Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar – Upcoming Animated Movies
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar – Upcoming Animated Movies
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinions

Studio Ghibli Countdown: ‘Grave of the Fireflies’

Cole Millions by Cole Millions
March 20, 2017
in Opinions, Studio Ghibli
5 min read
0
Studio Ghibli Countdown: ‘Grave of the Fireflies’
1.6k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Next up is a movie that I am honestly surprised was ever created. In North America, there is an unfortunate notion that animated movies and animation is generally created for children. Yes, this idea is slowly changing (just take a look at last year’s Sausage Party), but this is still the prevailing notion. However, in Japan, this is not the case. Yes, there is definitely animation created for children and families, but there is still a substantial amount (I would say around half of anime produced) created for older audiences. Even with this in mind, watching an animated version of a boy’s story that chronicled his life with his sister during World War II, eventually leading to her death, is just surreal. And that is what this movie is: surreal. It’s bizarre, heartbreaking, harrowing, and oh so important. That is Grave of the Fireflies.

Grave of the Fireflies tells the story of a young boy, Seita, and his younger sister, Setsuko, trying to survive on their own in Kobe in 1945. After they lose their mom to bomb strikes from the Americans, Seita and Setsuko decide to move in with their aunt in an attempt to live a normal life. However, Seita and his aunt clash over food and money, and trying to save his pride, he takes his sister and leaves. But Seita learns that life on their own is not as easy as he thought and finds that food and money are scarce. Although his intentions are noble and the love he has for his sister is apparent, Seita can not do enough, and Setsuko eventually dies of malnutrition. Grief stricken and having nowhere else to turn, Seita eventually loses hope and also dies. The final scene is a haunting one, with the spirits of Seita and Setsuko on the top of a hill, surrounded by fireflies, looking at modern-day Kobe.

Really, it is not a spoiler to say that both Seita and Setsuko die, as Seita’s dead body is shown in the first scene of the movie, and there is a heavy, heavy theme of death in the air throughout the entirety of the film. However, it does not make it any less heartbreaking to see two young, innocent children, whom you have grown to love and adore throughout the 90-minute run time, die. Upon release in both Japan and North America, it was critically acclaimed and is often described as one of the saddest movies of all time. And I would agree with this statement. Honestly, I can’t watch it anymore.

Currently, I have been living in Japan for 3 years and have been to both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two locations where Americans dropped the atomic bombs during World War II (Kobe, where this movie takes place, was not hit by an atomic bomb). I have been to the museums multiple times, seen the pictures of the dead families and kids, and read the diary entries of the kids who survived the initial attack, only to later die of diseases like cancer caused by the bomb or malnutrition. I have listened to a survivor of the A-Bombs tell my 6th grade students how he lost his family and friends and then stand up to show them the chemical burns on his body that he has had his entire life. War is awful, and it doesn’t care whether you are a good person or a child; this is something that Grave of the Fireflies portrays so brutally. As of writing this, it brings tears of my eyes to think not only of my own experiences learning about war and its consequences in Japan, but of this movie and its implications. It is truly heartbreaking.

Isao Takahata, the director of this movie and one of the founding partners of Studio Ghibli, has been on record saying that he did not have the intention of creating an anti-war movie, and you know what, I believe him. Takahata’s intention was to show the reality of war and its aftermath to the current teen and young adult population of Japan, groups he thought were unappreciative of what older generations of Japanese people had given up so they could live their lives. He wanted to show how easy their lives are now and how it could have been so much worse if they were born in a different time. In this aspect, I definitely believe he succeeded as Grave of the Fireflies (known as 火垂るの墓 / Hotaru no haka in Japan) is known quite well by most people in Japan and still incredibly relevant to both Japan and the world today.  However, I also think that, even if he did it unintentionally, Takahata created a very powerful anti-war film for the rest of the world to see and consider. For those of us who are not Japanese and do not deal with the pressures of Japanese society, we can only take the film on face value. All we see is two children, who have done nothing wrong, being killed by the horrors of war. If this doesn’t show the dire consequences of what war can do, I don’t know what could.

Being a Studio Ghibli film, the presentation of this film is fantastic. Animation is crisp and sharp, with beautiful scenes (any scene with fireflies especially) standing out just as much as the disturbing ones. The score for Grave of the Fireflies is not as memorable as other Ghibli films, but it suits the movie nicely, creating a melancholic atmosphere that perfectly fits with the story. Many people often wonder why Grave of the Fireflies was animated, when it could have been done in live-action. I always thought the answer was obvious. At the point in time this movie was created, animated movies had never tackled stories with subject matter such as this. Usually, animated movies were bright, cheerful, and ended on a higher, more positive note. This is not the case with Grave of the Fireflies. The clash between reality and expectation is great and creates a memorable film.

