Grave of the Fireflies is an enchanting animated 1988 film directed and written by Isao Takahata. The film is based on an adaptation of Akiyuki Nosaka's semi-autobiographical novel that was originally intended to be his very own personal apology to his sister.
The film takes place in Japan at the end of World War II. It tells the story of two orphan children, a young teenager named Seita (Tsutomu Tatumi) and his younger sister Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi). Their mother has died in a firebombing and their father is away doing his service in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Therefore, they are alone and forced to find a way to survive among the widespread famine and heartless countrymen, which are some of their extended family members.
The movie starts off with Seita dying of starvation at Sannomiya Station. When a janitor comes by, he starts going through Seita's things and comes across a candy tin. Within the tin are ashes and bones and when he throws it away, the spirit of Sieta, Setsuko and fireflies spring from it. From that point on Seita's spirit narrates the story which continues as a flashback to the Kobe fire bombings that occurred at the end of WWII. He tells the story of him and his sister trying to survive after the death of his mother, their bad experience they encountered with their extended family, which ultimately leads them to live on the streets, and his worst possible dream coming true, leaving him with nothing in the end. The film is touching and possibly one of the best animated war movies ever made.
Jennifer Chan
Grave of the Fireflies
Grave of the Fireflies is an enchanting animated 1988 film directed and written by Isao Takahata. The film is based on an adaptation of Akiyuki Nosaka's semi-autobiographical novel that was originally intended to be his very own personal apology to his sister.
The film takes place in Japan at the end of World War II. It tells the story of two orphan children, a young teenager named Seita (Tsutomu Tatumi) and his younger sister Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi). Their mother has died in a firebombing and their father is away doing his service in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Therefore, they are alone and forced to find a way to survive among the widespread famine and heartless countrymen, which are some of their extended family members.
The movie starts off with Seita dying of starvation at Sannomiya Station. When a janitor comes by, he starts going through Seita's things and comes across a candy tin. Within the tin are ashes and bones and when he throws it away, the spirit of Sieta, Setsuko and fireflies spring from it. From that point on Seita's spirit narrates the story which continues as a flashback to the Kobe fire bombings that occurred at the end of WWII. He tells the story of him and his sister trying to survive after the death of his mother, their bad experience they encountered with their extended family, which ultimately leads them to live on the streets, and his worst possible dream coming true, leaving him with nothing in the end. The film is touching and possibly one of the best animated war movies ever made.
