Grave of the Fireflies
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.
Audience Sentiment
Setsuko's death
Seita's desperate measures
The shift from the magical fireflies scene (9.2) to the harsh reality of survival and theft (8.1) represents audiences moving from wonder to grim realism
Grave of the Fireflies maintains consistently high sentiment throughout, building from tragic setup to transcendent moments like the fireflies scene, peaking with Setsuko's devastating death that moves audiences to tears. The film's reputation as a masterful war drama is reflected in sustained high scores, with even its lowest moments praised for their unflinching realism.
Full 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)
Kazumi Nozaki
Cousin (voice)
Yoshio Matsuoka
Gosaku (voice)
Masahiro Kanetake
Aunt's House Guest (voice)
Kiyoshi Yanagawa
Patrolman (voice)
Hajime Maki
Man who arrests Seita (voice)
Atsuo Omotem
Person in Bank (voice)
Teruhisa Harita
Station Worker (voice)
Hiroshi Tanaka
Person in Bank (voice)
Michio Denpo
Station Worker / Doctor (voice)
Shiro Tamaki
Person in Bank (voice)
Mika Sekita
Nurse (voice)
Kyoko Moriwaki
(voice)
Crew
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