Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) (1988)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeremy S

  
  Saddest film I have ever seen, and that's saying a lot. Winner of my Saddest Tearjerker Film.

• Paulo G

  
  It's hard to believe that this was a Ghibli film considering that I grew up with the most acclaimed family animations coming from the studio. All of which were delightful and beautiful in their own way, but none of them carried a powerful impact like Grave of the Fireflies did.… More
  It's hard to believe that this was a Ghibli film considering that I grew up with the most acclaimed family animations coming from the studio. All of which were delightful and beautiful in their own way, but none of them carried a powerful impact like Grave of the Fireflies did. This really got to me. It's beautiful in so many ways, but what clearly makes it unique is its haunting reality. No film, animation or live-action, out there has the simplicity of a thought yet the depth it made results to such a wide array of emotion that leaves you not questioning it but rather, trying to forget it.

• Reid V

  
  The guy from the video store is a dick, this movie wasn't the "laugh riot" he promised it would be.

• Anthony L

  
  Picking a favourite Studio Ghibli film is near impossible for most fans. My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Ponyo and Porco Rosso come very close as personal favourites for me but I think Grave of the Fireflies is undoubtedly their greatest and most powerful… More
  Picking a favourite Studio Ghibli film is near impossible for most fans. My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Ponyo and Porco Rosso come very close as personal favourites for me but I think Grave of the Fireflies is undoubtedly their greatest and most powerful achievement. It's rare that any film can have such an emotional impact as Grave of the Fireflies does, whether it's real or animation but rarely does an animated film provoke such feelings. Along with Watership Down, Grave of the Fireflies really did push the boundaries when it came to the power of cartoons and showed just how important animation is in cinema. A heartbreaking film, historically important, wonderfully executed and rightfully regarded as a masterpiece. Not a typical Studio Ghibli production but as brilliant as you'd expect from them.

• Jan Marc M

  
  Grave Of The Fireflies is a Japanese animation triumph and Studio Ghibli's most powerful, profound, and haunting work. A tale of survival set World War II Japan of a young boy and his little sister. A certified tear-jerker. Very heavy on heart. Haunting.

• Jonathan H

  
  Ebert said it best: Grave of the Fireflies makes you rethink the possibilities of animated films. This isn't a pixie dust fantasy, or a heightened sc-fi anime, it's one of the most touching, poignant, and stark anti-war films ever made. But to call Grave of the Fireflies… More
  Ebert said it best: Grave of the Fireflies makes you rethink the possibilities of animated films. This isn't a pixie dust fantasy, or a heightened sc-fi anime, it's one of the most touching, poignant, and stark anti-war films ever made. But to call Grave of the Fireflies purely an anti-war film is perhaps too simplistic (director Isao Takahata dismisses that label entirely). This film is gentle and poetic, more than it is violent, and it's remarkably restrained in its anti-war message. There's very little in the way of moralizing or polemics (probably because the story doesn't need it). Perhaps best of all, Setsuko is one of the very, very few (if not the only) animated 4 year-olds who actually behaves like a four year old. I'm so sick of seeing preternaturally smart, sassy, sophisticated and precocious children in Hollywood movies. Setsuko's emotion and behaviors are EXACTLY right for a completely normal four year-old, and recognizing this goes a long way in cultivating a fully realized character. Similarly, Seita is a teenage boy who behaves with the sort of mixture of pride, compassion and hubris you'd expect of someone his age. He still believes that Japan will win the war. He thinks it's up to him to take care of his sister with their mother gone and father who knows where. This leads him to make mistakes: possibly the most obvious one being where he fails to take the farmer's advice, swallow his pride and ask his nasty aunt to take them back in again. This film is pretty famous for making people cry. While I didn't have that strong of an emotional connection to it, I appreciated the beauty and honesty it displayed. This wasn't a glossy portrayal of anti-war political statements and heavy handed plot points, it was a simply about a brother and sister coping with the after effects of a city and family destroyed. The fact that Grave is a semi-autobiographical apology to Takahata's deceased sister makes it all the more powerful.

