Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
airenaishen
After the opening of the show, Seita and his little sister, Setsuko, are orphaned and get to live with their aunt. The aunt provides them with basic lodging, food and sanitation. She also points out that the siblings are not making enough effort to contribute to the household.
Real wartime orphans would have been grateful for the roof over their heads, and served their aunt with housework and any job suggested by her.
But these abnormal orphans did none of that, left their aunt to live on their own instead, and both got malnourished to death.
If you were a real war orphan, would you take your little sister away from the safety of your aunt's home, and leave your sister alone for hours at a time, exposed to sex predators and other dangers?
Not to mention, Seita also had money from his…
Read at the sourceSean333
Hotaru no haka was released in 1988, written and directed by Isao Takahata, and follows some kids slowly dying of starvation :). This movie disappointed me massively, to say the least. This has nothing to do with the hype surrounding it, but instead the fondness I've grown towards Takahata as I've gone through his filmography. I think the key difference between everything else and this is subtlety. While I don't think you can really call his films as a whole "subtle", the emotions that he conveys usually feel earned and organic to the story. To make an analogy, the rest of his filmography is like a slight tug on the arm, and this is a sledgehammer to the face.
From minute one, the whole purpose of this movie is to make you as sad as possible, but it never earns that impact. I think people…
Read at the sourceTeaflings
No spoilers.
Many people say this is a must-see film, and that they cried during it. Personally, I did not consider this a "must-see" or tear-inducing. If you like wartime stuff, maybe you'll enjoy this. Unfortunately, I did not care for it.
Story:
It keeps the story to the very personal, small lives of two children during the war. The war is the setting, but not the plot.
Art:
Even by nowadays standards, this holds up very well. Each shot is well directed and there are genuinely haunting images all throughout the movie. While the movie never tries to WOW you with the art, it is all very effective for the story and distinct among other works.
Sound:
Some of the sound design from the air raids was chilling. The voice acting was good.
Character:
This is a mixed bag. We are shown how p…
Read at the sourceAndoCommando
"21st September, 1945… That was the night I died."
Grave of the Fireflies begins as a young man stands in uniform unfazed, looking back on the moment he died. Slouched against a pole in tattered clothes, starving in silence while dozens of people pass by. One person in an act of pity places food beside him, but it’s too late. Lacking the will to even eat, his frail body collapses among other starved corpses nearby. An empty tin can found on his person is tossed by a field outside as if it were trash. Yet from the second it lands, fireflies materialize from the ground and cast a blazing glow that brightens the field. A young girl rises to her feet, confused at the sight of her brother lying prone on the floor. She’s startled, until suddenly a hand rests on her shoulder. Standing beside her…
Read at the sourceABPAEAE
Spoilers. There is no way to properly review this movie without spoilers. That being said, I would urge anyone considering watching Grave of the Fireflies to avoid doing so. Here's why:
This film is a perfect example of why reviews and recommendations are not the word of god and can often be wrong. With an 8.5/10 (as of writing this review) on both IMDB and MAL, you'd think this is something special, right? I first heard of this movie when a US veteran I know mentioned it as a "must see". Though he's a cool guy and I like him, it should be known that his service consisted of a few years stationed at some camp in a Louisiana swamp, and he did not see any combat.
First, let me say what this film does alright/good. The story is a solid concept that could be molded into something much better…
Read at the sourceMisterCloaca676
FUCKING WATERMELON!
Well, I wanted to get that out before I started doing this review. First of all, I think this is one of the finest movies done by studio Ghibli. I've watched almost all of their work and everything is awesome. But there was something about this movie that made it feel really different. At first, I wasn't really sure about watching it, because I didn't think it would be good, but after finishing the movie, I knew it was not just one of the best animated movies i've ever seen, it was one of the BEST MOVIES of all time.
The story is so touching, you get to feel the pain and sadness of the characters in you. You feel sorry for them and you just want them to survive, no matter how. Seita, the older brother, is a boy who just wants to protect his sister Setsuko and help he…
Read at the sourceNecroticFury
Wow.
This isn't a story of heroism, meaning, or anything remotely related. Its about survival.
When two Japanese children lose their mother during an air-raid, they are forced to fend for themselves. Their father is off at war (and hasn't responded to any letters, go figure) so the two children venture to survive on their own. With only the clothes on their backs and the savings left over from their parents, they are truly all alone. The two have only each other to care for them.
