Rating: 
Summary: Powerful
Review: When I first saw this anime I thought it was a bit depressing but it offered me a strong message of how horrible and devistating war can be.
The movie is bassically about a 14 year old boy and his little sister who have to live on their own because of the war.
Their mother gets killed. This movie is great for any age their is nothing bad int it. This is a must see.
Any one should add this to their anime or dvd collection. By the way this is a great DVD too. If you want to see some more great movies see Akira and Spirited Away!!
Rating:
Summary: A must see for anyone
Review: Be you child or adult, anime fan or not, this is the movie to see. Its sheer gritty realism and true to life tragedy give it a meaning that goes far beyond just hearing about the tragic deaths. Here we can see it first hand through the experiences of two children, both innocent but soon corrupted by their futile situation. The movie starts off with us seeing the ghost of a boy looking upon his own self, shortly after he has died. Then, he and the ghost of his little sister ride in a train, and the movie then starts as a flashback, while the children were living happily with their mother just before their home is destroyed.The older boy, Seita, and his little sister, Satsuko are orphaned and must live with their aunt, who is a little less than pleasant and urges them to do more for the war effort in Japan. So instead, they run away. Seita, being the older brother, neglects that the hardships lying ahead will not only effect him, but his sister as well. Post war time, he must resort to stealing when he runs out of money and things to trade. Their home is barely a home at all. Parents, do note, while there is no offensive material in this film, it does contain powerful imagery of the wounded, ill, and dead. The plot may be hard to understand for some children. This is still a film that should be seen, however. Very powerful and moving.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most moving movies I have ever seen
Review: As the father of a 6 year old boy and 2 1/2 year old girl, this movie literally brought me to tears, and I can't remember the last movie I cried while watching. I could go on and on about the plot & the use of pacing & silence, but that has probably been done a few times over in this thread of reviews. I think at this point (285 reviews and counting) all I need to do is add my pile of stars to the chorus. By the way, a recent reviewer (in a "spotlight" review at the time I write this) writes: ---
"So what's with the "BUT" in my title line? To be honest, it's the little boy. Without giving away the ending, it was one of those things that he could have done something about his situation a lot sooner, and he doesn't. That drives me crazy."
--- I don't understand why he expresses this criticism of the CHARACTER as criticism of the PLOT, or the MOVIE. If this reviewer had bothered to watch the interview with Takahata (the director) on the bonus DVD, he would have known that this flaw in Seito's character was INTENTIONAL on the part of the director, and was meant to be a social commentary on the chaqracter of Japanese children circa 1988 (the year the film was released). That this reviewer felt this, was a TRIBUTE to the plot of the movie, not a detraction. That reviewer SHOULD have been driven crazy. We all should. That is the whole point of the movie -- the sheer pointlessness of what happened to these children.
Rating:
Summary: Not enough words to say about this movie
Review: It's one of the best movies I have ever seen! PERIOD! It's clearly a movie that touches you good or bad. After watching this movie I cried for a good hour.*First animation movie that's made me do that* It can move you and depressed you at the same time. I will say this if you let children watch it *Which I say it's maybe 10 and up but that's only me* Please parents watch it with them!
This is a movie that I will never forget and cry sometimes just by thinking about it. This is one the BEST MOVIES EVER! Anime or not this movie will make you think and depressed you and I think to some change you.
Thank you
Rating:
Summary: A real heart-breaking tale!!!! But great nontheless!
Review: I seriously love this movie. Some people don't like it because it doesnt mention anythign about Japan being the "bad guy" (although, i guess to them, they weren't the bad guys). I don't like the fact that Seita doesnt do what he should have (go back to his aunt). But perhaps even if he did go back, he would hav emet the same fate. But I have to ay it was good, because it made me (and still makes me) cry :'( .
Rating:
Summary: There is Always Another View of War
Review: The semi-autobiographical story of two children living in war-torn Japan during WWII shows everyone that though we may fight for what we believe in, those we fight against, our enemies are also fighting for what they believe in. It is easy for us to think our wartime enemies are evil, but as you watch these two children struggle through a horrific existence because of what war has done to them, you realize what war truly does. This is a legend in animes, but I have shown this to my mother who despises anime and it moved her to tears. It will make you cry. I am not a cries when it comes to movies, but the ending left such an impact that I missed the last five minutes because my tears were so intense. It is a beautiful movie that will change your look upon the world and life.
Rating:
Summary: Okay - it's Great. But there's just this ONE little thing.
Review: I'm going to be up front here. I'm not the world's biggest anime' junkie. In fact, I'm pretty new to the whole scene. However, I have a friend that is an absolute freak about it; he loves it, would probably cuddle with his DVD's if he could. He was the one that introduced me to Cowboy Bebop, Eva, Escaflowne, Noir, Vampire Hunter D, and a few other gems. So he decided to run this one by me and see if I liked it. Yes, yes I did. A lot. It's not your average, fun-loving flick, though. It's about war-time Japan during WW2 and how the fighting disturbed the lives of the non-soldiers. The 2 main characters are children and they are left abandoned thanks to American bombing raids. They struggle through the whole movie just to stay alive and have the basic human necessities. It's sad, and wonderful and well-presented. So what's with the "BUT" in my title line? To be honest, it's the little boy. Without giving away the ending, it was one of those things that he could have done something about his situation a lot sooner, and he doesn't. That drives me crazy. It seems kind of petty that that would bother me, doesn't it? Yeah - yeah it does. It's just the way I'm wired, I guess. But either way - notice I still gave this movie a perfect score. I REALLY LIKED IT. So if you'r reading this, please see this movie, grab some tissues and popcorn, and sit back and enjoy. It's an emotional ride. Happy viewing everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Emotionally Charged
Review: A very depressing movie about the 'other side' of World War II in Japan. A story of a young boy and his little sister orphaned and made to fend for themselves. It is a wonderful story of love for your family and hard times.
Rating:
Summary: The movie that you MUST see
Review: The best Anime movie I have ever seen. As I watched it I started to be in tears. Rarely any movies get me to do that. As I watched seita and Sesuko(dunno the spelling) it was heart breaking, but not too much. Just seeing how she died, was the worst possible thing I have ever seen.It can be a bit confusing at first since they show them when they are first dead. But you will catch on.This movie is a "MUST SEE" movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Great animation
Review: The animation in this movie is great.I gave it 2 stars because it's the most depressing film I've ever seen.
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