English Dub Review: Grave of the Fireflies

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Overview

Two orphans fight for survival in post-World War II Japan, but society is harsh and they struggle with finding food and escaping the hardships of war.
Our Take
This film was created by the legendary director Isao Takahata, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, so pardon me if I’m a bit biased here because I love everything that comes from Ghibli. 

Based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s Naoki Prize-winning short story, Grave of the Fireflies is set in Kobe near the end of World War II and depicts the tragic fate of war orphan siblings and the horrors of this period. 

The period is fascinating, the heights of WWII, a six-year-war that has given us decades of cinema in both live-action and in animation. Typically when that animation comes from Japan it’s from the purview of the country’s citizens surviving, or not surviving in this case, all of the bombing that the Allies, mostly American, responded with after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. The result is usually the heartbreaking tales of starvation, scarcity of supplies, and eventual death.

Takahata’s tale of survival showcases an anime production style that is seldom, if at all, seen anymore. While today’s anime market is flush with content, very seldom do any of these get hand-drawn with the same sense of detail and sophistication as we get with Grave of the Fireflies. The premise takes on one of the lesser-known bombing campaigns of WWII with focus on the port city of Kobe when Allied dropped incendiary bombs that killed nearly 9,000 people. Takahata was one of the people who survived, and is able to recall with intimate detail what it was like being on the receiving end of these campaigns. 

Grave of the Fireflies is not your typical animated film. It is a deeply moving and emotionally devastating film that explores the human cost of war. The film is unflinching in its portrayal of the horrors of war, but it is also a film about hope, love, and the resilience of the human spirit.

The animation in Grave of the Fireflies is stunning. The film is beautifully drawn and the attention to detail is remarkable and the film’s visuals are all the more powerful because they are juxtaposed with the grim reality of the story. The voice acting in the film is also excellent namely the stars who voice Seita (Lucas Jaye) and Setsuko (Luna Hamilton) that give powerful and nuanced performances.

Grave of the Fireflies is a must-see film for anyone who is interested in animation, war films, or films that explore the human condition. It is a film that will stay with you long after you have seen it.

 

 

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