Saito (teenage boy) and his younger sister Setsuko encounter various characters throughout the movie. Their aunt, who resents having to take care of two orphans during wartime. A farmer, who wants to help but only has enough to feed his family. A military man who sees two children in need but instead of helping…
Read at the sourceAlnime
Currently, Grave of the Fireflies has reached "Akira status" in that it's a huge black mark on your credibility as an anime reviewer if you didn't watch it due to the influence it had in the 90's til today. Like Akira, by today's standards of storytelling in cinema/TV/anime, this 1988 film is a classic, but cannot in good conscience be considered perfect. But it left an impression in me, especially in the realism of the tragedy depicted.
In GOTF, Takahata explains WHY wars are problematic and WHY death of children matters in his perspective in a way that extends beyond the obvious.
The story is simple: it's about two kids adjusting their lives during WWII. Takahata reveals the conclusion of the film in the first scene; the key then is to pay attention because he throws copious symbolism…
Read at the sourceRoyal_Dim
At first I was sceptical about watching this movie but it definitely was worth the time! It's one of the best movies I've seen and I recommend it to anyone who can stand a sad, cruel and realistic depiction of a harsh truth that is not that far away from the reality we live in.
This story is about two siblings, the relationship that exists between them and how that relationship helps them deal with the cruel reality that is war. It has its happy and its sad moments and it had me laughing and crying almost simultaneously. You can see how outstanding can be the care of an older brother for his little sister and how innocent a little kid is even in the hardest situation possible.
A reason I loved this movie is because it's not sad all the time but it also shows in the most realistic way ho…
Read at the sourceSorrow
Towards the end of World War II, American bombers dropped napalm canisters on Japanese cities, creating catastrophic fire storms. These terrifying bombs fell to earth promptly. Then as soon as the bombs hit the ground, there is a moment of complete silence, and then the explosion occurs, encompassing the surroundings with flames showing no mercy towards anything. Back during WWII, Japanese villages were made of flimsy wood and paper houses; Everything was burned down, nothing could withstand the destruction of nuclear weapons. WW2, truly one of, if not the most tragic era of mankind. R.I.P to the 60 million+ people that died in WW2. This is what Hotaru no Haka is about.
"Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. There is no flag large enough to cove…
Read at the sourceMishG
Honestly the only thing enjoyable about this movie is the gummy bears.
The entire story lead up to a disappointment, i feel as if the character development was lack luster, and you barely got to know the characters before they were hit by a tragedy. I feel little to no remorse from the series of unfortunate events that took place in this movie. The little girl was honestly one of the most annoying characters in anime history. One could compare the little girl to D.W from the popular American show Arthur.
Although some may say this is the best world war 2 movie ever created, i have to completely disagree and say it is not only THE worst world 2 movie ever made but one of the WORST movies ever made of all time. I honestly don't know what the writers were thinking when crafted this eye-so…
Read at the sourceCarolineJMZ
"Grave of the fireflies" is by far the most depressing anime I've ever watched, and I mean it in a good way.
It's sad not because I feel moved by some kindness or strength as usually the case. It's sad because it shows you a naked truth about how a war slowly destroys the hopes of two kids bit by bit and until finally, when the war is over, it already takes away everything in an irrevocable way, including their lives.
The story is from the perspective of Seita, the boy. The film begins with his death, and narrates from the end. Some scenes are a recollection of his last memories about what he and his sister have been through. This perceptive skillfully adds to the heaviness of the downward spiral plot.
The movie is mainly about how the life of Seita and his sister Setsuko seriously w…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Grave of the Fireflies is a Studio Ghibli film directed and written by Takahata Isao. Its based on the semi-autobiographical account of Nosaka Akiyuki. So, it's a semi-autobiographical story written by a Japanese man and set in the mid 1940s. This is going to be incredibly sad, isn't it? Let's take a look.
Our story opens near the end of 1945 with our protagonist, Seita, dying of starvation in a railway station and that pretty much sets the film's tone. It goes back to show the events that led up to his demise. Beginning with an air raid in which his mother dies... This film is really depressing, and it continues from there. To the film's credit, it handles emotion excellently and not just the really depressing and sad moments. It also has some really joyous and happy moments mixed in. W…
Read at the sourceDiamond_Dust
I know there are plenty of reviews for this iconic title. I just feel as if I must contribute as well, because this anime is worth it. More than any other I have ever seen.
