10 Animated Films You May Not Have Seen (But Should)
8. Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)
If you saw Grave of the Fireflies as a child thinking it would be a delightful tale, you probably didn't have that great a time. This movie should only be watched by adults, they should have a box of tissues handy, and they should be prepared to weep uncontrollably.
Yes, it's that sad. Even though the film is a tearjerker, it's also one of the most important stories told about World War II. That isn't because it's about a particular battle, or about the soldiers who fought for their country. This movie is about the children left behind, and their fight to survive the most brutal war ever fought.
The story tells of the fire-bombing of Kobe, Japan on 17 March, 1945. Two sibling children, Seita and Setsuko, were in the city when it was struck and burned to the ground, but they managed to survive. The story is theirs, and it is told in the form of a flashback.
Because of the way the story is structured, and how it focuses on the two most vulnerable people affected by the war, Grave of the Fireflies has been called one of the greatest anti-war films ever made. The animation is beautifully drawn, but that's what you should expect from a Studio Ghibli film. Just don't go into watching this one thinking it will be whimsical and magical because it absolutely is not.