Rating: 
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: I first viewed this DVD about two years ago when I had a number of free NetFlix rentals and chose to view this. I was incredibly awe-inspired and emotionally moved by the contents of this disc. It sucked me right in and kept me well after the final credits rolled. If there was ever any need of a piece of Anime to demonstrate that good Anime is not your run of the mill animation, I can't think of a better movie to watch. GOtF's story sets it apart with distinction.
Rating:
Summary: This movie will change you, if you dare so.
Review: Being there already almost 140 reviews for this movie, there's nothing new I can say except what's been said. Despite this fact, Grave of the Fireflies is one of those rare movies I must show gratitude and appreciation towards. No other movie (except for David Lynch's "The Straight Story", which I also recommend) has exemplified the importance of love for other people through a powerfully sad story. If I explained any of the specifics to what I'm saying, it will give away spoilers -- that wouldn't matter anyway, the true importance and redemption of Grave Of The Fireflies lies in it's mood and characters' struggles, and those will leave most viewers a changed person. One of the greatest movies ever made. Not only do I respect the art of film greatly more than I used to, but I also hold precious my loved ones even more. For those of you reading these reviews but have yet to see this movie, I have 3 bits of advice: 1) It is anime -- do not hold prejudice against this movie because of it. This is one of the most emotionally-gripping movies I've seen, and it's rare that I cry because of a movie, let alone from start to finish with this movie. 2) It is drama -- but it is real, and visceral. It is NOT the crappy, low-budget melodrama you'd see on some womens' channel ("Timmy has cancer and his mother's in jail and he wants to see Babe Ruth hit a home run or else Lassie will die of a tumor!"). NO! "Grave of the Fireflies" is what drama was meant to be, I cannot find a negative thing about this movie [except that it made me cry out loud in a room full of people, quite embarassing if you ask me]. It is well written and emotional, and in true Japanese style it uses subtle, quiet, and subdued moments to speak the loudest moods. and most importantly, 3) PREPARE YOURSELF. Before you watch this movie, get a comedy video (Monty Python or whatever) on your coffeetable to pop in after you clear your tear ducts when this movie is over. Grave of the Fireflies will stay with you, it will hang on your shoulders and you will remember it the next morning and throughout the next several weeks. So get something happy or whimsical prepared to watch immediately afterwards to help get out of the depression that Grave of the Fireflies is guaranteed to put you in. Experience this film.
Rating:
Summary: The scenes stay with you years later.
Review: I saw this movie two years ago and just happened to stumble across it here again today. Sure, I've discussed it with friends, some of whom hated it, others who loved. Mostly, I found the truest fans of anime loved it. It can't be watched by those who only watch to see heroes cut open bad guys and things explode (not that that's not good too). No, this is art. Plain and simple, as much as picasso and van gogh (blasphemy as I speak it), this is somebody's masterpiece. It tells a tale that will have you weeping if you have any sort of emotion. Hell, I didn't cry at titanic, finding it too predicatable. I spent the last forty minutes of this movie squirming hoping that things were different for ... well you'll see. Just like the other reviewers, I warn you. You probably won't end the movie feeling cheery. It's meant to reach in that part of your soul that feels for others and have it keen out. You will feel for the main stars, you have to. They seem so real for the moment that you forget that they are ink and see their lives as lives that probably occurred. It will have you wishing that you can do something back then, only to realize that it is too late. The only time we have to act is now. And when that finally hits, the light will shine and you'll see why the movie did what it did. It was to get you there. I can't say it was my favorite anime, because I it's too sad for my tastes. I can't watch it without feeling lost and alone. I can only say its one of the best animes I've seen. I guess that is enough.
Rating:
Summary: More than anti-war: anti-inhumanity
Review: Hearing of a Japanese film made about the end of WWII, the knee-jerk reaction is to figure that the film will be heavily anti-American. In fact, the Americans appear very little, maintaining a shadowy but definite presence in the background of the story. Unlike most anti-war films, which focus on the horrors of fighting a war, Grave of the Fireflies deals with the life of a non-combatant. In the end, it is harshest not on the Americans, but in its condemnation of the Japanese people who failed to help their own. The true horror of the film comes not from the war, but how people react to it.
Rating:
Summary: Moments like jewels...
Review: "Grave of the Fireflies" is simply one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen, anime or otherwise. It is not only the tragedy of the ending that is powerful (altho I admittedly spent the last 30 minutes blubbering uncontrollably) but the little happy moments as remembered by the dead narrator Seita, that shine with an honesty & humanity rarely seen in film. There simply isn't a cliche in this movie. Seita & his sister Setsuko are not your typical cute film kids; the world they inhabit was once a very real one albeit now long gone. The little moments are what shine especially, such as when Seita tries to pick out the melody to a nursery rhyme on his Aunt's organ to distract Setsuko from hunger, or when they go to the beach & Seita plays a chase game thru the waves with his sister to the wonderment of onlooking salt workers. Setsuko gets cranky, cries for her mother, sings tunelessly when happy & generally acts like any 5 year-old would in a similar situation. As the story progresses, & she becomes weaker from malnutrition, there is no sugar coating; she complains of diarrhea, frets & eventually becomes delusional. It was a typically small gesture that set off my tears towards the end: after Seita takes Setsuko to the doctor who can do nothing except tell him to feed her, he is carrying her down the road. An ice cart stops, the driver saws off a chunk of ice, & walks into a house to deliver it. Seita kneels with Setsuko in his arms, scoops some ice chips from the dirt & lovingly places them in Setsuko's mouth. The unbearable humanity of this gesture broke my resolve not to cry, & if you don't have tears streaming down your face by then, you probably aren't human. Don't get "Grave of the Fireflies" because it's animated, or because you're a big Japanimation fan. Get it to be transported to Japan in 1944 & see WWII from the other side. In this period of patriotic, "Greatest Generation" propaganda, it's something every U.S. citizen should do.
