Grave Of The Fireflies Is Not My Favorite Studio Ghibli Movie, But I Do Think It's The Best. Here Me Out

You know what’s interesting about Studio Ghibli? Hayao Miyazaki is so synonymous with the company (he co-founded it, after all) that there are people who honestly don’t know that there are other movies from the company that he didn’t direct.

It’s true! Because while everybody connects the studio to movies like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki’s Delivery Service, there are also some rather obscure films, like Tales from Earthsea, My Neighbors the Yamadas, and possibly the weirdest of all (and one I’ve written about), Pom Poko. Now, of the Studio Ghibli films that were NOT directed by Miyazaki, I think the most celebrated one is 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies (either that, or The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, both of which were directed by Ghibli’s other co-founder, Isao Takahata).

Grave of the Fireflies is not my favorite Studio Ghibli movie, but it is their best. Here’s why.

Oh, and spoilers up ahead.

Grave Of The Fireflies (Mostly) Doesn’t Deal With The Fantastical

I just said how Grave of the Fireflies is not my favorite Studio Ghibli movie, as that would be Porco Rosso. (Yes, I know, I know. Who picks Porco Rosso as their favorite Studio Ghibli film?) I think a lot of the reason why I love that movie though is because it perfectly (seamlessly even) encapsulates the fantastical side that I adore from the studio. Here you have this ex-World War I fighter ace…but he’s been turned into a pig. Um, okay. Sign me up.

But, Grave of the Fireflies is the farthest you could possibly get from Studio Ghibli’s trademark fantasy, which is fascinating, as it’s the company’s third film following Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro. Based on the semi-autographical short story of the same name, the film is about two siblings who are trying to survive during the tail end of World War II.

Americans have bombed most of Kobe, and the two siblings, Seita - the older brother - and Setsuko - the younger sister, have just lost their mother as well (though, Setsuko doesn’t know that at the time). They also don’t know if their father is alive, since he was a captain in the Japanese Navy during the bombings. With the death of their mother, the two siblings move in with their aunt.

But, the war has been long and hard, and she gets angry with them since the food’s been running out. Seita eventually takes his sister and leaves, and they set out on their own, but things continue to go downhill from there. There really isn’t anything fantastical about the movie until the very end, but I’ll get to that later.

It’s Also One Of The Greatest Anti-War Movies Ever Made

Isao Takahata has gone on record stating that he didn’t consider Grave of the Fireflies to be an “anti-war” movie since it couldn’t prevent any future wars. But, I very much view the film as an anti-war movie (and also one of the greatest war movies of all time, though it didn’t make our list) because it shows how devastating and awful war can be, especially to the people who aren’t even fighting in it.

This is important, because that’s the vast majority of people affected by warfare. Grave of the Fireflies is so effective because it deals with the most vulnerable people in a global conflict, that being the children. Seita and Setsuko are likely now orphaned, and all Seita has of his mother are her ashes, which he keeps in a wooden box.

Due to his aunt’s frustrations with them not bringing in any income, Seita sets off with his sister, and this is where the true anti-war part comes in, as there’s nothing they can do but slowly die. Air raids destroy everything, and they’re left to scrounge for any food they can get just so they don’t starve to death.

But, spoiler alert, the war takes everything from them, and they DO starve to death, which I’ll get into next.

A Lot Of Studio Ghibli Movies Have At Least A Hint Of Sadness To Them, But This Movie WILL Make You Cry

We’ve talked about movie deaths that have broken our hearts on this website, but one I would like to add is Setsuko’s death in Grave of the Fireflies, because it – along with “Heroin” Bob’s death in SLC Punk! – is honestly the saddest death I have ever seen in any movie ever.

But, I’ll get back to that. I first want to talk about the title of this movie as it adds to the moroseness of the film. As I mentioned earlier, Seita carries his mother’s ashes everywhere he goes, but his sister, who is only 4, isn’t aware that their mother has died. That is, until their callous aunt tells the girl that her mother is dead, which she takes stoically, as she’s already lost all of her innocence due to the war.

There’s one emotional scene with fireflies though, and it’s the single moment of the film where both Seita and Setsuko seem to actually be happy. Along their travels, they find fireflies and use them for light. It’s a magical scene, and you can see the wonder in Setsuko’s eyes. However, by morning, the fireflies are dead, which is when Setsuko reveals that she’s aware of their mother’s death. She also wonders why the fireflies (and presumably, their mother) had to die so young.

But, that’s not even the saddest part of the movie. The saddest part is when Setsuko starves to death, and her last gesture is making rice balls out of mud for her brother, and thanking him for looking out for her. And then, she dies. Do you want to know what’s even worse? A few weeks later, Seita also starves to death, and their ghosts reunite (which is the one fantastical moment in the entire film), and then, the movie ends. I’m sorry, but... I’m not crying, you’re crying!

In The End, If You’re Only Used To Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli Films, Then You Owe It To Yourself To Watch This Movie

I’ve watched many Studio Ghibli movies with my children, and I’m not alone. However, I’m going to hold off on showing my kids Grave of the Fireflies until they’re both teenagers. And, it’s not like they couldn’t handle the content (I took my son to see Godzilla Minus One when he was only six). It’s more because I think they would get much more out of its themes of hopelessness when they’re older, and also because I think they’d be better equipped to accept a movie that doesn’t end on a happy note.

Grave of the Fireflies is a very pessimistic movie. We’ve seen the impact of war in other Studio Ghibli films, like The Wind Rises, and The Boy and the Heron, but none of them are as mean-spirited or as depressing as Grave of the Fireflies, making it the studio’s most potent movie to date.

I also think it’s an important film to watch if you’re only used to Miyazaki’s work, since it can open you up to seeing some of the company’s other films, like Whisper of the Heart, or From Up on Poppy Hill, which are also quite good, albeit overlooked.

However, because it hits the hardest, I think Grave of the Fireflies will likely always be the studio’s strongest work.