Grave of the Fireflies

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Grave of the Fireflies

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1h 28m

Drama

War

Anime

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100%

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47 Reviews

95%

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10,000+ Ratings

A devastating meditation on the human cost of war, this animated tale follows Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi), a teenager charged with the care of his younger sister, Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi), after an American firebombing during World War II separates the two children from their parents. Their tale of survival is as heartbreaking as it is true to life. The siblings rely completely on each other and struggle against all odds to stay together and stay alive.

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Critics Consensus

An achingly sad anti-war film, Grave of the Fireflies is one of Studio Ghibli's most profoundly beautiful, haunting works.

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

It’s one thing to have a film really sadden you, but I also found it sublime in its beauty... [Setsuko and Seita's] happiness together is transcendent.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 7, 2022

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Glenn Kenny

New York Times

One of the most startling and moving animated films ever.

Jan 3, 2019

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Chris Cabin

Slant Magazine

Isao Takahata makes survival the thematic core of the story, but he never degrades his characters or fetishizes their suffering.

Rated: 3.5/4

Dec 30, 2018

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Sebastian Zavala Kahn

Me gusta el cine

“Grave of the Fireflies” is simply a work of art; a film that, more than thirty-five years ago, demonstrated that animation can be used to tell mature, bloody, emotional, tragic, believable and very human stories. [Full review in Spanish].

Rated: 5/5

Feb 5, 2025

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Denise Pieniazek

EscribiendoCine

It is a moving piece in front of which the public cannot remain indifferent, the story enunciates with warmth and raw honesty, the consequences of war on childhood and its irreversible consequences and how the adults seem to be absent...

Rated: 8.5/10

Feb 1, 2025

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Carson Timar

ClapperCast

The film has so much to say not just about war and death but also about pride. This is an incredibly worthy film that is a unique piece of Studio Ghibli's filmography.

Mar 26, 2024

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Lucas O

Rating: 90%. Wonderfully sad movie. The animation and voice acting were beautiful. The music/sound was also great. I loved the story and how they were able to convey feelings and messages about wartime and society. Truly a sad movie. My only complaint was that some of the characters' actions seemed to be a little unrealistic (but the main character is 14 years old so it kinda makes sense). Not much to hate about this movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/11/25

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Audience Member

This movie broke me... war really bring the horrors... Poor Setsuke... what a sweet little baby girl

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/06/25

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Dani G

One of the saddest movies of all time, if not the saddest. It hurts everytime, no matter how many times you watch it... Gut-wrenching story

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/03/25

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Paul A

This is a story that can probably only be told in animation, these children stand for all children. An important reminder that all wars have costs that are unacceptable. They may become numbers, but each one. Every single one is a treasure lost and we are diminished by it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/02/25

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Audience Member

so sad 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/02/25

Full Review

Blu B

All Time Classic. Candidate for the great animated film ever made and truly one of the saddest films ever made as well. It's gut wrenching and not in a way that tugs on the heart strings to make up for lack of substance or in a over the top way at all. It's funamentally excellent across the board. The score is so beautiful and sad and memorable. Choosing to start by showing the death of the brother sets the tone right from the start and yet despite knowing the outcome right from the start it doesn't dilute the story progression at all. The animation is so beautifully real and bleak. It looks depressing with it's color and subject matter but never lifeless or dull. We want these two to survive dedspite that. Truly a testament to sincere storytelling. I kind of see this as a coming of age story in a sense too mixed with war. But above all else no matter how bleak things are there is always hope for a better tomorrow. Everyone should give this a try once but be warned this truly is one of the toughest things for anyone to watch. For what it's worth if you can make it through this there isn't anything you can't.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/28/25

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Isao Takahata

Director

Tsutomu Tatsumi

Seita

Ayano Shiraishi

Setsuko

Yoshiko Shinohara

Mother

Akemi Yamaguchi

Aunt

Shannon Conley

Additional Voices

Grave of the Fireflies: Netflix Trailer

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Grave of the Fireflies: Trailer 1

1:42

Grave of the Fireflies: Fathom Events Trailer

0:30

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Synopsis

A devastating meditation on the human cost of war, this animated tale follows Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi), a teenager charged with the care of his younger sister, Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi), after an American firebombing during World War II separates the two children from their parents. Their tale of survival is as heartbreaking as it is true to life. The siblings rely completely on each other and struggle against all odds to stay together and stay alive.

Director: Isao Takahata
Producer: Toru Hara
Screenwriter: Isao Takahata, Akiyuki Nosaka
Production Co: Studio Ghibli
Genre: Drama, War, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 8, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 28, 2014
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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