Our tale centers around two Japanese children, Seita and Setsuko, during World War II. They are just ordinary kids at the start of things. Young, happy, carefree, as much as they could be in times of hardship, anyhow. Not much different from you or me, with nothing terribly remarkable about them. They could be anyone. They could be your little brother or sister. They could be your best friends, your neighbors. Anyone. That, to me, really drives the point home even more.
To me, this is the mother of all war movies. This is the pinnacle of tragedy at its very darkest. I have never before seen something so emotionally de…
Read at the sourceace52387
Looking at the poster of this film, a boy with an officer`s hat caring for his sister in the midst of an American bombing, I feared this would be a piece of Japanese conservatism meant to incite nationalistic indignation towards America, or perhaps the rest of the world, for committing such atrocities. I imagined the boy-scout equivalent kid symbolizing the innocence of Japan or some such nonsense. Thankfully, it doesn`t wave a finger of blame around. American bombs certainly sparked the series of events in this film, but it is just as much the aunt`s fault for speaking insensitively to the children. Equally at fault is Seita, the brother himself, for not being able to swallow his pride and underestimating the harshness of reality. Seita`s fervent faith in the Japanese empire is an ironic…
Read at the sourcebrand_182
Set in World War II, Grave of the Fireflies follows the story of Seita and his little sister Setsuko as they attempt to survive in the aftermath of a bombing which has destroyed their home and killed their mother. With their father a naval officer away at war, they must travel the country looking for food and shelter.
Grave of the Fireflies serves primarily as an anti-war piece, illustrating the effects of war on an entire family. By focusing the narrative on two orphaned siblings, the film is able to uniquely touch on the issue of the lack of charity and concern for others during times of war and hardship. Seita and Setsuko suffer from this first hand, forced as mere children to find a way to survive while others often look upon their misfortune, unmoved and uninterested.
The film also…
Read at the sourceMetalChiron
This is my first review of anything like this, so it's not going to be pretty, but it should get my point across.
This was a down right depressing anime movie, not for the story itself, but due to how bad it is. The music and animation was nice enough, but that cant save a horrible movie from being horrible. There was nothing redeemable in this movie. Seita was the worst main character I have ever seen in anything. Setsuko, wasn't exactly much of a main character to care about, but it was easy enough to feel sorry for what she had to endure at the hands of her pathetic older brother
The story takes place during World War 2 in Japan. The movie focuses around a young teenager and his young sister, as they try to survive after losing their home to an air raid. That could have been a good s…
Read at the sourcejonathanlane
Few movies I've seen can bring me to the brink of tears, and only a handful of those can actually haunt me days after seeing them. Grave of the Fireflies is one of those rare movies I've seen that did this to me. Very few films have EVER made me feel as bad as this one did. Try to think of the saddest movie you've ever seen, Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition), Saving Private Ryan (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition), anything, and this movie blows it out of the water. This film has the power to devastate you, to move you, to bring you to the brink of tears and then push you over into a chaotic world. This is Grave of the Fireflies.
Set during the last days of WWII, while the US Air Force was fire bombing Japanese cities, Grave of the Fireflies is a movie about a young boy named Sata a…
Read at the sourceJTurner
Truly one of Studio Ghibli's greatest crowning achievements, Grave of the Fireflies is a brilliant masterpiece fully deserving of a place in any of the best movies ever made. Not just an astonishingly great (and, at the risk of coming off as cliché, perfect) work of art, this is a moving, thought-provoking, and ultimately heartbreaking tale about the loss of innocence and the tragedies of war.
Based on an autobiography by Akiyuki Nosaka, the film, set during the bombing of Japan in --of all times-- World War II, centers on Seita, a loving, headstrong Navy soldier's son and his innocent little sister, Setsuko. Their fatal struggle for survival begins right at the start, when both are bombed out of house and home by American B-29s. Mom is seriously wounded and found wrapped in bandag…
Read at the sourcejet2r0cks
I like the story. It’s an “us against the world” archetype. I felt like the children in the movie had no luck at all. They experienced everything victims of the war could’ve experience – losing their home, their relatives, and their will to live. You have to feel sorry for them.
Although it’s not as good as I thought it would be (meaning I didn’t think it was that sad), it really touched me. While I was born WAY after WWII, I was able to witness how people lived in those days. Knowing the historical basis behind this movie is simply not enough, and I think that’s one of the main reasons why this story was made. The movie was able to capture the essence of what was it like in those days, and that’s what makes the movie so touching and e…
Read at the source