Grave of the Fireflies

Rating:
Summary: It could be a five star release, but...
Review: "Truly, an animation materpiece".
An entire review would be made with just those 4 words.

"So, why did you rate it with 4 stars?"
The first time I saw this movie was a few years ago on a VHS one friend lend me. With the arrival of DVD, it was logical to get the DVD release instead.

But...

When I was watching the introduction, something didn't seemed right, but I couldn't recall what until I get to the ending of the movie, then, it just hit me: In the Central Park Media release, the ending is choped and never shown, but at the beginning of the movie.

Maybe they didn't wanted to show the original credits in Japanese.
I just keep wondering how they dared to mutilate this wonderful movie.

Rating:
Summary: Classic.
Review: A great slow-paced movie about a young boy and his kid sister. Set in the later stages of World War 2, after their town was destroyed and mother killed in a bombing, they leave on a journey across the countryside.

A touching story about "the horrors of war and it's effect on the innocent." It has a very sad ending, so have a handkerchief ready.

Rating:
Summary: Speechless
Review: The last time I cried was when my parents divorced 2 years ago; since then, nothing seemed worthy of my cry.
Through the whole last 10 minutes of this movie, I cried.
That should tell you something.
If you hate sad movies, pretend this movie doesn't exist.

Rating:
Summary: ...........Sigh
Review: Well Grave of the Firelies wasn't neccesarily one of the saddest movies but I have to say it was depressing. I like the way the director told the story in a diffrent perspective and how he finally summed up the movie. There wasn't much problem with the overall DVD (accept that it didn't have any extras). So overall if your looking for something different to watch I reccomend u get Grave of the Fireflies.

Rating:
Summary: good story but...
Review: The americans did not drop the bomb because "they started it". They dropped it because Japan government refused to accept they had lost. Only invasion of of its land would had stopped the war at even greater cost of life and suffering.

Good story, I am for movies that have an antiwar message. Someday we may not need them.

Rating:
Summary: Astonishing!!
Review: I've read through many of the other reviews and they've done a good enough job of synopsizing the film so I won't bother. If you are not moved to tears by the end of this film, then check your pulse because you have no heart. I have never seen a film, of any type, that has elicited such an emotional response as this film. It took a long time to get over it.
The animation is stunning. Not because it's flashy but because it's amazingly subtle. Watch it and notice the perfect way the little girl moves, the expressions in her face, and the way she becomes so real. I couldn't get this film out of my mind. It should be seen by every high school student studying WWII.
This is not a film that attempts to change your mind about the horrors committed by the Japanese government during the war. This isn't trying to say that what we Americans did was wrong either. This film goes beyond all that.
Every war has innocent victims. This story is about two of them.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most powerful animes I have seen!
Review: Grave of the Fireflies was animated by one of the greatest, if not the greatest, animator of all time. His name is Hayao Miyazaki, and other films he's done are Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro just to name a few. This is a great movie! It's the emotion-filled tale of boy and his sister orphaned and struggling to survive in wartime Japan. It also goes much deeper than that in that it shows us not only the effects of war on the two children, but the horrible effects it had on the country. Words can not describe this masterpiece. It is a must see!!

Rating:
Summary: Absolute gold.
Review: The first movie to bring tears to my eyes in 10 years, & they stung like acid.

This is one for all otakus. Absolutely anyone in the world, all ages & personality types would love this movie. It's one of those films that lives with you the rest of your life.

It's hard to believe this was created by the same person who did Rupan/Lupin III.

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic work
Review: I adore this movie, despite the fact that I'm moved to tears every time I watch it all the way through. It is very, very well paced, and the animation is incredible - the expressions on the character's faces do more than words to show how the characters feel. The story is very well written and it is a must-have for any anime fan or anyone interested in history. The DVD's quality isn't as good as it could be; the picture is a little poor, as is the sound at times, but it is definatly worth having. I recommend seeing it in its original language format - it's far more moving. It's an incredible movie - what are you waiting for?

Rating:
Summary: Conflict of Values
Review: I was talking with a friend of mine (we both share an appreciation of anime) and he suggested that I watch "Grave of the Fireflies". I went over to Amazon and put the DVD in my cart, me being pretty sure that I was going to buy it (if one of my best friends liked it, I surely would too). But I went into town and I remembered that there was a video/DVD rental store that specialized in anime. I saw it there, picked it up, rented it, went home.

As I started watching the movie, a couple of things were clear to me. This isn't just a film about World War II, it's about the human condition during war times. The context surrounding the movie is Japan during and just after the war. It's quite powerful, breathtakingly honest and emotionally brutal. I'll even admit that I shed a few tears. It was hard watching Setsuko, Seita's very young sister, slowly die from malnutrition. Most of the film revolved around Seita's drive to help and spare his sister any more pain than necessary. It is heartbreaking, and one of most tragic movies I have ever seen.

While I was watching the film though, I was deeply conflicted. I am Korean American. I will not and cannot feel sympathy for the Japanese during that era. It literally makes me sick for me to feel sorry the Japanese, considering the horrors they caused and perpetuated for people like my grandfather, my father, my family, the people of my ancestry. This movie is supposedly on Roger Ebert's "10 greatest films of all time", and while I can understand why that is so, I'll have to think long and hard before I...purchase the movie.

The Japanese today are a great and prosperous people. But this movie tries to glorify and sympathize the sentiments of the Japanese during the war. They would like for the rest of the world to forget that they had hand in genocide (just like the Nazis in the European war). They're history books generously omit the fact they caused as much suffering as portrayed in the film to the two children. I bring light to the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi who (despite huge protest from the Korean and Chinese) visited the Japanese war heroes grave late last year, paying tribute to the generals and officers who committed crimes against humanity. This is who the Japanese are, and even in today's age they would like us to forget what truly happened, to feel sympathy to their civilian casualties. Remember, more American lives were lost in the Pacific war than in the European war.

Setting aside this argument, Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) is worth watching. On the basest level, this movie is (like I said before) truly powerful, breathtakingly honest (to the human condition) and emotionally brutal.

I would recommend this film, but I would warn the viewers to not forget the context in which the film is portrayed.