Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Karunya123
I knew this movie was going to be sad, but I wasn't prepared for how deeply it would affect me.
The story follows Seita and his younger sister Setsuko as they struggle to survive in Japan during World War II. What makes the movie so painful for me is how ordinary their relationship feels. They’re just two siblings trying to find some happiness while everything around them is falling apart.
The animation is beautiful, but it never makes the tragedy feel less real. The characters also feel very human, especially Seita, whose decisions aren't always perfect but come from wanting to protect his sister.
It’s a slow and heartbreaking movie, and definitely not something I’d watch casually. But it’s incredibly powerful and stayed with me long after it ended.
Read at the sourceAnimeExplorer21
I put this off for years. Every time the title popped up in my list my brain just went nope, not tonight, you are not ready. I kept telling myself I needed a lighter week or better mental space or whatever excuse worked that day. Last night I finally hit play anyway.
Three hours later I am sitting on the floor of my flat with the credits still rolling and I cannot move.
Seita and Setsuko. That is all it is. A teenage boy and his little sister trying to stay alive after the firebombs take everything. He becomes her whole world father, brother, provider, protector and he fails in the quietest most ordinary ways. Not because he is weak. Because the world around them has already decided they do not matter. The aunt who takes them in starts measuring every grain of rice. The neighbours look…
Read at the sourcel0v3st4rv3d_yuka
Man another movie i watched when i was really obsessed with studio ghibli, i went into it thinking ''As if this could make me cry!'' and guess what i was doing at 2AM. It's so sad to think about how Seita and Setsuko both were just kids. It's visibly obvious that Setsuko is a very VERY young child, but i think there are SOME people who forget that Seita was also just 14. He was also just a kid. The scenes with the bombs made me feel jumpy and on edge because of how terrifying it must be to be in such a situation, which I'm sure most people would agree with me on, but the sound design in those scenes was so scarily realistic... I don't see a lot of people mention it though! From what I've seen at least.
Also a more silly side note, those fruit gum drop things Setsuko had looked DELICIOUS.…
Read at the sourceJxbinha
Score: 8/10
Grave of the Fireflies isn't a movie I would say I “enjoyed watching” in the traditional sense of the word. It's a heavy, painful experience and, at times, genuinely difficult to sit through. But maybe that's exactly what makes it so memorable.
The story doesn't need grand battles or exaggerated villains to be devastating. War is shown through the consequences it leaves behind for ordinary people, especially two children who are simply trying to survive in a world that seems to have abandoned all sense of humanity.
The most painful part is that, for much of the movie, you can already feel where everything is heading. And yet, you keep watching, perhaps hoping that something will change. When it finally ends, you're left with that uncomfortable silence that comes from witnessin…
Read at the sourceReaper-LIW
Grave of the Fireflies is without any doubt one of the most respected animated films ever made. Rather than focusing on soldiers or battles, the film tells the story of war through the perspective of civilians, specifically two orphaned siblings trying to survive during the final months of World War II. It is not a movie made for enjoyment, the main focus is to portray suffering, loss, the need for children to grow up fast, and the devastating effect war has on ordinary people.
Seita, the older brother, is forced by circumstances to take on the responsibility of an adult while still being a child himself. He wants to become the person his younger sister Setsuko needs, believing that he can protect her and provide for her. However, he is not prepared for the reality of that responsibility.…
Read at the sourceMarvelousMaxter
This is a very good movie. It is very good not because of a good emotional response, but due to the tough subject matter and the maturity to not sugar coat how horrible the whole situation is. This is a war movie that doesn't show any battlefield action yet vividly displays the effects of the war on the civilians. Do not watch this movie if you are in a bad place mentally, and go into this movie knowing that it's a tough watch for a lot of people.
I watched this movie with the english dub.
Story: The ending is given away within the first couple lines of dialogue if I recall, and the rest of the movie is a recap of what transpired to cause the opening scene. It's very depressing even knowing what will eventually happen, I believe it's a great story tactic to allow the viewer to accept the…
Read at the source2bursting
Grave of Fireflies is hard to watch. It covers difficult themes and situations that leave the viewer wondering why, why didn't they make the right choice. The choices we make in life aren't always rational or well thought out. Sometimes we make decisions that hurt ourselves. This movie does an excellent job of conveying that.
