Why Must Fireflies Die So Young?

Grave of the Fireflies

For most of people animated films are just overstuffed versions of classic fairy tales with lavish colors and joyous songs. I would never take away from some of the best animated films, talking animals or not, there is just some films that are animated that take on more realistic topics. Take last year’s Academy Award nominated animated film Anomalisa, written and directed by Charlie Kauffman, the story tells of an inspirational speaker who is all out of inspiration with his own life. The next film that I was recommended tackles a very real subject, from world renowned animation company Studio Ghibli comes a film that Roger Ebert called "an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation.” I present Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies.

Set during the waning months of World War II, Grave of the Fireflies tells the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko and their struggles. After the two young siblings lose their home and mother during the American bombing of the rural Japanese town of Kobe, they are invited to live with a relative. The pair’s welcome is worn out soon after they arrive, so Seita tries to make a new home for them in an abandoned bomb shelter. Seita and Setsuko soon realize that fending for themselves is a lot harder than they expected.

With films like Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and the Oscar winning Spirited Away audiences around the world have certain expectations when it comes to animated features from Studio Ghibli. The studio produces some of the most moving and innovative stories that have set a high bar for other animation studios, traditional animation or CGI. I love the films that I mentioned above and when I heard that I missed one, I was truly shocked. So I went to my local library and found a DVD copy of Grave of the Fireflies and I wasn’t disappointed at all. With a warning to you all, this is not a happy story like Kiki's Delivery Service or Arrietty. This film is a fight for the two main characters in a very real situation that many of us probably choose to ignore.

I can see how many people have viewed this as an anti-war film because the film tackles the issues of the collateral damage that proceeds after air raids or battle. The lives that are destroyed due to others ideologies are on full display in this film, however director Isao Takahata (The Tale of Princess Kaguya) insists that the story is about the journey these two siblings go through. I can see both sides of the debate, because both are very prominent within the movie.

I liked this film very much, but I will say that this is a movie that you shouldn’t watch lightly. Grave of the Fireflies is a movie like Schindler’s List, an important movie for everyone to watch set against the backdrop of war but about the human spirit and their will to persevere. Even though I thought the animation was amazing, I never once found myself thinking that I was watching something animated. The story transcends animation and grabs the audience and pulls them into this deep and touching tale.

The Verdict: VERY Much Worth Your Time.