For those who didn’t know, Grave of the Fireflies was based on true events, shared in a novel by the ‘real Seita’, Akiyuki Nosaka. According to Nosaka, the story he told was created as an apology to his sister, whom he believed he had failed. But, honestly, this is not how I see it. Seita and Setsuko loved each other dearly and clung on to everything they had as hard as they could. Even when life was hard, they tried to enjoy some of the beauty that was left in the world. No, Nosaka/Seita did not fail their sisters, it was the world that failed them. A world that cares more about money and power than it does about the Seitas and Setsukos within them. Grave of the Fireflies is an important film as it shows how easily war can crush even the most pure-hearted, undeserved people, and it’s something we should not forget. It has been almost 30 years since this movie was released and yet, it is still relevant to what is happening in the world today. Maybe that is the most horrific thing of all.

                                                        Why do fireflies die so soon?

Edited by: Kelly Conley

Tags: cole millionscountdownStudio GhibliStudio Ghibli Countdown
Previous Post

What You Should Know Before Seeing 'Beauty and the Beast' (2017)

Next Post

'The LEGO Batman Movie': What Did You Think? (WYSK Spoiler Discussion)

Cole Millions

Cole Millions

Cole is a born and raised Canadian whose love of animation has taken him all around the world. Cole is a recent university graduate with degrees in both English and Linguistics, and he has recently made a move to the current capital of hand-drawn animation: Japan. When he is not watching animation from the East or the West, Cole spends his time reading, exploring the beautiful country of Japan, and learning new languages. His favorite Western animated movie is Alice in Wonderland (1951) and his favorite anime movie is Kiki's Delivery Service .

Related Posts

[BOOK REVIEW] Uncle Iroh Spills the Tea in ‘Legacy of the Fire Nation’
Nickelodeon

[BOOK REVIEW] Uncle Iroh Spills the Tea in ‘Legacy of the Fire Nation’

February 9, 2020
[BOOK REVIEW] Imagineer Kevin Rafferty Takes Us on a ‘Magic Journey’
Disney

[BOOK REVIEW] Imagineer Kevin Rafferty Takes Us on a ‘Magic Journey’

January 10, 2020
the-princess-and-the-frog
Disney

[OPINION] 4 Reasons Why ‘The Princess and the Frog’ Deserves More Love

December 3, 2019
[FROZEMBER] Feeling the Love Of ‘Frozen’ in the World
Disney

[FROZEMBER] Feeling the Love Of ‘Frozen’ in the World

November 22, 2019
Load More
Next Post
‘The LEGO Batman Movie’: SDCC Trailer and Lego Sets! + New Images and Plot Details

'The LEGO Batman Movie': What Did You Think? (WYSK Spoiler Discussion)

Discussion about this post

Popular Posts

  • Disney Rebrands Fox as 20th Century Studios 478 views
  • Netflix Scores Big at the 47th Annie Awards 249 views
  • [TRAILER] Mayhem Ensues in New ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ Trailer 197 views
  • ‘Frozen II’ Coming to Digital and Blu-ray in February 191 views
  • [PILOT REVIEW] ‘Harley Quinn’ Starts to Find Herself 161 views
  • 11.5k Fans
  • 12.4k Followers
  • 3.6k Followers
  • 5.4k Followers

Recently Added

infinity-train

All Aboard! ‘Infinity Train: Book One’ Chugs to DVD

February 11, 2020
[BOOK REVIEW] Uncle Iroh Spills the Tea in ‘Legacy of the Fire Nation’

[BOOK REVIEW] Uncle Iroh Spills the Tea in ‘Legacy of the Fire Nation’

February 9, 2020
'Minions: The Rise of Gru'

[TRAILER] Mayhem Ensues in New ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ Trailer

February 6, 2020
‘Tokyo Godfathers’ Coming to Select Theaters

‘Tokyo Godfathers’ Coming to Select Theaters

February 5, 2020
[TRAILER] ‘Ride Your Wave’ Surfs to Select Theaters in February

[TRAILER] ‘Ride Your Wave’ Surfs to Select Theaters in February

February 1, 2020
Rotoscopers

© 2019 Rotoscopers

Important Links

  • About
  • Support
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Posts

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar – Upcoming Animated Movies

© 2019 Rotoscopers

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.