One of the Studio Ghiblithe most brutal movies of, Grave of the Firefliesis coming to Netflix soon, but fans planning to watch this Ghibli classic better be prepared, as it's not for the faint of heart. The film's dark and gloomy plot is well-known among anime fans, and many fans who truly loved the film couldn't bear to watch it a second time.
Grave of the Fireflies is a 1988 Studio Ghibli war film written and directed by Isao Takahata, a name that may not be as familiar as Hayao Miyazaki. Set in the final months of World War II in Japan, the film follows two orphans, Seita and Setsuko, as they desperately cling to life on their own. The film is beautiful in its own way, but the story is so bleak and heartbreaking that it is difficult to watch, a fact made all the more painful when one learns that it is based on a true story.
This film certainly stands out among Ghibli's sci-fi canon for its raw, realistic look at war on civilians.
Grave of the Fireflies is Ghibli's most tragic animated film.
With its dark themes and sad ending, Grave of the Fireflies stands out.
Grave of the Fireflies paints a stark and haunting portrait of life for the Japanese people near the end of World War II, a perspective rarely seen in the United States or other countries outside of Japan. The war effort took a heavy toll on the civilian population, many of whom had little choice in the matter. It is easy to forget that every bomb destroyed lives, even if they did not kill them directly. With resources dwindling and becoming harder to come by, life became incredibly difficult for everyone.
Initially living in Kobe, Seita and Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed in a bombing campaign. After losing their mother, the children are forced to move in with a distant aunt, who soon becomes resentful of having to care for them. The situation continues to deteriorate from there, but the love between the two siblings never wavers. Struggling to survive and care for his sister, Seita finds himself in trouble, until their fates are finally beyond their control.
Grave of the Fireflies proves Miyazaki was never Ghibli's only true master
Studio Ghibli is blessed with talented directors besides Miyazaki
While the name that most people think of when they hear Studio Ghibli is of course Hayao Miyazaki, Grave of the Fireflies is a testament to the fact that the studio has produced other incredibly talented filmmakers, with Isao Takahata at the forefront. Takahata wanted to dispel the notion that those who lived through war were somehow nobler than those who lived through peacetime, and tell a story that anyone who watched it could relate to. The film was adapted from a short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, based on his own experiences during World War II.
Takahata's film is extremely successful in achieving this goal, as viewers can easily imagine themselves in Seita's shoes. Grave of the Fireflies is the clearest proof yet that Ghibli films outside of Miyazaki's work are true masterpieces, and it's absolutely worth seeing – even if just once is enough for a lifetime.
Grave of the Fireflies will be available on Netflix on September 16, 2024.