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Grave of the Fireflies
Overlook Pick

Grave of the Fireflies

Why do fireflies have to die so soon?
84
User Score6,567 ratings
TMDB 8.416+19881h 29mJapanese
AnimationDramaWar

Synopsis

In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.

Director
Isao TakahataFrom TMDB credits
Studio
Studio Ghibli1 production companies
Release
April 16, 1988Released
Box Office
$842,132Budget $4M

Top Cast

8 of 18
Tsutomu Tatsumi
Tsutomu Tatsumi
Seita (voice)
Ayano Shiraishi
Ayano Shiraishi
Setsuko (voice)
Yoshiko Shinohara
Yoshiko Shinohara
Mother (voice)
Akemi Yamaguchi
Auntie (voice)
Masayo Sakai
Woman who takes care of Setsuko (voice)
Kozo Hashida
Obayashi Chairman (voice)
Kazumi Nozaki
Cousin (voice)
Yoshio Matsuoka
Gosaku (voice)

Trailers & Photos

Reviews

From TMDB users
Andres Gomez
Jan 4, 2013

The terrible story of two orphaned Japanese kids during the ending of WWII. Incredibly well told and totally moving, without using clichés. A must seen in the anime arena.

sykobanana
May 17, 2020

This was the first animated movie that made me cry as an adult. It still does. Two children are left as orphans in World War 2 and have to survive. Such a basic premise, but this shows intimately what the effects of war are on children (a topic not covered by other movies). And as it's about children, it has more of an emotional impact. Described as one of the greatest war movies of all time by Roger Ebert, the work of art will impact you like no other anime. Its interesting to note that this was released originally with My Neighbour Totoro. Both are films about childhood. But where Totoro is about innocence maintained and the joy of childhood, **Fireflies is innocence lost**, a light dimmed after a short period.

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