I watched Grave of the Fireflies in the mid 90's and was deeply moved. I watched it again in 2004, then having a 4 year old son, and found it profoundly painful in a way I hadn't before.
A remarkable achievement.
The greatest movie I never want to see again.
After watching this the first thing came to my mind was I'm so privileged I hadn't have to live through the horror of a war. Heartbreaking and moving story of two siblings whose love for each other gives us an example how we, people should treat and look after our loved ones. Must see!
I'm going to compare this movie to Empire of the Sun, as they bear similarity, so spoilers for both
The main theme in both of these movies is; suffering. However, in GotF the suffering is mostly by choice. in EotS, Jamie does not choose to suffer and feel alone, he is thrust into a camp and the only choice he is given is to either further his suffering with the chance of reuniting with his parents, or join the pack of other westerners that will most likely lead him down a path of chaos. Seita chooses to isolate himself and his sister from his only living family simply because his aunt did not treat him well, and it ultimately lead to the death of him and his sister. He had a choice to suffer little, or suffer greatly, and he chose wrong. Both of these movies have a different outcome, yet somehow EotS had a more lingering presence in my mind despite the "happy" ending, because you knew he had no choice in enduring what he had to. GotF is still a visually remarkable movie with a dark and depressing story, however I feel as if the choices that Seita made impacted on my enjoyment of the movie. I understand he is only 14 years old and he felt like he could support himself and Setsuko, but everyone has a shitty aunt and if he had just stayed with her he may have survived.
I recommend watching both of these movies close to each other to gain a perspective about both of them, as they are both movies that are great within their own merits.
It was emotional. The boy lost everyone one by one but i think the film was highly inaccurate. First he should leave his sister at his aunt's house.
Second if he had the money why did he steal?
Third he should take her to the doctor early.
Fourth he never tried to find a job.
The moral of this movie is "war is bad".
before trying to write a couple word for a review, I bother myself reading other people's review which is pretty amazing, considering some people said sobbing after the ending and the other said this movie is boring and looks a bit dull, this however a movie that if you try to look from different perspective will give you different sensation and interpretation also this movie is not intentionally trying to break people's heart after watching it but its rather intended to show how war looks like at microscopic viewpoint of two children who desperately trying to survive in the midst of chaos, separated from their parents whilst witnessing the true horror of war, pretty much war movie is about bloodshed, bullets flying, explosion, warcry, soldier and etc that closely related to war itself but "Grave of Fireflies" wanted to present the audience, the image of how the terror of war impact the very miniscule level of life despite who causes it what reason behind it, or who win who lose. boring or not, sad or not this movie is more than worth watching not just as entertainment but as a remainder that this kind of situation still happens now and we are still fortunate as the audience not as those "two kids"
Very depressing and sad movie and a neglected masterpiece, this movie clearly shows the direct and indirect costs of war and it's effect on children, I deeply moved by this movie
Totally recommended.
This movie was like a deep stab in my heart with a knife. No with machete. So sad and cruel... and unfortunately so real. This actually happened and my cold heart was shattered into thousand pieces.
What a terrible pick to watch on Christmas Eve.
Many of the comments I've seen have refered to this as one of the saddest cartoons every created.
I felt this movie was more depressing and anger inducing then anything, and left me rather drained when the credits rolled around.
As always with everything Studio Ghibli, a feast for the eyes from start to finish, but beyond that, a rather staunch and bland adventure.
Another fantastic movie from Studio Ghibli that you'll ever want to watch once. This is a film that aims to hurt, and after watching it, I can't see myself ever wanting to watch it again in the future. I still highly recommend it, but pick a good time that you can fully pay attention to it.
Possibly one of the most emotional anime movies I have ever watched. Grave of the Fireflies was filled with so much raw emotion. It's a tragic, heartfelt movie that shows you the outcomes of war and how its like to live through them. From the beginning to the end I was hooked, waiting for the next scene and preparing myself for even more tears. I highly, highly recommend this. 10/10
Heartbreaking… Although it feels a bit weird to watch this kind of story in an anime format, but still… Heartbraking.
