Grave of The Fireflies

September 21^st 1945: That was the night I died.

Get our your handkerchief with an opening like that.  Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is one of the greatest war films ever made.  And must be the saddest too in the drama genre, even sadder than Schindler's List.  Strangely enough, it’s all animation.

The first flashback after that fateful scene shows two kids witness American air raids over Kobe, Japan.  Mom dies from the bombings, while dad’s fate with the Japanese navy is never known.  An aunt takes them in as orphans but her cruel and resentful ways force them to flee and live in a bomb shelter.   Food is scarce, and they only have fireflies that hover the shelter to lift their spirits.  The lives of fireflies underscore their own – frail and fleeting.

It’s a pity that the film is little-known.  Thanks to Youtube, you can now watch the entire film.  It’s not like any cartoon you’ve seen before.  No one breaks into song.  It feels real. The emotions are so powerful that the film creators could’ve thought that it’d be even more shattering to see on live action.

If you’re watching this film, be sure to click on a silly Youtube clip right after.