Grave of the Fireflies

Grave of the Fireflies is an animated war story told from the perspectives of two young siblings. The plot is minimal and the meat here is mostly about the survival of Seita (voiced by Tsutomu Tatsumi) and his sister Setsuko (voiced by Ayano Shiraishi) after their mother's death during wartime Japan, giving birth to one of the saddest films you'll ever experience.

Sharing an absolutely adorable relationship, we follow Seita and Setsuko through their journey of keeping their heads above water in midst of war. Their mum pasts away and house burns down, leaving them with no choice but to live with their aunt. At first, things were fine. Bathing in a tub together, firefly-catching and beach time were heartwarming for sure, but it didn't last long. Food became scarce. Kimonos had to be traded for rations. Before we know it, the aunt started remarking about the kids being idle and eating for free; a situation that forced them to find their own ways and place gradually. Buying a stove, cooking for themselves, using fireflies as source of light and turning a cave shelter into their new home were the norm before the war got much worse. Famine led to stealing, stealing led to arrest and arrest led to beating. Seita too learns his father died and he'll never hear back from him again. Malnutrition rendered Setsuko extremely ill prior to her meeting demise in the end. How warfare completely ruined a family unit like this is beyond heartbreaking to watch.

Many would bring forward the point that Seita could have found a job. He's 14 and he could have, surely. But at the same time, the event here takes place in the span of few months. He was waiting for his father's return. And he was, 14. Both sides of the argument are valid, but we'll have to accept the characters as flawed as they are. Some of the juxtapositions are well done, particularly Setsuko burying dead fireflies compared in parallel with dead bodies disposal. Passerby boys ridiculing the siblings' state of living, panic evasion when fire drops from above and Seita maximizing the content of the sugar drop candy can by pouring water into it for Setsuko to drink the outcome are some of the scenes that'll definitely stay in one's heart.

The technical team made love with the product they were crafting here! The hand drawn animation is world class! The dirt, setting, characters, black rain, paddy fields, rivers, landscapes, houses, Sakuma's Drops, seagulls, beaches; all of it are beautiful! The animators even went further lengths to make sure their work is closest to reality as possible - mother injured terribly followed by carcass surrounded by maggots, aunt scrapping rice from pan bottom, bird feeding its babies, blood popping out of a pierced finger hole, sugar candy sticking to its wrapping paper and the remnants clumping together are the certain details we do not expect to see in an animated motion picture! Photography is gritty, steady and stunning! Score is sweet, and we have to specially mention the exceptional sound design! Bullfrogs' noise and heavy rain streaming through drainage are mere instances among the many!