Grave of the Fireflies is a tragic and heartbreaking war story. Its message is poignant. However, the anime emotionally moves the film one step from reality, softening its impact. Anime is just not for me.
I love how you can immediately tell by the animation style and storytelling that this isn’t a Miyazaki film. It’s not as conceptual or story driven, instead this is a very mature, emotionally draining character study. Seriously, show this to anyone who thinks that animation is just family entertainment. You could easily accuse this of being misery porn, in fact it’s hard to disagree with that, but I think it’s tastefully done. It’s really a movie about the loss of youthful innocence. There are two very compelling, human characters at the center, both of which are well performed by the voice actors. The animation, filmmaking and score all work in tandem to create a journey that’s dark and heavy, but without ever becoming completely hopeless. A lot of the more intimate scenes are about distracting oneself from the hopeless reality these characters find themselves in. The melancholy is always palpable, but it’s not unrelentingly bleak for the most part. Until the final scenes, that is. While the ending is a touch predictable, the turn it takes is so devastating and depressing that the emotion I felt will stay with me for a long time. Prepare yourself for a tough watch, but one that’s absolutely essential.
9/10
A neorealist and heartbreaking vision of World War II told in the stories of two orphaned children.
One of the saddest films I have ever seen, Grave of the Fireflies is a wonderful film with beautiful animation accompanied by an incredible soundtrack. Get your tears ready.
8,5/10
An incredibly powerful, heart wrenching depiction of the impact of armed conflict. Sadly, always and forever relevant. This should be shown in schools.
There was an intense sadness that permeates this film. It was simply a heartbreaking story that we know is all too true in our history. I think this story hits each person with a different intensity. Whether you have children, have survived through a war, etc. The emotional impact is different for each person, in each stage of life. I think if I were to revisit this in 20 years, I might be left sobbing instead of simply depressed. It was still an excellent film.
The film is of quality, but very sad, very deep it makes you see the cruelty of that time and it tears your heart at the end.
When I watched this I was on the dinner table, I wasn't able to cry there because I was also talking with my family, but later, when I was watching paying attention, the sadness and how brilliant this movie is hit and even remembering now makes me close to crying.
the only movie ever to make my tears fall
I cried about it, but I don't really like it as the story just doesn't feel right.
It has a bit of story, but it feels rather weak for a Ghibli film and it just doesn't have the excitement or magic of the other Ghibli films :(
This movie is so deep, so profound, I do not only cry every and every time I watch it, but I start to cry just remembering it (idd I'm almost right now).
A very good movie!!!!!! Underrated! But, Ghibli at its best!
Grave of the Fireflies is a masterpiece and even the most cynical of viewers will be moved by the plight of the doomed siblings in this shocking, tender and devastating story of love and war.
Tears are still falling...
I strongly disliked how half the problems could have been avoided had he acted different.
A masterpiece for its time in animation. But the story fell flat for me.
Cried my fucking eyes out. This review didn't help!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drsihIENHuk
This is such a horrible movie.
You can go years not remembering what it was about, and, then, a fleeting glimpse of the tin can the hard candy used to be in will destroy you all over again!
Watch this and think of Gaza. (Proud of my Jewish heritage, not a Zionist. War, and children starving cannot be tolerated.)
A tragic and emotional journey supported by a World War II portrayal, those are always captivating. Without a doubt a quality drama that's emotional for most but maybe i'm heartless because this didn't do much for me. First off, you watch this knowing how it all ends sinse they show it to you. Everything that follows is just delaying the inevitable and it's made so predictable. Then it's misery after misery after misery... so much of it that it shoots itself in the foot and completely desensitized me before the ending. It could have worked if it was shorter with less of the misery scenes I think. A little more than half of it was incredibly effective though and I like the characters and it's heartwarming seeing Seita care for his sister. By the end I was just exhausted at all the misery and incredibly let down that it goes for the ending I saw happen in my head the whole runtime.
