movies

mononokehime
-story/cast
-raves/reviews
batte angel
-story/bckgrnd
-media
graveofthefireflies
-story/bckgrnd
-raves/reviews

my experience

I gotta say that it's one of the most compelling story ever. I watched it with two friends, and throughout the course of the movie, I never even heard a single word from them. It's that captivating! At the end, one of them spoke up and let me know that I had ruined his whole day. I wasn't sure how he really felt about it, but there hadn't been a movie that has the power to keep him still for so long like Grave of the Fireflies did.

reviews/raves&rants

An emotionally devastating story that reaffirms the concept that the horrors of war impact the hardest on those who do not make the decision to wage it. Set in Japan at the end of World War 2, a teen and his 4 year old sister, having lost their family and home, attempt to survive in a society that neither cares about nor is able to sustain them. Violence, sexuality, and vulgar language are inappropriate to this sobering theme, and, as such, do not appear. "Fireflies" is paradoxically captivating but agonizing; it is virtually impossible for viewers of any age to be left unmoved.
-- Don Kreipke

"Grave of the Fireflies" is an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation. Since the earliest days, most animated films have been "cartoons" for children and families. Recent animated features like "The Lion King," "Princess Mononoke" and "The Iron Giant" have touched on more serious themes, and the "Toy Story" movies and classics like "Bambi" have had moments that moved some audience members to tears. But these films exist within safe confines; they inspire tears, but not grief. "Grave of the Fireflies" is a powerful dramatic film that happens to be animated, and I know what the critic Ernest Rister means when he compares it to "Schindler's List" and says, "it is the most profoundly human animated film I've ever seen." ...more
-- Roger Ebert

At first glance, one might get the idea that Grave of the Fireflies is some kind of anti-American propaganda. In truth, as mentioned above, it is nearly the opposite. Although the children fall victim to the hardships brought on by the war, no Americans ever show up, and they are rarely mentioned. If anything, on one level, this movie could be seen as a metaphor for the entire country of Japan during the war: fighting a loosing battle, and too stubbornly proud to admit defeat and reach out. Similarly, it can be seen as a condemnation of pride; the story is based on a semi-autobiographical novel written by a man who survived the war on the homefront, but whose younger sister died of starvation while in his care. On that level, it may have been a sort of catharsis, harshly depicting the result of Seita's unwillingness to seek help or resort to theft to obtain food, and ultimately allowing his grief to consume and punish him--something that never happened to the real person--for that decision. Metaphor and symbolism aside, the enemy in this movie is painted as the kind of human weaknesses that come from and even create war: pride, the suspicion that falls upon two children trying to live on their own, and the prejudice leveled against a healthy young man who doesn't want to fight. ...more
-- Anime World

Every aspect of this film has been skillfully and artfully placed to help reach its level of universal power. The art and animation are simply gorgeous, capable of portraying sunny countryside and burned-down village alike in a style highly reminiscent of Studio Ghibli. You can almost taste the salt in the air at the seashore, smell the ash as the village burns down. Simple orchestral melodies sprinkled throughout enhance the viewing experience even further, resulting in an engrossing experience only rivaled by actually visiting these locales yourself. ...more
-- Raphael See, T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews