For decades now, I have heard nothing but praise—and warning—about a devastating little masterpiece called Grave of the Fireflies. Now, it comes to gorgeous steelbook format from GKids and Shout! Studios. Directed by Studio Ghibli co-creator Isao Takahata, nothing could have prepared me for the total devastation that awaits. Mere minutes into the runtime, our two leads are both dead, though we are not sure how or why. There’s a beauty in the tragedy, daring the viewer to soldier on for a window into the bond between two siblings. Rich with detail and emotionally crippling, Grave of the Fireflies may easily be one of the best traditionally 2D-animated films to ever exist.
Set in the Japanese city of Kobe during the final months of World War II, Takahata begins with a deeply sad event that hangs over the rest of the runtime with a dark cloud. Seito, homeless and entirely emaciated, collapses in the streets, his dead body discovered by policemen. His passing, to them anyway, is sad but unremarkable. Well before the current wave of discussion around the unhoused population that continues to grow exponentially, this movie presents a compelling argument against not judging a book by its cover. We all have a life story, and should have compassion for those less fortunate. Seito’s narration beautifully bookends Grave of the Fireflies. We learn that this was the day he died, and he wanders off with the sweet spirit of his Setsuko into the afterlife before the title even appears onscreen.
By opening in this manner, Fireflies is entirely upfront with its messaging and overall themes. It would have been so easy to sensationalize the story, transforming it into trauma porn. Instead, we know upfront that the ending will not be a happy one, that these two siblings are destined for an unfortunate fate as an awful consequence of living in wartime Japan. Certainly, there are plenty of harrowing and altogether unpleasant moments that emphasize their struggle for survival. Their mother perishes early on, her body wrapped in bandages and taken off to be burned in a mass grave as it swarms with maggots. Firebombings are ever-present, burning everything in their wake as the air raid sirens ring out over and over again. Seito and Setsuko are forced into a constant state of tension as they must take shelter away from the chaos and destruction. Their aunt appears to be an awful woman that goes out of her way to make life difficult for the orphaned duo. Scarcity of food calls for desperate measures that no child should ever have to face. The eventual fate of Setsuko practically tears out the heart of the viewer and stomps on it.
Yet, there is a captivating beauty to Grave of the Fireflies that makes it an instant classic. Despite all the horrors happening around them, Seito and Setsuko are able to find the small joys in their simple lives amongst the company of each other. The film discovers a harmony in the quietly intimate moments of connection, sometimes even approaching a whimsical tone. The children share fruit drops, chase fireflies, and create moments of happiness inside a bomb shelter. A small round tin housing the fruit drops actually becomes rather significant. As the candy dwindles away, so too does the childhood innocence remaining amongst the harsh conditions. Through it all, Seito and Setsuko lean on each other for comfort. Seito would do anything to provide comfort for his sister. His attempts to shield her from their mother’s death may be misguided, but they show how deeply he cares for her wellbeing.
The plot certainly never condones the actions of Seito, but simply lays them out plainly as they happened without judgment. As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. Their aunt grows increasingly cold towards the orphans as they try to reach their father, to no avail. While Seito and Setsuko certainly could have stayed living with their aunt, in a constant state of negativity, Seito’s spontaneous decision for them to move on does not seem a particularly brash one. They have no other relatives they can contact, and their aunt and her equally judgmental children do not seem to want them there. Seito’s reaction only further emphasizes that he is too young to be making these kinds of choices at all. Without knowing it, he puts himself and Setsuko in an even more precarious situation than the one they were escaping from.
Every frame has been gorgeously hand-drawn. The colors on the transfer are vibrant and crisp. Perhaps it’s no surprise that a Studio Ghibli movie would be visually stunning. Here, every frame is saturated with melancholic poetry. From sunlit beaches to ruined towns to that simple glow of the fireflies, Grave of the Fireflies has a realistic aesthetic that no doubt helps make it such a timeless classic. The musical score from Michio Mamiya perfectly establishes the atmosphere while being particularly mesmerizing. Subtle and sorrowful, it underscores the story’s emotional weight in a manner that always supplements the rich visuals. Make no mistake, this one is not a typical Ghibli experience. There are no fantastical spirits or enchanted forests. Takahata’s movie, based on the book by Akiyuki Nosaka, opts for a quieter narrative-based experience that treasures characterwork over magical realism.
Being my first time viewing, I opted to go with the 2012 dub track and accompanying subtitles; the Blu-Ray disc additionally offers both a 1998 dub, as well as the 1988 original Japanese audio. There are plenty of special features to satiate fans, including an alternate way to experience the movie with full feature-length storyboards. There are many galleries of backgrounds, character design, color studies, and concept art, and three featurettes that add to the experience. The one that dives into the most behind the scenes would be the “Joint Project Promo Video.” Released alongside My Neighbor Totoro as a double feature, Grave of the Fireflies is equally discussed, with an especially insightful peak at the creative process. The other two features are interviews with director Isao Takahata and film critic Roger Ebert–both provide a bit more subtext on the wartime themes, and how Fireflies handles them much differently than other projects. Takahata shares that he had a very personal connection to the material, having survived a firebombing of his own around Seito’s exact age.
After all these years, the enduring glow of Grave of the Fireflies has not yet faded. If anything, it has grown brighter with time. Hailed as a masterpiece upon release, no amount of praise could prepare the viewer for the affect it has on their heart. If it was just a simple tearjerker without the whimsy, perhaps it would be easier to write off. Alas, there is no such issue here. A rare gem that transcends mediums, the core relationship feels so realistic that despite the expressive eyes and meticulous Ghibli style, one often forgets they are not watching a non-fictional retelling. Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most emotionally affecting movies I have ever seen, animated or otherwise.
Dig into Grave of the Fireflies, now on Blu-Ray/DVD Steelbook combo pack. Purchase a copy over at the Shout! Factory website.