• Daniel J D

  
  A premise too risky for Hollywood but too necessary not to be made. Who better to make it, then, than the Japanese themselves? The film's greatest strength perhaps--it doesn't deviate much from its premise--is also its greatest weakness. It doesn't really delve into… More
  A premise too risky for Hollywood but too necessary not to be made. Who better to make it, then, than the Japanese themselves? The film's greatest strength perhaps--it doesn't deviate much from its premise--is also its greatest weakness. It doesn't really delve into fantasy or false positivity but it also doesn't really explore clever dialogue or fancy visuals. Of course, everyone who recommended this film to me recommended it to me on the strength of its premise, which is why I came to watch it, and it certainly delivered. If you'd like to see World War II or, really, the world in general from a different perspective, here you can see the end of World War II through the eyes of two Japanese kids struggling to survive on every level.

• Dead A

  
  It is not your regular imaginary animation. It's more about the reality that you can't ignore no matter how much you want or try. This is totally different. This was such a heart breaking movie that will show you what happens during the war. How much the war affects… More
  It is not your regular imaginary animation. It's more about the reality that you can't ignore no matter how much you want or try. This is totally different. This was such a heart breaking movie that will show you what happens during the war. How much the war affects human's life. I was moved. I felt bad. I literally cried. But that's it. Are we doing anything else rather than feeling bad and talking about it? This is not that type of movie that you'll want to watch it again and again. It's sad. And we always avoid that.

• Gordon A

  
  Beguiling, charming look at the devastation of war from a child's perspective. Less fantastical than the more recent Ghibli output and all the more affecting for it.

• Tim S

  
  Beautiful film, but this is so utterly depressing that once is enough for me.

• Dan S

  
  A sad, undeniably haunting story concerning a brother and sister who struggle to survive the aftermath of being bombarded from above during the beginning of World War II. This film does two rare things - it analyzes the perspective of the Japanese during this war, as well as puts it… More
  A sad, undeniably haunting story concerning a brother and sister who struggle to survive the aftermath of being bombarded from above during the beginning of World War II. This film does two rare things - it analyzes the perspective of the Japanese during this war, as well as puts it in animation. This extreme ambitiousness ultimately pays off, due to it's ability to color its characters extremely well, as well as provide a heartbreaking finale that fits it's bleak mood well. Although it does drag in places and it is definitely hard to watch (I can't really say I enjoyed watching it), I definitely admire it from an artistic point of view.

• El Hombre I

  
  It's interesting here to look at war through another pair of eyes, a Japanese point of view. The fact that Grave Of The Fireflies is based on a true story gives the movie a deeply personal edge. Here's a film that should make the viewer think a little, and is also a welcome… More
  It's interesting here to look at war through another pair of eyes, a Japanese point of view. The fact that Grave Of The Fireflies is based on a true story gives the movie a deeply personal edge. Here's a film that should make the viewer think a little, and is also a welcome change from typical war movies - hollow tearjerkers, trumpet-blowing propaganda efforts and muscle-headed shoot 'em ups. Not that there's anything wrong with those. It's not hard to see why it's praised so highly. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=grave_of_fireflies.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/grave_of_fireflies.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Jennifer D

  
  Saw this AGES ago... horribly depressing... but good.

• Randy T

  
  Heart-wrenching tale of two Japanese war orphans struggling to survive. I was deeply moved by the story and yet, still awestruck by the sheer beauty of the animation art. Highly recommended!

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>Setsuko: "Why must fireflies die so young?"</i> Grave of the Fireflies opens on an evening in 1945, after Japan's surrender at the end of World War II; and in a train station, the young Seita dies alone. The rest of the movie tells us, in flashback, how… More
  <i>Setsuko: "Why must fireflies die so young?"</i> Grave of the Fireflies opens on an evening in 1945, after Japan's surrender at the end of World War II; and in a train station, the young Seita dies alone. The rest of the movie tells us, in flashback, how things have come to this. Seita and Setsuko are two young Japanese children growing up in the waning days of World War II. Much to Seita's pride, their father is in the Japanese navy, and they live fairly content lives in Kobe despite rationing and the other privations of war. When their mother dies from burns suffered during an American fire-bombing raid, a distant aunt takes them in -- and conflict eventually forces the children to try to survive on their own. At first, Seita and his little sister enjoy their idyllic lives in the country, but harsh reality eventually settles in as Seita begins to understand the difficulties of taking care of a young child when both food and compassion are scarce. <b><u>Review</u></b> It's difficult to summarize the emotional impact of this movie suffice to say it's by far the most heart breakingly sad film I've ever seen yet it doesn't once come across as schmaltzy or contrived at any time. The story revolves around a young Japanese boy who, with his younger sister, is orphaned in an American bombing raid during WW2 and their subsequent struggle to survive during times of hardship and rationing. To divulge more would be to spoil. This is prime "thinking man's anime" and yet again proves the the genre has more to offer than big robots and dubious Hentai.

