The Tragic Innocence of Grave of The Fireflies

Anituber Anthology 4 - A Tribute to Isao Takahata

An analysis on Grave of The Fireflies and why it's so beautiful.

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[muichiroutokito]

In the end, when they show the spirits of the siblings looking on to city... that is the ‘grave’ of the fireflies. The city is the grave of all the people and the horrors that happened in the war. The fireflies could be symbolic to how, in the war people die so quickly. I’m crying, this movie broke me to pieces.

[marciashiraishi]

It is sad to think that there are still thousands of Setsukos and Seitas in the world, dying because of wars, hunger, violence, cruelty and indifference of adults 😢😢😢

[kyukyukyukyu]

Me: *depressed*

Me after watching the movie: *stares at the ceiling til 3am*

[Otaidus]

I just watched the movie and then watched this video. But when I saw the part from the beginning of the movie I broke down. I didn't realize that the sister's ashes where in that little container.

[remuvs]

Death by starvation is something which really hits me. It’s such a simple thing which we don’t think about since we usually get our usual 2-3 meals a day and don’t face serious hunger.

[MELLMAO]

You convinced me to actually sit down and watch this movie for the first time... Clinical depression never felt so good

[dwightm]

When the worst happens, the aunt will inevitably be abusive. She did not even stop them from leaving. A 4 year old girl? Come on! I really dont see things work out for the better if they stayed. Seita and Setsuko were going to starve when their mom died.

[jameslohman]

A bit of powerful foreshadowing often missed is setsuko's crushing the firefly that Seita catches for her; he ultimately holds too tightly as well

[provolonecheese]

Grave of the fireflies is loosely based off a true story. the real brother survived, but wanted his character to die in the story because he thought that was less of a punishment then having to live with his mistakes. the real brother stole food from his sister, and he lived the rest of his life in guilt, wishing he could change the past.

[lightituplikedynamite]

I just love how the ending shows them together as there ghost or spirit forms watching the city as present day Japan. It’s so cute. I’m glad they’ve ended up together even after their deaths. This made me cry so hard last night I couldn’t stop. I love this film it really shows the meaning of struggle.

[eugnwkk]

that final scene when they were sitting and watching the modern city had broken me I just couldn't stop crying when I thought that it's built over the victims of war and the sacrifices they made

[wasteland]

One thing my father pointed out when I first watched it, was during the first few minutes when Setsuko is sad that she lost her shoe, he (and I as well) found it a heartbreaking reminder of how innocent she is and how she doesn't understand what's going on. It's such a good film and so incredibly heartbreaking.

[MediCali]

The mother, father, son, and baby girl died but the aunt lives 🤦🏽‍♂️ that’s a very accurate description of the unfairness of life

[syel]

I really hate the aunt, specially when she was stealing food from the kids and feeding her family soup with meat, and the kids just soup with nothing, literally just water, they would have died from starvation there too.

[appledemian]

This movie really made you realized the importance of life in deeper level

[TheyCallMeZiggs]

I feel like i lost a sister and brother after this movie

[leopoldobaylan]

i dont even know if i can ever recover watching this.. my heart is really aching..

[juni]

oh mYGOD I JUST SAW THE ASH AND BONES THAT CAME OUT OF THE JAR. IM BAWLING.

[fakhrulangahanwar]

Brutally honest and heartbreaking war movie ever made. 10/10. ☆☆☆☆☆.

[ross]

Another aspect of the movie was not just how Seita's Aunt treated them, but the reason for her actions. She called them lazy slugs, saying that only those who helped the war effort deserved food. She clearly saw childhood innocence in them, and like other characters in the movie, chose to sneer at it in favor of those who were seen as useful to the war effort.