Dealing with hunger, homelessness, and loss of family is difficult. It feels bad to experience any of those things. Being unable to swallow your pride to ask for help can feel impossible, where you'd rather choose anything else but that. Not knowing where to turn. I understand those feelings and this movie depicted it with painful accuracy.
The artwork, sound track, and voice acting set a perfect tone to encapsulate the feelings of the character's strife and tragedy…
Read at the sourcejay_quelin
Just adding to what's already been said a million times over. Grave of the Fireflies is a masterpiece. The pinaccle of Japanese animated films. This war-time movie may be difficult to watch due to some heavy themes, but I assure you that it is very well worth it. Written and directed by Isao Takahata, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli, this film is based on an actual account by Akiyuki Nosaka's childhood. The setting takes place during the firebombings of Kobe, Japan. Takahata took Nosaka's semi-autobiography and adapted it into the movie it is today. This is the story of two siblings who, against all odds, navigated themselves through the last few months of the Second World-War. Despite all the hardships they endured, Seita and Setsuko strived to create a better world for themselves…
Read at the sourceTheGOF
One of the few animangas I consider borderline perfect. Any faults are so insignificant as to make anything other than a 10/10 rating feel churlish. Takahata Isao is my favourite filmmaker and I would say this is his best film- that is, if Tale of the Princess Kaguya didn't exist. Nonetheless, it's my subjective favourite of his. This is one of the few war films that really affected me: an ode to sibling connection, realised in stunning animation with gorgeous watercolour backgrounds. 'Every frame is a painting' is a cliche for animation that usually makes me roll my eyes. Here, it's deserved. You owe it to yourself to see this film.
Read at the sourcemaya_kotori
This is one of those films where the first thing you want to ask is: “Okay, who cried? Be honest.” Because seriously how could anyone get through this without tears. I went into it fully aware of how the story would end, and yet I still watched it, even though I’m the biggest crybaby ever. And of course, that meant I cried a lot. It’s a heartbreaking story about a young boy and his little sister who suddenly become orphans in the middle of a war. They’re forced to take care of each other, survive on almost nothing, and face a world that’s falling apart around them. The film doesn’t sugarcoat anything, it’s raw, painful, and incredibly human. What makes it so powerful is how real it feels. Their bond, their small moments of joy, their struggles… everything hits so hard that you can’t help b…
Read at the sourceCEOofChud
i hate myself for not watching this earlier than i should've i thought this was a brilliant movie and was a massive emotional rollercoaster, the art and animation is beautiful as to be expected with Studio Ghibli and the story itself was really amazing, emotional and genuinely a beautiful story, i heavily recommend it if you enjoy sad stories and animes like me, this one was the most heart-wrenching story for me out of all the sad things i've watched such as "Takopi's original sin" and "Look Back" i heavily recommend it, even if you dislike sad stories, the events themselves delve into realistic situations but the actual story itself is fictional, but i think that makes the whole thing even more sad.
Read at the sourceelumizu
Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most emotionally devastating war movie ever created, presenting the tragedy of war through an intimate and deeply human perspective. The story centers on two siblings, Seita and his younger sister, Setsuko. They were struggling to survive in Japan during the final months of World War II. After their home is destroyed during the Bombing of Kobe and their mother dies from severe burns, the children are left to navigate a collapsing society where food, shelter, and compassion become increasingly scarce. The narrative unfolds as a tragedy of survival. Seita, determined to protect Setsuko and preserve a sense of dignity, gradually isolates them from the harsh realities of the adult world around them. The siblings take refuge in an abandoned bomb shelter, try…
Read at the sourceIsaidhey
A bitter masterpiece beyond words. Devastating to the core of your soul yet stunningly beautiful while doing so.
Many movies can be called a "Masterpiece" Akira, Totoro, Porco Rosso, Basically all the Miyazaki classics actually. This redefines how I perceive the term.
Theres the Animation itself which is the expected Ghibli standard of immaculate, what is not expected from the moment the movie begins is the mountain sized weight of emotion that permeates the entirety of the film. This will demand all of your attention for the entire run time as well as no small amount of time afterwards.
Grave of the Fireflies is potentially the greatest depiction of the effects of war ever produced. No gore and glorious battle, no soldiers marching to their deaths. the war itself seems far away yet the…
Read at the sourcetheo1763
Grave of the Fireflies is quite possibly the hardest film I've ever had the displeasure of watching. It was directed by Isao Takahata and produced by Studio Ghibli. Grave of the Fireflies chronicles Seita and his little sister Setsuko's ordeal to survive when they lose all their belongings in the Kobe firebombing. It was apparent from the outset that the story would be a tragic one, but seeing in real terms their gradual decline and the glimmers of hope receding was heart-wrenching. Takahata's narrative is held back but forceful, so every scene is immediate and unvarnished.
