Hotaru no Haka

As World War II reaches its conclusion in 1945, Japan faces widespread destruction in the form of American bombings, devastating city after city. Hotaru no Haka, also known as Grave of the Fireflies, is the story of Seita and his sister Setsuko, two Japanese children whose lives are ravaged by the brutal war. They have lost their mother, their father, their home, and the prospect of a bright future—all tragic consequences of the war.

Now orphaned and homeless, Seita and Setsuko have no choice but to drift across the countryside, beset by starvation and disease. Met with the apathy of adults along the way, they find that desperate circumstances can turn even the kindest of people cruel yet their youthful hope shines brightly in the face of unrelenting hardship, preventing the siblings from swiftly succumbing to an inevitable fate.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Setsuko Main

Shiraishi, Ayano Japanese

Seita Main

Tatsumi, Tsutomu Japanese

Mrs. Yokokawa Supporting

Shinohara, Yoshiko Japanese

Farmer Supporting

Aunt Supporting

Yamaguchi, Akemi Japanese

Takahata, Isao Director, Screenplay

Urakami, Yasuo Sound Director

Mamiya, Michio Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Arrangement, Music

Anno, Hideaki Key Animation

Reviews

Jul 9, 2024

bergars

Recommended

It wasn't just the movie that made me cry, it was my video reproducer showing me the beginning again that destroyed my day.

This isn't a movie that convinces you there's a light beyond the tunnel. From the beginning, it lets you know the date the main character dies. As we experience the attacks from fighter jets, we live through the eyes of a kid, trying to take care of his little sister in a fruitless attempt at surviving the final months of the second world war.

For what you can imagine in that synopsis, you might think it'll be an intense movie, filled with ... survival, with conflict, fights, the horrors of war. The movie takes a step inwards, and doesn't involve the world around. Instead, we see the most common kind of story, that of poverty, and the desire to remain with any semblance of pride over your life, as it all snuffs away in a lack of resources.

Not a home to return to, no food to consume, or water to survive with. Stealing will net you nothing, and there's nothing you can exchange. No medicine, nothing. It all turns to dust while those who need a little more to survive, end in a slow, humane, and painful tragedy.

The focus is square on the brother, as he steals, he re-sells, he exchanges, and as he desperately realizes he's alone on this. That extreme cling to life, as everything he loves crumbles away. The desire to stay strong while the weight of your world rests on your shoulders. Responsibility, pride, ego, love, and the sadness that comes with the nonfullfilment of all those at the same time. The end of it all, a complete hopelessness, in which death, and the reunion with those you love, seems more appealing than reality as it is.

A modern world built on the old corpses, ones we must never forget.

Any other aspect worked so well with the story that I forgot to mention them until now. The animation and minimal use of music was just perfect. There isn't a moment that didn't fit with the story. The film is short, the pacing's incredible, every subtle facial expression or moment transcends animation with sheer quality. There are other Ghibli movies you can tell had to take some cuts to the animation, but this one's too good.

10/10. Could write an essay about it, but all in all, watch it. It'll rip your heart out, just the way it should.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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May 8, 2022

Teaflings

Mixed Feelings

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 people are dealing with the situation, but the characters don't really flesh out or arc in any way. This is a movie about how people's lives were personally affected during a certain era, but it isn't a character-based movie.
Many say this movie is very sad. By the very nature of wartime eras, it certainly is depressing; you will see people starving, being subjected to horrid conditions, and losing everything. However, that's just the tone of the movie. When i think of a movie being *sad* I think of things that make me cry. For something to affect me personally, it would have to be more character-based sadness.
This isn't a fault of the movie, but I didn't personally connect to the type of sadness it was showcasing.

Enjoyment:
Normally, I hate wartime movies because they are just depressing. They sap my energy and I don't feel enjoyment after having watched one. I love a good sad movie but war eras just bring me down.
That said, this movie is fine. While I didn't personally enjoy it, it was well made on technical levels and could easily be enjoyed by people who like these period pieces. If I could review it "objectively" as much as possible, its a solid 7. Reviewing it based on my own subjective tastes would be a 5.

Overall, I can recognize whats good about it but it also has some faults with fleshing out characters enough to care about them. A depressing watch, but people bring it up so often that I felt obligated to see it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 26, 2024

airenaishen

Not Recommended

After watching this show, one will realise that no such unrealistic children existed during that time. Here's why:

The protagonist and his sister are orphaned and get to live with their aunt, who provides them with basic lodging, food and sanitation. With a sarcastic wartime attitude, she points out that they are not making enough effort to contribute to the household.

Now, real wartime orphans would have been grateful for the roof over their heads, served their aunt with housework and taken any job suggested by their aunt. But these abnormal kids did none of that, left their aunt and got themselves malnourished till death. ...

So the educated and literate protagonist brought death upon his sister and himself for no good reason, and you're left wondering what the heck you just watched. Nevertheless, the show has some positive qualities as mentioned by others that some viewers might enjoy.

Story: 2
Art: 8
Characters: 4
Protagonist: 1
Realism: 2
Enjoyment: 3

As the protagonist and illogical premise for the story play the major role, the the overall score can only be 2.

PS: The opening of the show tells us that the protagonist will die. Hence, none of the above should be considered as spoilers.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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	Poll: Hotaru No Haka Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) yakyuu-addict - Nov 28, 2008	316 replies	by KcmcPro »» Jun 10, 12:12 PM
	Poll: Seita Neo2425 - Jan 1, 2023	21 replies	by CareBear »» May 16, 2:13 AM
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	Rewatch!?! Jai_akash - Apr 22	22 replies	by imjayhime »» Apr 24, 7:55 PM
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