 If you liked
Hotaru no Haka
|
 ...then you might like
Hadashi no Gen
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A line from Apocalypse Now sums up Barefoot Gen, in particular: "The horror, the horror..."
Essentially the same film. Barefoot Gen has always, rather unfairly, existed in the shadow of Ghibli's own 'war through the eyes of innocent children' masterpiece. Both films are based on the true accounts of child survivors of the bombing of Japan during World War 2. And in both films children are suddenly thrust into the world of adults: having to find it within themselves to protect their loved ones as their world falls apart around them and chaos ensues. In Gen it's the lead's mother; in Fireflies it's the lead's
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Recommended by AironicallyHuman
They both give depictions of what it was like after WWII in Japan. Grave of the Fireflies gives the opinion more after the war was nearing it's end while Barefoot Gen gives perspective of both during and after the war.
Not only are both films a must watch - they also share a lot in common. Both lead characters are forced to 'be a man' at times of tragedy (despite their age) and both must come to terms with the losses that occur - as such they are both extremely powerful anti-war movies based on real events the authors went through. They are both very upsetting, but don't let that put you off watching these great films!
It's hard to imagine you'd like one of these titles and not the other --- they are each a unique and interesting story yet both composed of very similar content and themes. Watch both back-to-back for guaranteed sadness.
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Recommended by wintercarver
It will also make you cry... A lot. The tears will not stop flowing if you watch either of these. They both portray tear jerking tragedies caused during World War 2.
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Recommended by gloomheart
Both set during war time in Japan. Barefoot Gen is a really heart-wrenching story about one boys struggle after the bombing in Hiroshima. Not for the faint-hearted.
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Recommended by Artisan_Kirei
Both movies make an attempt to depict war through children's eyes in a realistic manner set during World War II. Hadashi no Gen deals with the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Hotaru no Haka with the bombing of Kobe. In both movies the child leads are forced to cope with the catastrophic aftermath of these events.
Both anime tell about children struggling during war in Japan. Hadashi no Gen and Hotaru no Haka, two animes that portray the cruelty of war where innocent people become victims.
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Recommended by Blackbuster
Both tell a tragic tale of Japanese children struggling in the final years of WWII.
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Recommended by LittleCaesars
War only brings death.
From the perspective of the life of the Japanese before I fell victim to a huge tragedy.
They are enough graphics and heartbreaking to have a category for all audiences, they will surely leave you to think about.
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Recommended by OtakuNote87
Both tell the story of a young boy struggling during WWII but Hadashi no Gen is more tragic.
The War! The Second World War and the consequences over a town, exactly how kids tried to survive in the middle of the Kaos and the radiation. Drama and Tears!
Both are touching stories of children suffering from the concequences of war.
Focus on the later stages of WWII from the perspective of one family.
Both films show us the hard situation that was experienced in Japan during the Second World War and the struggle of two children to survive the bombing of their cities having to take responsibilities that they should not at their young age.
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Recommended by Rising_Sun
Both movies tell the same story of wartime suffering of little children and starvation. Grave of the Fireflies is the more suble one, while Barefoot Gen does not hold back, yet both will make you cry hard over the fate of the protagonist families.
Both are set in WWII and have young protagonists who care deeply about a younger sibling. Both protagonists are a victim of the war, and they both lose a parent. (One loses both.)