Grave of the Fireflies
is a 1988 Japanese animated war film written and directed by Isao Takahata, and produced by Studio Ghibli. It is based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka. Set in the city of Kobe, Japan, it tells the story of siblings and war orphans Seita and Setsuko, and their desperate struggle to survive during the final months of the Pacific War.
Plot
In March 1945, American bombers destroy most of Kobe during the waning days of the Pacific War. Seita and his sister Setsuko, children of an Imperial Japanese Navy captain, survive, but their mother dies. Seita conceals their mother's death from Setsuko. The siblings move in with an aunt. Seita retrieves a supply cache he buried before the bombing and gives everything to his aunt, save for a tin of Sakuma drops, which he gives to Setsuko. The aunt convinces Seita to sell his mother's silk kimonos for rice, which devastates Setsuko.
Cast
More details
author | Isao Takahata |
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director | Isao Takahata |
editor | Takeshi Seyama |
events | bombing of Kobe in World War II Pacific War World War II |
genre | drama historical |
keywords | abandon air raid bank account bomb bomb shelter bombing of kobe break bury destroy firefly frame story imperial japan imperial japanese navy japan has surrendered kimono kobe malnutrition morning nothing police station sakuma drops sannomiya sibling spring steal suffer surrender of japan surround train station |
musicBy | Michio Mamiya |
producer | Toru Hara |
publisher | Toho |
theme | animated anime biographical ghost war |