“Grave of the Fireflies” was more than an animated film indeed, it surpassed both in scope and depth. The sentiments that war films evoke in normal viewers in the right manner it properly, particularly touched me. It made me this much a mere and pathetic ball of sorrow, much of that pall sibling ache within me at the magnificence of the two main characters, Setsukojima and Seita, and the suffering they were going through. To put it blankly, this was the saddest, most moving and yet most subtly directed film I have ever watched WHY and I was watching this tragic film through this dusty old VHS tape which quite frankly did not do justice to the magic of this picture. It still remains a great picture.
I did not believe that a phenomenon like this was a possibility. An anime film actually engaged me, maintained my focus, and affected me? It felt like it was impossible, and nothing ever really came close. No matter the apologies ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ had garnered over the days, I considered myself a skeptic. Half a decade or so, and I was a hundred percent sure of Satsuki and her brother, their exposure and subsequent dedication to these two.
The protagonist, Setsuko a young boy and his much younger sister Seita, is the main character in the film ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ directed by Isao Takahata, which ANN details to take place in the Second World War Japan. I obviously decided to watch this film in its Japanese version, with subtitles, rather than the English dubbed version. One can in fact underlle the foreign exchanges due to the presentational horror of any film no matter how exxitarating it can be inlaying feedback of the film. Unfortunately, that would be only part of the story Takanata wanted to present. And now it is, horrendously, cloud draping – as even if one patients, it appears, nothing worse is able to be suggested.
So beautiful Watanabe and the others penguin hachi hero who hates inui sad sounds and its still Rio even faster, amazing I have seen many anime films but this way of animation. The way war was shown in this film, was truely different from any other anime I’ve seen, and I found it, very effective and strong.
Seita’ role voiced by Tsutomu Tatsumi is without a doubt the best animated voice performing that I have ever seen or heard. Atsumi is simply great at potraiying the wide-eyed innocence of this young child…the wishful, unquestioning faith in the goodness of her brother. When she sobbed, I was in anguish…when she laughed, I was exhilarated because for a few golden seconds there was hope and relief and laughter for her even if the surroundings were so grim. To put it mildly, Tatsumi was great in this character…. very, very great.
Speaking of the role of a big brother, Ayanoshas been for her younger sister – with incomprehensible burden on her shoulders bearing the responsibility of taking care of her sister, Shiraishi Ayano, too, manages to zestfully portray a little boy with quite an acute imperative to act like a man right away. He fights, he protects, and he loves with such beauty. For those who perhaps were left pondering, where does a real family start and what does it look like, you do not have to look long for an answer, it is acted out in this movie between the brother and sister and this is simply the best portrayal I have ever come across on screen regarding a sibling duo. It’s so moving that I still cry when I put to words.
This particular film does not fail to impress in any one aspect…it is one of the most impressive works I have encountered in the sphere of anime and is surely going to make it to my list of Top 100 films of all time. The music is wonderful, the direction is super and the animation is different and interesting. What stands out even more, it is a soft but also extremely poignant script telling the most intimate story of war ever filmed.
Watch Grave of the Fireflies on Kimcartoon
