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• Grave Of The Fireflies Movie

The Review

First Impression

At first I thought this was just another war story, but then I realized it was more about the people who had nothing to do with the whole conflict -- they were just victims.
The first few minutes of the movie showed daily life as the protagonists knew it change drastically into horror and violence. But the cruel part wasn't the bombing itself -- it was actually what happened after that.

The Artwork

The artwork was based more on the realistic style of anime. One of the stronger points would be the detail put into the background drawings.

Overall Impression

Grave of the Fireflies is a weepy tale. It's a tragedy that ends with the death of the main characters.

There was an overall "innocence lost" theme that went on throughout the story. It was depicted by several factors: childhood (immaturity), neighbors and friends who turn their backs when someone's in need, character development, and the death of the characters.

First, Seita is still 14 years old. So he would be somewhere in middle school. Now he has to support a little sister. By himself. Sounds a little much to expect a child to do all alone.

When Seita and Setsuko were suddenly without a home, they turned to their neighbors for help. For a while, the lady was really nice and sweet, cooing over cute Setsuko and praising Seita for keeping things together, and generally telling them not to worry about a thing - she would take care of them. Wow, did that change! Soon she began to get annoyed with them for eating their food, for not paying for their room and board (for being freeloaders, basically)...etcetc. They were very obvious about wanting them to leave, and acted concerned when they finally did leave.

By leading the audience through the lives of Seita and Setsuko, and ending their lives at the end, the overall impact of the "innocence lost" theme was magnified tenfold.

I would highly recommend this movie for people who are interested in wars and, in particular, the history of Japan.

...But don't watch it if you're in low spirits, because this won't help you raise them.

Breaking It Down