Synopsis
In the aftermath of a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year-old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enemy raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children’s lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring.
Review
Grave of the Fireflies is by far THE saddest anime I’ve ever seen. As it has been stated in the synopsis (if you have read) you should know that the setting of this movie is in World War II. In WWII, lives were lost and property was destroyed. Now here comes our characters, Seita a teenager (I’d say around 16-18) and his sister, Setsuko a four year-old girl. Before viewing Grave of the Fireflies, I’ve asked a few that have seen it. On the Animesou Boards, quite a few people said Grave of the Fireflies was the saddest anime. In order to believe them, I checked it out myself. And……….
Grave of the Fireflies, is an emotional anime. Which will make you feel sad in your heart. WWII wasn’t one of the best times to live in Japan. One day, the Americans unleashed the bombs and the civilians ran for shelters. Seita along with Setsuko was going to meet their mother at the shelter. Things happen, and their mother dies from the burns she has suffered from the bombing. Seita and Setsuko begins their journey to their aunt’s place and later on moves out and live by themselves. Seita, doing what ever he could. Such as, trading in his mother’s collection of kimono and what ever he can trade for food he traded.
Symbolism is used in Grave of the Fireflies. Fireflies to me symbolizes life. How fragile it can be. When Setsuko accidentally squashed a firefly it kind of relates to how easily life can be lost in WWII. The same symbolism occurs when Setsuko was burying the dead fireflies that the sister and brother used as a light source for their “house.” Overall Grave of the Fireflies is a must watch. Lets put it this way. You don’t know what a sad anime is without watching this.
The Breakdown
I guess the Animesou boards was right. Grave of the Fireflies is THE saddest anime ever created that I’ve seen and I’m sure a lot of people who have viewed this anime will agree with me too.
» The Pros
The story is superbly told, and Grave of the Fireflies is like nothing I’ve seen. Maybe I need to watch more, but I definitely haven’t seen anything like Grave of the Fireflies. Also Grave of the Fireflies lives up to its name by winning first prize in the “Best Animated Feature” at the 1994 Chicago International Childrens Film Festival.
|
|
» The Cons
Very sad, I didn’t cry during the show, but after the show, as I was thinking more about the ending. My eyes were watery, but I handled it. :(
|
» Animation
7 |
Not very new animation, but this anime isn’t about animation so you can ignore this rating if you want to. |
|
|
» Sound
9 |
A soft melody is the theme. If you want a preview of the theme go to the Central Park Media Grave of the Fireflies site here. There you can hear the music and learn something about the movie too. |
|
» Story
10 |
Although Grave of the Fireflies runs for 88 minutes, its enough to make you tear, if not………….cry. |
|
|
» Recommend
10 |
All anime viewers must not miss this show. It’s a classic that will forever be one of my favorites. I Hope you try it and experience it yourself. |
|
» Other Information
Language: English/Japanese language with English Subtitles
Extras: Character gallery, DVD sneak peeks, Historical background
Package: The package is pretty old school to me, but Central Park Media has announced a re-release of Grave of the Fireflies and will feature a better cover design and it will be a collectors 2 disc set. |
Monday, September 28, 2026
