Manga Masters.com

Grave of the Fireflies
蛍の墓, Hotaru no Haka
Debut: April 16, 1988



Runtime:
88 Minutes
Genre:
War, Historical Fiction, Autobiography
Age Rating:
Well, it was a double feature with Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro but I can't imagine anyone younger than their early teens getting this movie at all. Then I suggest watching it AGAIN once you have children.

Plot Summary:
Two war orphans starve to death as WWII comes to a close.

Authors Comments:
This semi-autobiographical movie was written as an apology to the author's young sister who died of malnutrition during the end of WWII. Often sighted as one of the most powerful anti-war movies ever written, it completely dispenses with the soldiers, the politics, and even the battles as it shows what a pair of orphans have to resort to in order to survive when the world around them turns a cold shoulder. The characters are all extremely human, though you may have to remind yourself that the main character is about twelve. A lot of the little details make the movie that much more believable, I found that little sister's progression (I can't think of any other thing to call it) to crying is exactly the same way my own two year old does it. I've never seen it depicted anywhere else.

If you were looking for something light hearted and cheerful, you've come to the wrong place. You *will* cry, you *will* be shocked at the limits on human kindness shown in this movie, and you'll probably love it. I did.

MangaMasters Rating: 9

Aargh, I bought this DVD but I have still yet to watch it

I saw this movie in High School, and it really opened up my perspective on WWII. It's very easy when you're young to think in terms of black and whites, axis vs allies, good vs bad, and simply forget that there are civillians on either side who have no idea about the politics. If you liked this movie, I highly recommend reading Adolf, a manga by Osamu Tezuka (the Japanese affectionately refer to him as Manga no kami - the god of comics. He's the creator of Astroboy).