Based on the on the novel by Nosaka Akiyuki (who wrote the novel as an apology for not being able to protect his sister), Grave Of The Fireflies tells the story about Seita and Setsuko, two children who become orphans when their mother died from a bombing in the village of Kobe and their dad, who's a NAVY soldier, is on the war fighting for the Empire Of Japan. After the bombings destroyed everything in the cities, Seita and Setsuko begin their doomed struggle to survive as resource supplies are low and the war still keeps going in Japan,
The plot was written and directed by co-founder of Studio Ghibli Isao Takahata and Takahata really creates an deep emotional level with Seita and Setsuko cause these children represent their will to survive in a terrible event that shattered their family apart and it teaches us that not everything in life can be bad, you just need to find the will on moving forward and survive the best way possible on an impossible situation. It's a very heartbreaking experience to see this kids wonder off into the war torn fields of Kobe to survive and once you seen the movie just once, the haunting images that the films delivers will never leave, especially the ending.
The animation by Studio Ghibli is beautiful. They nailed the gritty atmosphere during the bombing scenes as civilians panic and start running for their lives from the fires that burn their homes and when the bombing stops, the whole city is in ashes with nothing but sadness, but there are scenes that are full of color and wonder like when Seita releases all the fireflies on the shelter and both Seita and Setsuko laugh and cheer as there amazed on the light on the fireflies.
The music by Michio Mamiya is though provoking, delivering from calming and smooth tracks to deep and depressing tracks when a sad scene appears. The English voice-acting was great, although I did have some problems with the subtitles because there slow on showing the screen and that it delivers mispronounced lines at times, but that's just nitpicking.
Grave Of The Fireflies is deep, provoking, brutal, horrifying, beautiful and depressing. It's an anime that must not be missed to see and everyone should cause if I remember, it wasn't really a critical success in the box-office since it was released a a double feature film alongside with Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro, despite the immense positive reviews that critics told about the film. It's a piece of art that both anime fans and Studio Ghibli itself will never forget.
BTW, if you're wondering why the title is Grave Of The Fireflies, it's because it represents the human souls that died in the bombing of Kobe.
