Rating: 
Summary: Not Anti-American
Review: This is an outstanding war movie. The characters portray the drama of war beyond the field of battle. Two children, Seita and his little sister Setsuko, struggle for freedom and life in the midst of flying machines dropping fire bombs on villages far below, the rationing of food, and a culture insensitive to the needs of others, even starving children, as it itself tries to survive. Some have criticized Graves of the Fireflies as anti-American. I don't believe it to be so. There is not a single American in the movie. The words America, American, and the phrase United States of America is not said once throughout the movie. The planes dropping the bombs don't even have the markings of American planes. A viewer isn't even told that the movie takes place during WWII. It is weaponry such as the B52 that alludes to the time period. The only word of aggression toward the enemy is when Seita infuriated with another bombing angrily states that his father, a soldier, would make THEM pay for their actions. I believe the movie instead addresses the paradox of man's need for other and his attempt to live independently by his own rules. Seita and Setsuko retreat to a distant aunt's home after their own mother dies during a bombing. The aunt, stressed by rationed food, criticizes her young guests as lazy and unsupportive of the Japanese cause. Frustrated by their aunt's invective, Seita and his sister leave to make it on their own. They attempt to insulate themselves from the world by hiding in an abandoned shelter. Here they are alone and allowed to "live life the way they want." The environment, with its undulating river and green vegetation, is idyllic. They do not need to compromise who it is they are. Nevertheless, it is in this environment that the brother and sister struggle most. Seita does return to society during bombings to pilfer food while the rest of the world is hidden below in shelters. It is to no avail. He and his sister waste away in hunger. Nevertheless, they never return to the safe abode of their aunt's.
Rating:
Summary: ITS A WELL DONE ANTI-WAR MOVIE
Review: This movie deserves all the five stars it has on amazon its very emotional with good story which is very sad. Also its a wellmade work of art completely drawn by hand is what it looks like its an awesome job.
Anyway back to the story i will be honest this movie DID NOT make me shed a single tear......BUT that dose not mean i have a stone heart or whatever, i was very sad and unhappy but it did not break me in peices. As for age aproval well i am 16 and i duess 12 is ok.
Story of 2 japanese kids realy interesting so i kept my eyes close to the screen all the village people were not very cooperative but i dont see us going around giving 100$ to homeless people....or food. This movie dose not make us look as agressor either or japan JUST cause it happen to take place in that certain war it could have been WWII or WWI or vietnam pick any war!OR conflict.
Movie has very sad begining and ending showing the struggles and things this 2 kids do to survive poor little girl never had the chance anyway if you want to know the story there is a lot that below my review i am here to show my opinion and see what you think about it..............
See ya.
Rating: 
Summary: Moving, But lacking perspective
Review: This is a VERY fine movie, and depicts the misery of war for the "innocent parties" involved in a very unique and moving way. It does not, however, accept any responsibility for WHY the bombings of Tokyo took place, nor does it admit to Japan being the aggressor in this conflict. It also does not touch upon the Japanese' unnecessarily cruel treatment of those THEY took prisoner at that time. For instance, My Uncle, then 18 years old, survived a period of time in a Japanese POW camp during WWII. He survived only to die shortly thereafter of the Tuberculosis and malnutrition that came upon him while under the enemy's control. He left home as a healthy, auburn haired boy, and came back with completely white hair, looking like a 50 year old man; a 50 year old man that was skin and bones- quite literally coughing his lungs out.
Yes, ABSOLUTELY, war is a horror, but one may be wise to keep in mind the reason Japan had been bombed; as well as the gracious way we, the victors, treated the great country of Japan after this tenacious, and incredibly bloody war had finally been brought to an end. One also would do well to consider how Japanese treated civilians in the countries that they had invaded; like China, Korea, Malaysia, The Philippines, etc. Also, I suggest one remember that Japan did indeed attack the mainland United States; they sent incendiary bombs into our West Coast forests via weather balloon. The intent being to set them ablaze and draw our man power and resources away from the battle front to fight the fires, thereby weakening the effectiveness of our fighting force where it was needed so desperately. Some of these incendiaries are to this day being discovered IN our forests, and are STILL quite 'alive'.
Unfortunately, we had a vicious, and aggressive enemy in Japan, back then. Quite literally, our lives, and our freedom was under SERIOUS threat. It was a very frightening time for all Americans, particularly so for those of us living in the Pacific Northwest states: Oregon, Washington, & California. There was no interstate freeway system back then, and we'd of been hard pressed to get troops in and civilians out if a large scale invasion had taken place. And, make no mistake, it most certainly could have happened.
Why do I mention all this even though the movie is simply about the sad story of two war orphans? Because, without the perspective of WHY America bombed Tokyo, and which country was the aggressor, it is an incomplete tale. By all means, I say, watch the film. However, at the same time, I suggest that one remember "the rest of the story." And may we soon be free of the need for war entirely.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing...
Review: I've never come away from a movie the way I came away from this one. After a week I still am moved when I think about the movie. I have really never been as deeply affected by a movie as this one.
