose upon her and her patriotic family.In addition to the quality of the story and the caliber of the actors, the beauty of the artwork is just incredible. The facial expressions, the landscapes, the atmosphere. It's all wonderful, drawing you into the story. I found myself checking to see if the prone form of Setsuko was breathing as she lie ill, then realizing that wait, this is animation.This provocative, compelling tragedy is based upon a true story. The original author, Nosaka Akiyuki, wrote a novel based upon his real-life experiences at the end of the war in Japan. This story was then turned into a manga (Japanese comic book), and the story became very popular and well-known.Trivia buffs might be interested in knowing exactly how this movie made it to the screen. A director by the name of Hayao Miyazaki was working on a project named "My Neighbor Totoro" but the production company was worried that nobody would be interested in the tale of two little kids and a monster living in rural Japan. Therefore, they decided to make a movie they felt would draw viewers based upon the familiarity of the tale and for the educational value of the story, and make it a double-feature with "My Neighbor Totoro", billing and packaging the two movies together. Those who are familiar with both movies find the concept of packaging or viewing the cheery, light-hearted romp that is Totoro with such somber, depressing fare as "Grave of the Fireflies" mind-boggling, but the tactic seemed to work, though Totoro has become far more popular and well-known of the two movies.I cannot recommend this movie enough. It is a poignant story of the love shared by a pair of siblings in the worst possible conditions. And you'll never look at fruit drops the same way again.

One of Studio Ghibli's best and most tragic films--a devastating look at a young boy and his toddler sister trying to survive the attacks on Japan in WWII. This is one of the few animations that makes me cry every time I see it, so if you're not into heavier subject matter or feeling emotions, watch this one sparingly. But you need to watch it. It's so good.

Excellent anime movie that I have reviewed before as a DVD. Heartbreaking story about two war orphans forced to survive on their own after the fire bombing of the city of Kobe where their house is destroyed and their mother is badly burned and soon dies. Their father is in the Japanese navy and is lost at sea. Relatives in a nearby town keep them out of obligation but soon tire of caring for them and with food supplies running short they force the two to leave. The only safe shelter they can find is a drainage hole near a river bank. At first, they are happy as they are free to do as they please, they play and gather fireflies to light the hole they live in, trapped by mosquito netting. In the morning, Setsuko gathers the dead bugs and prepares to bury them. When her brother asks her what she is doing, she asks 'Why do fireflies die so soon?' ( A reference to the title and the two children as their lives are just as fragile) she also mentions their mother's death as their Aunt told her about it. Seita had kept this from her and hearing her mention it so casually brings him to tears. As Seita and Setsuko try to make a life by cooking whatever they can find or steal, things get steadily worse as Setsuko begins to succumb to malnutrition / starvation, desperate to save his sister, he takes her to a doctor who says all she needs is good food. He decides to go to the bank and draws out the last of their money and buys food, but upon coming back, he finds Setsuko weak, delerious and semi-conscious, he feeds her some melon and proceeds to cook food for her but, she falls into a coma before its ready and dies before morning. Gathering supplies, Seita performs a cremation and puts some of Setsuko's ashes in a fruit drop tin. The final scenes are months later as Seita is dying of malnutrition / starvation in a train station. Upon finding his body, the attendant picks up the fruit drop tin and after examining the contents, throws it out into the night to land in the grass, disturbing the fireflies who fly up to illuminate a small figure curled up in the grass, who sits up, then stands. it is Setsuko and Setia soon joins her. He leans down to pick up the rusty can, which changes to like new and opens it to give Setsuko a fruit drop. Going to the train and boarding it, they ride for awhile before getting out to sit on a bench sitting upon a hill. As Seita tells Setsuko 'its time for sleep' she lays her head in his lap and the camera pans up to show the bench and hill are overlooking the rebuilt city of Kobe many years into the future, lit with many small lights, like fireflies in the night. This is a beautiful film, the style is like a watercolor painting.

Do you want to watch a movie where literally the entire movie is absolute depression and by the end of the movie so will you? If you want to have a really ugly snot bubbling cry at the end of the night, look no further! This movie is such an amazing movie, but it's so sad and depressing I literally have never been able to watch the movie and not end it sobbing like a pet just passed away. I could never recommend this movie more, it is well worth the watch.