X
- 1989
- Not Rated
- 1 h 29 m
- 1989
- Not Rated
- 1 h 29 m
Summary A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Directed By: Isao Takahata
Written By: Akiyuki Nosaka, Isao Takahata
- 1989
- Not Rated
- 1 h 29 m
- 1989
- Not Rated
- 1 h 29 m
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
8.7
Where to Watch
Summary A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Directed By: Isao Takahata
Written By: Akiyuki Nosaka, Isao Takahata
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
94
100% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
94
100% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The film is so deeply sorrowful that it’s sometimes hard to watch, yet so filled with painterly beauty that you cannot look away.
While a child might be affected by the film, it takes the weight of a certain number of years to fully absorb what director Isao Takahata has put up on the screen.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 164 User Ratings
8.7
88% Positive
145 Ratings
145 Ratings
8% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
4% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 164 User Ratings
8.7
88% Positive
145 Ratings
145 Ratings
8% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
4% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
This is my favorite anime of all time. It is a terribly sad true story of 2 children's attempt to survive in a post war Japan. It shows the Japanese citizens' experiences in this conflict, which unfortunately has been largely ignored by the history books in the West.
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An emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation.
Fireflies makes its doomed subjects seem utterly human, with the wealth of personal details and believable characterizations common to Studio Ghibli's peerless animated films.
It's a grim and depressing but powerful story, beautifully told through stunning animation. [25 Oct 2002, p.37]
A devastating heart-stab of a movie, this certainly isn't a family film. It is, however, a beautifully constructed, animated drama.
Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli's second best-known filmmaker and co-founder, adapts Akiyuki Nosaka's short story of the same name to great effect, using animation to create a film that emphasizes the horrors of war better than most live-action films. [21 Jun 2016]
the saddest animation you can see. if you have sister or brother its more painful.
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A true masterpiece. Easily deserves to be on any list of the greatest films of all time.
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What an amazing film! Very rarely have I been moved this much by an animated film. Watership Down yes, Bambi yes, Secret of NIMH yes, Beauty and the Beast yes, Land Before Time yes, but Grave of the Fireflies is in a different league. A film that is once seen and never forgotten, a film that is beautiful, haunting and emotionally devastating. It is slow moving perhaps and "depressing" but it is very poignant as well. I find it very difficult to fight back tears at the film's end. The animation is amazingly detailed, the backgrounds and characters are drawn with such care and you just marvel at the detail that goes into it. The music is both haunting and melancholic and one of the main reasons why the film is as it is. The story is harrowing, as it details Seita and Setsuko's hopelessness. The characters are easy to relate, Setsuko isn't precocious or obnoxious, instead she is quite cute, and Seita shows real love for his sister as well as being a strong protagonist. There are many memorable sequences, but one that springs to mind is the one with the nocturnal fireflies, which is something of true melancholic beauty. Overall, a masterpiece, pure and simple. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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Grave of the Fireflies is by far the most heart-wrenching film I have ever seen. However, it is one of the greatest ones I have seen.
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