Grave of the Fireflies

Type: Movie

Episodes: 1

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 16, 1988

Producers: None found, add some

Licensors: ADV Films, Central Park Media, Sentai Filmworks

Studios: Studio Ghibli

Source: Novel

Genres: Drama, Historical

Duration: 1 hr. 28 min.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Plot:As World War II reaches its conclusion in 1945, Japan faces widespread destruction in the form of American bombings, devastating city after city. Hotaru no Haka, also known as Grave of the Fireflies, is the story of Seita and his sister Setsuko, two Japanese children whose lives are ravaged by the brutal war. They have lost their mother, their father, their home, and the prospect of a bright future—all tragic consequences of the war.

Now orphaned and homeless, Seita and Setsuko have no choice but to drift across the countryside, beset by starvation and disease. Met with the apathy of adults along the way, they find that desperate circumstances can turn even the kindest of people cruel yet their youthful hope shines brightly in the face of unrelenting hardship, preventing the siblings from swiftly succumbing to an inevitable fate.

User Review:THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

A well-renowned Studio Ghibli classic about 14 year-old Seita and his little sister struggling to survive after their home is destroyed by carpet bombing, their mother killed, and their father is away fighting with the Navy.

Except they don't really struggle. Not at first, anyways. They have a loving aunt who is more than willing to give them a place to stay, help cook for, and take care of them. Far from being grateful and thankful for this lucky turn of events, though, Seita is angry and resentful. Why?

Well, because occasionally she makes insensitive comments about how Seita plays all day with his sister and eats her food, instead of going to school or working. And you know what? She's absolutely correct!

A 14 year old in the 1940's was considered a mature adult, especially during in Japan, doubly so during wartime, and more than capable of working for a living.

At that age, my great-grandparents and grandparents (who were born around the same time as the fictional Seita, except in the USSR, where far more people starved to death and died during the war than in Japan) were either in the military or working to support their family. This wasn't considered either tragic or unusual; it was simply the way life was back then for the countries at total war.

However, Seita, despite supposedly caring for his sister, can't take this horrible verbal insult to his pride. He leaves his aunt's house, ignores the advice of a kindly farmer who tells him to go back and apologize, and continues obliviously playing with his younger sister...as they both slowly starve to death.

Thus, Seita is a completely callous, idiotic monster, responsible not only for his own death, but the death of his sister as well. That's my first problem with "Grave of the Fireflies". That the main character is responsible for the entire tragedy that ensues.

Another weakness of the movie is how completely contrived and fake the emotions were. You're telling me that when Seita sees his dead mother, her skin burned off her very flesh, he doesn't cry? He's so tough, that he tries to entertain his younger sister by doing tricks on a metal high bar?

That might make a great scene for a movie, but it's pure bullshit. Especially considering how childish and immature Seita acts throughout the rest of the movie. Him and his sister laughingly frolicking so soon afterwards also struck me as pure movie bullshit.

The aunt's own temperament is equally contrived. You're telling me that she shows no emotion upon hearing that her own sister has died? She's clearly no monster, and treats her nephews quite well, so why the utter lack of emotion? And why her bizarrely antagonistic attitude towards Setsuko, the younger sister? She's four year old.

Seita is the one at fault here, not her. Again, it makes little sense except as a series of emotionally manipulative scenes designed to make the viewer feel empathy.

Yet, the anime has an even greater flaw; it fails to make a statement. There is no point to the story.

Seita and Setsuko suffer tragedy during World War 2. They play and laugh a lot. Seita ignores the responsibilities of an adult. Eventually, they starve.

What's the punchline? What's the meaning? There have been thousands of films before this and hundreds of films afterwards about the cruelty of war. What makes this one special? What's the director's message about life and the human condition? There is none.

Hell, I didn't even feel any particular pity for the two fictional characters. The director even failed to do that.

On the bright side, the animation of "Grave of the Fireflies" is, for its time, absolutely breathtaking, as is its attention to the most minute details of a scene must have taken tremendous dedication and effort on the part of the artists.

The music, while a simple orchestral score, is nevertheless touching, adding just the right emotion to several important scenes. It's not overpowering, but rather a soft background noise that makes one think of nostalgia and regret. In certain scenes, the music isn't used at all, which, if anything, enhances the scene.

Lastly, I should note that the movie is semi-autobiographical. The writer Akiyuki Nosaka experienced a version of these events with his own little sister.

Only in reality, he stole food from her. She died, and he survived.

Now that would have been an ugly, authentic story worth telling.

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