Rating:
Summary: Grave of the Fireflies
Review: We've watched this movie in class multiple times to look at the downside of war. Innocent people are killed. This is a story about two young Japanese children, one is three, one is a teenager. Their mother is killed in an air raid and they go to live with a relative. She is unfair to them and didn't nourish them correctly. They begin to live in an abondoned shelter. The 3 year old becomes malnourished. I'm not going to give away the whole story however. This is a movie that needs to be watched. It's very touching and a great movie to make you think about what happens to civilians that live in our enemy countries. I would recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: For Collectors
Review: This animation movie is another work of Miyazaki. However, it is not in the line of Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away or Castle in the Sky. The movie is intended for a more mature audience: it will put you back to your seat. At the end, you'll be hungry, and you'll look at your pocket. Be prepared!!! This movie is very emotional, realistic, beautiful and sad at the same time. So emotional that you will not forget the characters of the story (be prepared for tears). Among all of Miyazaki works, this is the best of all. This movie is a-must-have for collectors. The other tragedy, beside the story, is to own this masterpiece. Once you see the movie, you don't want to see it again. Yet, you wanna and gotta have it in your collection... Trust me.
Rating:
Summary: the best thing on the silver screen.
Review: Grave of the fireflies is the sadest form of a tragedy I've seen on TV. you'll fell sorrow for atleast a week from watching it.It will make a stone to shed tears like it did with me ,I don't cry at all even I ask sometimes why people are crying but after watching this animated movie I found the answer.
Rating:
Summary: No guns, no political propagandas, no violence
Review: Just kids trying to survive in a war-torn era... and failed. I won't even begin to tell how my own psyche was deeply disturbed when the movie ended. (Still does, yes, still does.) To call this an anti-war movie might be off its original mark. I'd rather call it a personal point of view, from the point of the ones who suffers the worst during any war: the children.
For those who felt nothing, or disgusted, or even slept through the movie, it probably means that the society around you has lost its compassion and there is a high probability that you live alone, rarely talk to the neighbours, wake up at six and go to work at nine and lunch at twelve and back to home at seven. For someone NOT to cry watching this, truly you have lost your soul to the cold society. I did not read any reviews beforehand save for the one that's on the box, and I was slightly surprised when the movie started with a voice announcing that he died, and showing the main character's corpse. Normally this would turn off any viewer, but what comes after intrigues me, and ultimately, crushed what remained inside me that I claimed to be compassion - and later rebuilt another. This movie is not sweet, it is not happy. Even when the brother and sister go around gathering fireflies to light their bomb shelter, it was not sweet. It was saddening; nowadays when you have no other lighting option you'd just go around a store and grab some candles and pay for it. These young souls had to gather fireflies, which in my personal experience are hard to catch. And isn't it just like what they are experiencing? Something that they needed the most but it is so hard to catch or achieve, and when they did, it only lasted for a while. And as for those who criticise the brother's unwillingness to beg/plead to his aunt, the Japanese mindset (sorry if this makes me sound ignorant) is educated in such a way that pride comes first, need comes second. That should explain it. What's more, these are children taught not to do any self-degrading things on themselves. This is not a war movie, nor it is an anti-war movie, or even an anti-America protest in its subtlest form. This is a story well-told, a story that will grab you and won't let go, ever. In war, during and after, nothing means anymore. Not even those who claimed to be the heroes, the uplifter of Justice. When everything around you is blood and mire, only survival matters. And this story is about two little souls who tried to rise against it and failed. In the end, doesn't the title explain everything, readers? Fireflies are beautiful things, they shine in the dark;
But when they die nobody knows where their graves are,
Nor do they care.
Rating:
Summary: Im happy that the movie have influence over the world.
Review: I wish that the world people watch the movie. World War2 especially Taiheiyou War is argued for the each other responsibility, Japan-USA. In the point that assult Parl Harbor,Japan is bad, on the other hand in the point that drop atomic bomb in Hirosima Nagasaki, USA will be bad. But in the movie, we should watch the movie in the pure point than which countries is bad. The movie is non-fiction story based on Mr. Akiyuki Nosaka[Hotaru no haka]=Grave of the Fireflies. In fact Mr,Nosaka'sister was dead for malnutrition and they lived in the cave, shelter cave. In Japan of World War2, there were such many cruel cases. In modern advanced nations, we never experience such the shortage of foods and water etc. we will feel their importance by watching the movie. Maybe, the translation is standard English dialect. In Japan, many dialects exist. Most famouse dialect is Kansai dialect(Oosaka dialect)used in the movie. Though I live in Tokyo, I feel that the Kansai's dialect is very beautiful and sentimental. Therefore when Japanese watched the movie, they were moved more by the dialect in addition to the story. I am afraid that can not tell the dialect's influence. But I am proud that many USA people watch the movie. I am sorry for my poor writing.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorites and one of the all time bests..
Review: Simply put, if this movie doesn't move you (much less completely drain you and leave you a shattered shell of a human being) then you have a heart and sole of stone. One of the absolute best, most realistic, and different looks at the effects that war has on people you will ever see. I truly believe this movie should be on just about everyone's list of the 100 greatest of all time. It's certainly in my top 5.
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