Grave of the Fireflies

Grave of the Fireflies (Japanese: 火垂るの墓, Hepburn: Hotaru no Haka) is a drama, tragedy, anti-war 1988 anime film. It was written and directed by Isao Takahata, musically composed by Michio Mamiya, filmed by Nobuo Koyama, edited by Takeshi Seyama, produced by Toru Hara and Studo Ghibli, distributed by Toho, and starred Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, and Akemi Yamaguchi. It's based on a novel of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka.

Synopsis
A devastating meditation on the human cost of war, this animated tale follows Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi), a teenager charged with the care of his younger sister, Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi), after an American firebombing during World War II separates the two children from their parents. Their tale of survival is as heartbreaking as it is true to life. The siblings rely completely on each other and struggle against all odds to stay together and stay alive.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Like all of Studio Ghibli's films before it, the animation is highly incredible, especially for its time. It also really fits the aesthetic that the film sets up; having a great amount of charm in spite of the near complete absence of any forms or sorts of comedy.
 * 2) It has a dark and depressing anti-war story which is skilled at tugging on the viewer's heart strings, so much so that many people call it "the greatest movie you'll never want to see again."
 * 3) The visuals of the film have a dark color pallet, which only helps to emphasize the grim world that is currently suffering the plight of World War II.
 * 4) It possesses themes that you don't often see in animation, no matter where the animation is from. While there have been other animations that have been anti-war, none of them have been as gritty or realistic as Grave of the Fireflies. The film proves time and time again that it isn't afraid to challenge it's child audience with it's mature and bleak themes and story.
 * 5) Even the antagonistic characters towards Seita and Setsuko (excluding their aunt) aren't truly bad people, as all they intend to do is survive the bombing, even if it involves them appearing seemingly cold-hearted and inconsiderate towards others (such as the farmer who turns Seita into the police after he steals from in order to feed Setsuko because he couldn't afford to lend anyone else his properties since he needed them to survive himself).
 * 6) Excellent soundtrack. It's appropriately grim and dooming (examples of it include Setsuko to Seita ~ Main Title [Setsuko and Seita ~ Main Title], Yake Nohara [The Burnt-out Area], Shoka [Early Summer], Namiuchigiwa [The Beach], Higasa [The Parasol], Sakura no Shita [Under the Cherry Blossoms], Dorobbusu [Drops], Hotaru no Haka [Grave of the Fireflies], and Yuuyake [Sunset Colors].
 * 7) The movie has a very emotional ending, where Seita and Setsuko die from starvation, but the final shot of the film shows them as spirits resting on a hilltop bench and looking over present-day Kobe, long after the war has come to an end.

The Only Bad Qualities

 * 1) Seita and Setsuko's aunt is the only truly unlikable character in the film, due to her greed and abusive nature towards the siblings.
 * 2) As mentioned in WIR#7, the ending is very emotional, and might not be comfortable for everyone to watch.

Reception
Grave of the Fireflies has been praised over the years as one of Studio Ghibli's absolute best and most emotional. The movie holds a rare 100% critic score and 95% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 4.3/5 on Letterboxd, and a 8.5/10 on the International Movie Database.

Videos
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