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IMDbPro

Grave of the Fireflies

Original title: Hotaru no haka
  • 19881988
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
269K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,406
303
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Trailer for Grave of Fireflies
Play trailer1:47
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Animation
  • Drama
  • War
A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
269K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,406
303
  • Director
    • Isao Takahata
  • Writers
    • Akiyuki Nosaka(novel)
    • Isao Takahata
  • Stars
    • Tsutomu Tatsumi(voice)
    • Ayano Shiraishi(voice)
    • Akemi Yamaguchi(voice)
Top credits
  • Director
    • Isao Takahata
  • Writers
    • Akiyuki Nosaka(novel)
    • Isao Takahata
  • Stars
    • Tsutomu Tatsumi(voice)
    • Ayano Shiraishi(voice)
    • Akemi Yamaguchi(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 920User reviews
    • 137Critic reviews
    • 94Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #48
    • Awards
      • 3 wins

    Videos4

    Grave of the Fireflies
    Trailer 1:47
    Grave of the Fireflies
    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    Clip 1:48
    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    Clip 2:25
    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    When You Need a Good Cry
    Video 1:51
    When You Need a Good Cry

    Photos200

    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tsutomu Tatsumi
    • Seitaas Seita
    • (voice)
    Ayano Shiraishi
    • Setsukoas Setsuko
    • (voice)
    Akemi Yamaguchi
    • Auntas Aunt
    • (voice)
    Yoshiko Shinohara
    • Motheras Mother
    • (voice)
    Kôzô Hashida
    • Obayashi Chairmanas Obayashi Chairman
    • (voice)
    Masayo Sakai
    • Woman who takes care of Setsukoas Woman who takes care of Setsuko
    • (voice)
    Kazumi Nozaki
    • Cousinas Cousin
    • (voice)
    Yoshio Matsuoka
    • Gosakuas Gosaku
    • (voice)
    Masahiro Kanetake
    • Aunt's house guestas Aunt's house guest
    • (voice)
    Kiyoshi Yanagawa
    • Patrolmanas Patrolman
    • (voice)
    Hajime Maki
    • Man who arrests Seitaas Man who arrests Seita
    • (voice)
    Atsuo Omote
    • Person in bankas Person in bank
    • (voice)
    Teruhisa Harita
    • Station workeras Station worker
    • (voice)
    Hiroshi Tanaka
    • Person in bankas Person in bank
    • (voice)
    Michio Denpô
    • Station workeras Station worker
    • (voice)
    • …
    Shirô Tamaki
    • Person in bankas Person in bank
    • (voice)
    Tadashi Nakamura
      Mika Sekita
      • Nurseas Nurse
      • (voice)
      • Director
        • Isao Takahata
      • Writers
        • Akiyuki Nosaka(novel)
        • Isao Takahata
      • All cast & crew
      • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        This film was initially distributed with My Neighbor Totoro (1988) because it was the only way that Miyazaki could have been able to make "Totoro." The reason being that the original film pitch for that film was rejected, so they pitched a double feature with "Grave of the Fireflies," and the project was eventually backed financially by the original writer of the book on which "Grave" is based. It often was overlooked as a film because whenever "Totoro" was screened first, people were left happy and did not wish to be saddened by "Grave" afterward.
      • Goofs
        Right at the beginning, someone places what looks like a rice ball loosely wrapped in some tree bark as a protective cover next to the boy known as Seita. The scene cuts to Seita's face and soon after he collapses, the wrapped rice ball is nowhere to be seen.
      • Quotes

        [first lines]

        Seita: September 21, 1945... that was the night I died.

      • Connections
        Featured in At the Movies: True Crime/Ravenous/The King and I/Forces of Nature/The Harmonists (1999)
      • Soundtracks
        Home Sweet Home
        Written by H.R. Bishop (uncredited)

        Performed by Amelita Galli-Curci

        Courtesy of RCA Victor Red Seal, a division of BMG Classics

      User reviews920

      Review
      Top review
      10/10
      Brutally honest and heartbreaking
      Being my first Anime review I thought I'd start off with my one of my favourite pieces of work from who else but Studio Ghibli. Ghibli have rarely produced anime that doesn't fall short of great but Graveyard is something different indeed.

      Set in the aftermath of World War II, Graveyard is focused on the lives of a caring brother and his young sister (Setsuko and Seita) and how they struggle against both the elements of wartime and a depreciating Japanese empire. The most striking thing about Graveyard is probably how real everything seems. The animation is very unconventional to the likes of say Spirited Away or Laputa but in a good way. The horror of war is beautifully realised through the animation, whether it be the American destruction being shown or the bleak outlook on peoples lives, namely the two main characters. Thankfully it earns every shred of emotion it conveys through these two sympathetic characters that only the coldest of hearts wouldn't warm up to.

      Avoiding any Hollywood sentimentality, it is often a bleak and depressing perspective depicted but all the more brutally powerful in the process. With my eyes welling up through the duration of the film, it occured to me just how well the Director understands what raw heartfelt emotion is and how to play the audiences heart strings. Nevertheless nothing is shown in a heavy handed approach, no empthasis is put on the Americans nor is there any special attention taken to the war details. If anything the citizens of Japan are shown in the coldest light often giving little help to the plight of others, but demonstrating furthermore what desperate situation everyone is in.

      Takahata instead decides to focus on the plight of it's title characters against the background of war. With the empire of Japan in crisis and food shortages everywhere it is heart breaking to see a brother struggle to meet ends meet for his sister. Due to the approach taken it borders on being horrifying but fortunately the tone is changed with the spirit put into Setsuko's character. Much like 'The Pianist' the issue is not the war but the struggle and will to survive in it. This is clearly displayed in a plot that revolves around the downward spiral Setsuko trying to feed himself and more importantly the younger and more vulnerable sister Seita. The animation though detailed and indeed beautiful in some sequences (namely relating to the title), is not by any means flashy but captures emotions and interactions between the characters perfectly. It's the perfect mixture of such animation, realistic and highly likeable characters that makes the whole film one tearful experience. Dealing with such difficult issues it's very hard to imagine this being a film and if it was I don't think it would of been done as well.

      Part of the brilliance also comes from symbology and the association to many different worlds in such a understanding depiction. The child, Seita, is nothing short of perfection in child like behaviour happily oblivious to the desperate situation, amusing herself with simplicity and the quirks of nature and the outdoors. The older brother Setsuko who must carry the burdon of everything is also perfectly portrayed and to watch there decent is painful to say the least. To struggle is one thing but to have shock, shattered dreams and be depended on is something anyone can empthasise with.

      There may be some people who will shy away from Anime, disregarding it as a mere cartoon. To those people and everyone else I recommend Graveyard as the tonic, which can be appreciated by anyone with a heart and soul. Among the finest pieces of Anime created and one of the most touching war films ever made.
      helpful•337
      31
      • Dark0
      • Oct 9, 2003

      FAQ3

      • What does the fireflies represent?
      • Is this movie based on a (graphic) novel?
      • What's in the box that Seita carries with him?

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • July 26, 1989 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • Japan
      • Language
        • Japanese
      • Also known as
        • La tumba de las luciérnagas
      • Production companies
        • Shinchosha Company
        • Studio Ghibli
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Budget
        • $3,700,000 (estimated)
      • Gross US & Canada
        • $516,962
      • Opening weekend US & Canada
        • $158,101
        • Aug 12, 2018
      • Gross worldwide
        • $516,962
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 29 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Dolby Stereo
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.85 : 1

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