To see this film available on Netflix, you have to have a strong heart. A masterpiece of Japanese animation, this moving feature film, inspired by a true story, could well make you shed torrents of tears.
It’s one of the favorite Japanese animated films among fans of the genre! Released in 1988 in his country, The Grave of the Fireflies returned to Netflix in September 2024 and is still available on the platform. The film by Isao Takahata from Studio Ghibli tells the story of two young children, abandoned to their own devices in the summer of 1945, and who find refuge in an abandoned shelter, lit by fireflies. Their mother having died, Seita, 14, takes Setsuko, his sick 4-year-old sister, under his wing. He will do everything to comfort her and offer her a haven of peace in the middle of the chaos. If the plot is as beautiful as it is dramatic, it is even more so because it is inspired by a true story. The film is in fact the adaptation of a semi-autobiographical Japanese short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, who was inspired by his personal experience during the bombing of Kobe, Japan, in 1945.
The Grave of the Fireflies : a moving film, inspired by a true story
The author himself lost many family members during the war, including his little sister Keiko, who was two years old at the time. He decided to write his story to recover from this tragedy, because he was consumed by the guilt of having survived while his sister succumbed. Akiyuki Nosaka once said that he did not want to share all his food with his sister and even resorted to violence to make her stop crying. The author, however, wrote an “idealized version” of the events. He thus preferred to describe Seita as a caring and protective older brother towards his younger sister.
The Grave of the Fireflies : an acclaimed film
The Grave of the Fireflies enjoyed great success around the world when it was released in theaters, including in France where it was released eight years later, in 1996. The film is today considered a masterpiece and a true classic of the Japanese animated cinema. The American review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes even gives it an impressive 98% positive review rating. A must-see film, having a box of tissues nearby for safety.
Article written in collaboration with 6Medias
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