It is post-war
Japan, just weeks before American troops arrive for occupation. In the
city of Kobe, a boy lies dying in a train station. By his body lies a
small metal candy container. A janitor, not sure what to make of its ashy
contents, pitches it into the night. As fireflies float softly around it,
ghostly figures of the boy and his little sister emerge. Flashback to a
short time earlier. After the loss of their mother in a
firebomb
attack on their city, 14-year-old Seita and his 4-year-old sister Setsuko set
out to survive on their own, in the face of a society no longer able to help
them. Their father is serving the Japanese navy, but the children have not
heard from him in a long time, so Seita and Setsuko try staying with a distant
relative. However, Seita doesn't get along well with this relative, and
decides to leave, taking Setsuko with him, to live on their own......
| Original Story | Based on a book, "Hotaru no Haka" by Akiyuki Nosaka which is semi-autobiographical. He lost his little sister during the war due to malnutrition. He blamed himself for her death for a long time, and wrote this novel to come to terms with it. |
| Director | Isao Takahata (in collaboration with Hayao Miyazaki). |
| Music | Yoshio Mamiya, who also worked on other
Takahata movies. Download "Grave of the Fireflies" music pieces (in realplayer format): |
| Awards | Winner of the “Best Animated Feature Film” at the 1994 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. |
My Thoughts:
A simply
awe-inspiring account of life, love, and loss, "Grave of the
Fireflies" is a powerful and tragic story about the effect of WWII on Japanese
children. This is considered as an animation masterpiece which
is extremely touching as it shows the destructive
consequences of war and conquest. It is also a story of the
perseverance, bravery, innocence, and purity in the face of insurmountable
despair. To me, it is also one of the most emotionally devastating movies
(especially for animations) in existence. 
As I watched the
story, I cannot express in words how attached one becomes
to Setsuko's character. It is really an uncommon animation which is both
dark and tragic that can really bring people to great emotional turns. I
especially like the way how the show started by the death of Seita, which makes
one wonder what leads to his early death. Also, the music in the film is
simply haunting, bringing an air of loss as one shares his sympathies with the
children. I would highly recommend "Grave of the Fireflies" to anyone,
whether an animation fan or not. It is an amazing film and the fact that
it's based on a true story just adds so much to the emotional connection one
develops with the characters.
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