Revealed the cruelty of war in rather fresh tone.
Oh wow. Perfection–I don’t have words for this.
if you every want to be happy again, don't watch this movie. 9/10
This movie tells us the horrific conclusion of WWII. The two main characters touched my heart to the core. This movie reminded me of Satyajit's Rays "Apu's Trilogy".
this was the only movie that i was keep thinking even weeks after i watched it.. and that it is based on the autho's real life ( i dont want to fully spoil it ) that makes this movie even more sad
The original title of the film is Hotaru no Haka.
Ok, this one is heavy and sad, but I fell that something is missing about the story, it's so square and I still have some questions...
Ever since I watched it when I was younger (like pre-teen young), I've always felt this movie was a beautifully animated tragic tale that makes one of the best anti-war arguments. And now, as an adult, I can see how the cost and tragedy of war is immeasurable. Yet this movie is just one story trying to show that.
oh my god :pray: this movie close to my heart :heart_eyes:
watching this movie while having a 4 years old sister is extremely painful and heartbreaking :broken_heart:
I can't imagine how this film could have been more poignant :disappointed_relieved:
I don't remember being this sad because of a movie before.
The war is over before either sibling dies.
I had forgotten that since the last time I saw Grave of the Fireflies. This fact can't help but shape the way I now think about the film. It's not the war that killed them.
Well, the brutality of the American onslaught on Japan ultimately leads to the deaths of Seita and Setsuko, sure, but in the end, this film is as much about the limits of nationalism as it is about the strength of the human resolve and the inherent tragedy of war. What is to be done for those who cannot contribute when the welfare of the state is all that matters?
I feel the need to point out that I'm not saying the film is telling us that Japanese nationalism is solely to blame for deaths of these children. Frankly, the brutality of America's tactics in Japan aren't discussed enough, at least where I come from. It's estimated that more than 400,000 civilians were killed by targeted air raids (that figure doesn't even include the deaths from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). That being said, nationalism, and its emphasis on the state over its people, is very much at the forefront of this film. Seita and his ill sister seem to be invisible to the country around them. More likely, they're being actively ignored because they serve no purpose in the eyes of the state. Seita's corpse is scoffed at by passers by who think he's simply homeless, the siblings' own aunt treats them like dirt because they aren't serving the nation in any way, and Seita's cries for help are routinely dismissed by everyone from neighbors, to doctors, to military officials. It's in these details, I think, where the film's thesis lies. A society is only as strong as its weakest members.
This is just one big cryfest. No matter how many times you've seen it.
From the very beginning, you know this movie is going to break your heart. Based on a novel by Akiyuki Nosaka, with screenplay by Takahata, this is Studio Ghibli at it's best. Beautiful animation. A full and poignant story. Equisite detail in character animation. A wonderful pairing of music and theme. I can't think what would have made this film better. I give this a 10 (perfect) out of 10. [Animated Dramatic Feature]
The sadest movie i've ever watched
Um filme impecável no sentido de qualidade visual. No enredo, senti falta de uma trama com mais reviravoltas e surpresas.
A relação dos irmão é muito bem construída e é a maior responsável por nos levar até os minutos finais do filme.
Brilliant, but so damn sad. Careful to be in the mood for a sad film or it will ruin your day. Very powerful.
@majormercyflush I tried to watch it when I was already a father (my daughter should also be about 4 at the time), and I found it too painful and disturbing... I couldn't see it to the end.
I never ever felt so deeply moved by any movie.
Solid movie, but look stupid if you watch it today!
Shout by CinemanicBonkersBlockedParent2018-04-17T00:41:31Z
Finally got around to watching this remarkable, deep, powerful, beautiful and heartwarming picture with a great sound track from Ghibli Studio.