[DerMensch24]

Grave of the Fireflies

Synopsis (Courtesy of MAL):
Spoiler (Click to View)As World War II reaches its conclusion in 1945, Japan faces widespread destruction in the form of American bombings, devastating city after city. Hotaru no Haka, also known as Grave of the Fireflies, is the story of Seita and his sister Setsuko, two Japanese children whose lives are ravaged by the brutal war. They have lost their mother, their home, and the prospect of a bright future—all tragic consequences of a single air raid.

Now orphaned and homeless, Seita and Setsuko have no choice but to drift across the countryside, beset by starvation and disease. Met with the apathy of adults along the way, they find that desperate circumstances can turn even the kindest of people cruel yet their youthful hope shines brightly in the face of unrelenting hardship, preventing the siblings from swiftly succumbing to an inevitable fate.

Studio: Ghibli
Genre(s): Drama, Historical
Aired: April 16, 1988
Source: http://myanimelist.net/anime/578/Hotaru_no_Haka
Sub/Dub: I assume dub exists, however I watched in sub and was decent.

Movie Trailer:
Spoiler (Click to View)

This film is the only film that has ever brought me on the verge of tears due to such sadness surrounding the context of this film which I will not spoil for anyone, you must simply experience it yourself. The films' storyline revolves around a brother and his young sister fighting to survive in WWII Japan during the countless air raids near the end of the war, and the lengths the film goes to in order to express this sentiment is noteworthy. Even more surprisingly, this film doesn't focus on being a war film, but solely on the two main characters' struggles.

I will make the argument however that there is a major plothole to the sad dynamic Spoiler (Click to View) Seita, being 14 at the time, should have indeed been helping the country with the war as had been pointed out by his aunt and some others, but his refusal to listen would lead to a cruel fate for him and his sister. Nevertheless, this truly is a film that will bring you to tears so ready a tissue box in the event you do watch it.

[Верный]

This is my favourite Ghibli film. From the start, you knew it'd be a sad ending, but seeing how they got there makes it more so. That its based on a true story makes it even better for me.