The characters are wonderfully realistic. Seita and Setsuko's relationship is depicted with honesty and heart, and the voice acting fully conveys their fear, joy, and innocence in a way that made me care for them deepl…
Read at the sourceayankhanakaak
The whole movie maintained my attention till the climax, then I cried, went to wash out my tears and continued. Again, I started crying, went to wash my tears and continued. I did this 3 times till the end of the movie, and still I was shocked, thinking this in reality happened with innocent children in Japan and anywhere the war took place.
If you have watched Barefoot Gen, then you should watch this.
If you're looking for sibling (brother-sister) anime, you should give it a try.
The artwork of Studio Ghibli was beautiful as always.
The characters were realistic and enjoyable.
Everyone will love the series, knowing that it was based on true events.
Read at the sourceDimensional666
An exceptional story told with exceptional flair. I first encountered this film when I had only just discovered The Beatles and was awakening to the revolutions of the ’60s. As a teenager still trying to grasp the meaning of peace, it struck me hard and gently bent my moral compass toward the good. I’m convinced everyone should meet this film while they’re still young; it has the power to reshape a person from the roots up and fling open entirely new windows on the world.
I admit the finer points of its technique and animation have faded in my memory—one day, when I rewatch it, I’ll revise this note—but I do remember, vividly, the force of its sound design and visual language. With a disarmingly simple yet piercing style, the film drives its message straight into the deepest veins of the…
Read at the sourceAiku-Tarou
My hundreth anime entry so i had to make it a special one.
Grave of the Fireflies shows the best and the worst of humanity in 90 minutes.
We follow big brother Seita and his little sister Setsuko who try to survive during the times of WW2. The war is not the focus in this anime it's the innocent people who got nothing to do with the war who are suffering. Dead bodies, stealing, starving which is the main focus in this anime is daily business, it shows what innocent people have to endure and what they do in order to survive. Despite all that Seita tries to give his little sister Setsuko an innocent childhood, Seita is somewhat a child of himself but he stays strong for his little sister and tries to do the right decisions in these struggling times.
Since it's an anime from 1988 you coul…
Read at the sourceSakura131
Everything that we were taught about humanity can disappear in an instant when humans become desperate and needy. Humans can transform from civilized to ferocious animals out for their own survival pretty quickly when resources dry up and when situations or environments become dangerous or competitive.
This movie was nothing shy of gut-wrenching, and just as JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis wrote their personal wartime experiences into their fantasies, this movie shows the author’s, director’s, and producer’s own distastes for humanity’s greatest social failure - warfare.
Outside the holocaust, most films about war are from the perspective of soldiers, armies, and countries. They depict battles that win the war. Not so often are films made that show the human civilian toll - the famine, the ra…
Read at the sourceBee-ku
We already know the kind of things we see, we already know that when we see Studio Ghibli stuff we are going to feel various emotions, good or bad, it doesn't matter. I knew it, the internet warned me, my friends warned me, I was aware all this time that this movie would be sad and would end my little emotional stability, I knew it, the movie tells you from the beginning, the first sentence of the movie is about that date, "September 21st"... and even so I wasn’t strong, it tore me apart, I cried like never before, I won’t say much about the story because for me, it’s a masterpiece from beginning to end. You have all my respect Seita, I love you Setsuko and f*ck you, Seita's aunt.
Read at the sourceFenixfeather
- German translation below -
Story 25 % 10/10
The story and the pacing are terrific. The story is realistic and is told at a perfect pace. It is captivating and makes it possible to build up an emotional bond with the characters. The story is so realistic that it is almost like a documentary and at the same time so emotional as if you were right in the middle of it.
Animation 15 % 10/10
Typical Ghibli, you can feel the soul of the studio in every scene. Here, too, they have taken the trouble to think carefully about how to stage sad moments as well as possible.
Depth of character 25% 10/10
Every action of the characters is absolutely believable. They seem incredibly realistic, even “unimportant” secondary characters have their meaningful place in the movie.
Worldbuilding 15 % 10/10
T…
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