Rating:
Summary: This wil make you cry I promise.
Review: Now don't call me names and call me a big softy. Okay I'm a sucker for emotional movies and especically tragedy but this movie trancends that by infinite miles... This is without a doubt the most depressing movie I have ever seen. Even one of my best friends who's basically the most levelheaded girl I know told me she broke down in tears when watching it. And trust me she's a tough chick. What we're dealing with his is a war movie. Set during WO II. That's where the cliches stop. Apart from the few scenes of American planes dropping fire-bombs on Kobe, the movie tells the story of Seita(a 14 year old boy) and Setsuko(his 4 year old sister) *spoilers* Their father is fighting for Japan in the navy. During a bombardment their mother gets injured and dies in the hospital. Now orphaned Seita and Sutsuko seek refuge with their aunt. While at first this is a solution, the aunt quickly grows weary of Setsuko crying for her mother in the middle of the night and the need for extra food that is required to feed her and her brother. After so many arguments Seita decides to leave and seeks shelter in an abbandoned bombshelter... They make a nice home for themselves there and are reasonably happy. That is until food supplies start to run out. This is the beginning of the end... I will not lie.. This is not a happy movie. Far from it. Like I said earlier it's the most depressing movie I've ever seen. Some of you may laugh since this is a cartoon. Laugh all you want. Just watch this and you'll be cured of that ignorance forever. I can't reccommend this movie enough.. It will make you cry and it will make you feel bad.... It will make you feel ashamed for ever feeling patriotic during war times... War means suffering. Even for the enemy. Remember, Waging war on a country doesn't mean waging war on the whole of the population. It's the goverments that are to blame... not the regular population who are just trying to survive...
Rating:
Summary: True Masterpiece
Review: If this movie doesn't hit you at some emotional level then you are either an inanimate object or have no kind of human emotion to speak of. Released in the same year as the groundbreaking anime film, Akira, this movie too holds it own as an anime landmark and classic. This movie is sad and moving as Akira is thought-provoking and mysterious. In my opinion it is one of the three must have films for any true anime fan (the two others on my little list being Akira and Princess Mononoke). Truly a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Powerful for Anime
Review: How does one begin to express how he may feel about "Grave of the Fireflies"? There is so much to this movie that there really isn't one single aspect that makes the movie great. There is a perfect combonation of a well-written storyline, historical accuracy and exquisite artwork that make the movie what it is. 14 year-old Seita and his 5 year-old sister Setsuko are left homeless after a bombing raid that devistated thier home and killed thier mother. With the father serving in the Japanese navy, they take refuge with thier aunt who chastizes the two non-stop for thier lack of effort in the household work. Feeling smothered, Seita packs up and takes Setsuko to live in a bomb shelter where all is well, but not for long. Setsuko begins suffering from malnutrition, and cannot be helped due to the lack of food and supplies Seita fails to offer. Now, they realize the hardships of the war with no food and nowhere else to turn to. My only complaint about the movie was the voice-over for Setsuko. I for one prefer subtitles, but I do give the dubbing a chance since both can be done on DVD. While all the other voice-overs were well-performed, I feel that the actress supplying Setsuko's voice was awful. Sounded like a 45 year old portraying a five year old girl. This movie's power is so bold, it really tugs at the heartstrings. If you do not feel emotionally moved in any way, then you either were not paying close enough attention, or you have no heart.
Rating:
Summary: A tragic look at the effects of war on childhood
Review: This film seems to be rather allegorical as a whole, and strongly reminds us of lost childhood and human suffering. There are beautiful moments, and profoundly sad ones. This is not a kid's film. This is a film for adults who have an open mind, and can accept that certain stories can only be told in the format of animation. When I first saw this film, I thought it rather one-dimensional. It seemed to just be a story of the suffering of children during the war. On a subsequent viewing, I began seeing more. This is also a film reflective of life itself in occasionally dark times. It inspires us to be compassionate for others, and makes us wonder. As an american, I can't help but compare this to the prototypical vietnam veteran story.
Rating: 
Summary: Haunting anime
Review: This should serve as an antidote to anyone who cheered when the Americans were bombing Tokyo at the end of "Pearl Harbor." This animated film tells the story of Seita and Setsuko, whose mother is killed during the bombing of Kobe during WWII. The two children struggle to survive and even find a little happiness in a country that is undergoing extreme privation. It is heartbreaking to watch Seita trying to protect his little sister. The film is apolitical; rather than taking sides and laying blame, it strives to depict the complex ways in which human nature expresses itself under impossible circumstances. Thankfully, it mostly avoids the Japanese penchant for terminal cuteness.
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