Story Line
In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
“Why do fireflies have to die so soon?”
Top Cast
Tsutomu Tatsumi
Seita (voice)
Ayano Shiraishi
Setsuko (voice)
Yoshiko Shinohara
Mother (voice)
Akemi Yamaguchi
Auntie (voice)
Masayo Sakai
Woman who takes care of Setsuko (voice)
Kozo Hashida
Obayashi Chairman (voice)
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Rating
8.5/ 10
Release Date
1988-04-16
Runtime
1h 29m
Genres
AnimationDramaWar
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User Reviews (3)
Andres Gomez
9/10
•1/4/2013The terrible story of two orphaned Japanese kids during the ending of WWII.
Incredibly well told and totally moving, without using clichés. A must seen in the anime arena.
sykobanana
10/10
•5/17/2020This was the first animated movie that made me cry as an adult.
It still does.
Two children are left as orphans in World War 2 and have to survive. Such a basic premise, but this shows intimately what the effects of war are on children (a topi...
Alunauwie
10/10
•9/30/2025Grave of the Fireflies masterfully portrays the human cost of war through a deeply emotional and well-structured narrative. With powerful animation, moving performances, and a haunting soundtrack, the film delivers a timeless and heart-wrenching mess...