Grave of the Fireflies
火垂るの墓
"Why do fireflies have to die so soon?"
AnimationDramaWar
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.
🎬 DirectorIsao Takahata
📅 Release1988-04-16
🌍 CountryJapan
🗣 LanguageJapanese
🏢 StudioStudio Ghibli
🗳 Votes6,367
💰 Budget$3,700,000
💵 Revenue$842,132
Available on:
🎭 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)
🎥 Crew
DirectorIsao Takahata
ScreenplayIsao Takahata
Original Music ComposerMichio Mamiya
Director of PhotographyNobuo Koyama
EditorTakeshi Seyama
TranslatorNeil Nadelman
Compositing ArtistNaoyuki Taniguchi
Key AnimationHideaki Anno
Key AnimationYukiyoshi Hane
Key AnimationYasuomi Umetsu
🖼 Gallery
🏷 Keywords
sibling relationshiphungerworld war iiwartimeshelterstruggle for survivalpacific theateradult animationsemi autobiographicalanti waranimegrim
💬 Reviews
The terrible story of two orphaned Japanese kids during the ending of WWII. Incredibly well told and totally moving, without using clichés. A must seen in the anime arena.…
This was the first animated movie that made me cry as an adult. It still does. Two children are left as orphans in World War 2 and have to survive. Such a basic premise, but this shows intimately what the effects of war are on children (a topic not covered by other movies). And as it's about children, it has more of an emotional impact. Described as one of the greatest war movies of all…
Grave of the Fireflies masterfully portrays the human cost of war through a deeply emotional and well-structured narrative. With powerful animation, moving performances, and a haunting soundtrack, the film delivers a timeless and heart-wrenching message about loss, survival, and humanity. It's a must-watch war film that emphasizes empathy over action. Read the full review here: (Indonesian ver…
👍 Recommended
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
My Neighbor Totoro
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Only Yesterday
Pom Poko
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Howl's Moving Castle
Harakiri
