Grave of the Fireflies
Animation
Drama
War
Average Score
8.455
/
10
Status
Released
Format
MOVIE
Release Date
April 16, 1988
Duration
1 hour 29 minutes
Studio
Studio Ghibli
Synopsis
In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
Trailer 💡
Watch 🎬
Reviews
Andres Gomez
June 23, 2021
The terrible story of two orphaned Japanese kids during the ending of WWII.
Incredibly well told and totally moving, without using clichés. A must seen in the anime arena.
sykobanana
June 23, 2021
This was the first animated movie that made me cry as an adult.
It still does.
Two children are left as orphans in World War 2 and have to survive. Such a basic premise, but this shows intimately what the effects of war are on children (a topic not covered by other movies). And as it's about children, it has more of an emotional impact.
Described as one of the greatest war movies of all time by Roger Ebert, the work of art will impact you like no other anime.
Its interesting to note that this was released originally with My Neighbour Totoro. Both are films about childhood. But where Totoro is about innocence maintained and the joy of childhood, Fireflies is innocence lost, a light dimmed after a short period.