Grave of the Fireflies (1988) poster1

Japan10 Essential Japanese FilmsStop 1 of 10

Grave of the Fireflies

火垂るの墓

1988 · 89 min · Animation

In the final months of World War II, a teenage boy and his little sister, orphaned by the firebombing of their city, struggle to survive on their own amid hunger and indifference. Isao Takahata's devastating, beautiful animated tragedy.

Runtime
89 min
Genre
Animation · Drama · War
Mood
tense · thoughtful · dark
Entry
easy entry
Best for
first visit · shorter watch · animation fans

Content notes: war or political violence · child harm or distress Non-exhaustive

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Part of 10 Essential Japanese Films

This film is stop 1 of 10 in the hand-ranked native-cinema route through Japan. See the complete ranking or read the selection methodology.

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