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Blu-ray Review: Grave of the Fireflies

With Japan being an aggressor during World War II, it is easy to dismiss the domestic suffering as being self-inflicted.  However, this is not a fair assessment.  The real collateral damage of warfare is the civil population as political agendas and power struggles take precedent over their well-being.  If there is a poignant reminder of this, one only has to look at Studio Ghibli’s adaption of the semi-autobiographical short story Grave of the Fireflies by Akiyuki Nosaka which tells the heart-wrenching tale of teenage Seita looking after his little sister Setsuko during the final months of the Pacific War.  The days are interrupted by the sound of air raid sirens and the landscape is littered with debris and corpses.  That is not to say there are not elements of beauty as glowing fireflies provide a hypnotic ethereal quality to the visuals.  But there is no holding back on the grim reality as the tone is quickly established with the opening scene where Setsuko looks at his dead body in a train station and states, “September 21, 1945…that was the night I died.”   From there on, we see the mother of the two children wrapped like a mummy because of being severely burned during a bombing, the father remains a mysterious military figure only to be seen in photographs, and the brother and sister are exploited by their relatives.

What prevents the audience from being heavily weighted down by the sorrow is the relationship between Seita and Setsuko, as the two siblings greatly love one another.  Setsuko can be seen as being bratty and whiny but her behaviour is age-appropriate and relatable.  Seita is definitely trying to do his best in a world where he has to forego his teenage years and become a responsible adult while the obstacles are overwhelmingly against him.  The strong bond between brother and sister is a beacon of hope as it demonstrates that human beings do have the capacity to care for one another.  Much is made of the work of Hayao Miyazaki, but equally talented is Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, who does not follow a straight line when animating characters, as steps have to be retraced because something has been forgotten or an expression of joy crosses a face when a sweet candy is placed upon the tongue.  These nuanced moments are as believable and dramatic as witnessing a neighbourhood burning down.  The bonus features include storyboards for both the feature and deleted scenes as well as interviews with Isao Takahata and film critic Roger Ebert which provide a fascinating insight into the cinematic legacy and filmmaking process of Grave of the Fireflies.

Studio Ghibli’s Grave of the Fireflies arrives on Blu-ray + DVD and limited edition steelbook on July 8, 2025.  

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.

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