I have tried to watch Grave of the Fireflies a second time, but its story - which concerns two orphans in Japan during World War II - has proven itself far too draining. It was Roger Ebert who said that this animated masterpiece from Studio Ghibli was one of the most powerful war movies ever made, and he was spot-on: if there is another war movie capable of making me well-up faster than Grave of the Fireflies, I'm not sure I've seen it. Fireflies allows itself to be harrowing from the very start, as we witness our central character, Seita, a 14-year-old boy, dying on a train platform. The story flashbacks to the firebombing of his village, as Seita is forced to take care of his younger sister, Setsuka, after their mother is killed during the attack. The movie pulls no punches. The inevitable climax, which leaves one sibling alone without the other, will stay with you forever. The real torment, though, comes in watching brother and sister just being children with all that is happening going on around them. It's their forced loss of innocence, and the way in which Seita cares for his sister with no regard for his own life, that is both touching and beautiful. The thought of revisiting Fireflies now, five years after my original viewing, still feels like far too soon: a masterpiece, no doubt, but a truly painful one at that. Like this article? Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments section below.