• Saskia D

  
  I knew that this one was different from 'regular' anime. It's very realistic and is set in wartime Japan. The voice acting of the little girl really stands out, and I almost forgot I was watching an animated film. Beautifull and moving film. <a… More
  I knew that this one was different from 'regular' anime. It's very realistic and is set in wartime Japan. The voice acting of the little girl really stands out, and I almost forgot I was watching an animated film. Beautifull and moving film. <a href="http://s161.photobucket.com/albums/t226/mooning_out_the_window/?action=view&current=dfsd.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t226/mooning_out_the_window/dfsd.jpg" border="0" alt="Grave of the Fireflies"></a>

• Robert C

  
  This is an amazing story and a deeply moving one, to spite it's basic simplicity. It reminded me a bit of "Life Is Beautiful" in as much as the main focus is a family member (this time a brother) who does everything in their power to help a younger family member… More
  This is an amazing story and a deeply moving one, to spite it's basic simplicity. It reminded me a bit of "Life Is Beautiful" in as much as the main focus is a family member (this time a brother) who does everything in their power to help a younger family member (this time a sister) from realizing the hell that has engulfed their lives. But will the peace and comfort of the fantastical world that they have created be enough to sustain them until sanity returns to the outside world around them? Or will the horrors of war that constantly bombard their little "fortress of solitude" eventually overcome them? You can't help but watch this film and think of all of the people/children around the world who are (still today) being thrust into a life of peril and uncertainty, by the agents of greed, intollerance and just plain hatred. My only complaint is that the voice of the little sister (Setsuko) in the English version that I saw, was a bit grating and "cartoon-cutsie" for such a serious film. I'm surprised a live action film of this story has not been created. Perhaps it would be too "thought provoking" for some people?

• Ken S

  
  I wept like a child

• Christopher M

  
  So I had this film on my "to see" list under the impression that it was a Miyazaki film, just because I wasn't paying attention and it seemed like his style. Anyhow, it turns out it isn't. But this 1988 animated film belongs right up there on the highest echelon… More
  So I had this film on my "to see" list under the impression that it was a Miyazaki film, just because I wasn't paying attention and it seemed like his style. Anyhow, it turns out it isn't. But this 1988 animated film belongs right up there on the highest echelon of Japanese animation along with the likes of Miyazaki's Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. It takes place in Japan during World War Two, and its main characters are a young brother and sister: Seita and Setsuko, respectively. With their mother recently deceased and their father away fighting with the navy, the children are left to fend for their own, in the face of constant bombings and general turmoil. I don't think I've ever seen so tragic and realistic a plot in an animated film, but it results in an astounding, extraordinarily powerful film that may leave you emotionally drained due to its impact. Grave Of The Fireflies is a perfect example of how well developed and serious an art form the animated film can be, especially in the hands of a Japanese director. From now on I'll be mentioning this film in the same breath as Spirited Away or Akira - as it truly is wonderful, often strikingly beautiful film.

• Mike S

  
  Strong in its imagery and often painful to watch due to all its sadness and graphic horrors. Even so, it is beautifully made and captivating right from its very first scenes. In fact, the animation is so good here (especially in being done almost 20 years ago) that the characters feel… More
  Strong in its imagery and often painful to watch due to all its sadness and graphic horrors. Even so, it is beautifully made and captivating right from its very first scenes. In fact, the animation is so good here (especially in being done almost 20 years ago) that the characters feel just as real as any human beings, despite being "cartoons". <br/><br/>This movie is just another great example of the masterful depth and emotional power that lies within anime and in the heart of its hard-working creators. I don't care if the japanese happen to be a bit weird as a people, because they certainly put a lot of soul and energy into everything they do (unlike most of their american counterparts), particularily in these kind of productions. Yes, it is indeed as far away from Michael Bay as you can possibly come :-) <br/><br/>So thank you Japan, for leading the way with your steady aim towards perfecting animation and storytelling. Keep up the <br/>excellent work!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings