2 - Grave of the Fireflies - Summary and Review

Grave of the Fireflies is a Japanese animated movie. The movie shows how people struggle to live during a war. The time setting of the movie is during the World War II.

The movie begins with Seita starving to death at a train station. Then it shows Seita and Setusko's spirit riding a traing and having a flashback.

The flashback begins with the family preparing to leave their house because there will be an attack from the enemy. The mother of the two kids was the first one to leave since she has a heart ailment and needs to get ahead first. Seita, the older brother, hid all the food under the ground and he is the one who carries his sister, Setsuko. Seita took the responsibility to take good care of his mother and sister because his father is working as a Captain of the Navy.

The attack of the enemies began before Seita and Setsuko leave the house. So that's why they have to run to different direction to avoid the bombs. And then the bombing ceased.

There were a lot of people who died and injured. Setsuko and Seita went to the first aid station and there they met their mother's friend and told Seita that his mother was injured.

Setsuko was left outside the building together with her mother's friend. When Seita returned, Setsuko said she also wanted to see her mom but Seita doesn't want her to see their mom in that condition so he refused. And then Setsuko started crying and it broke my heart when I saw her crying and how her brother is trying to hide the pain. 

They went to their Aunt's house and stayed there. Their aunt is a widow and has one daughter and one son. Seita went back to see his mother but she already passed away. Seita told their aunt that their mother is already dead and told her not to tell Setsuko. Setsuko keeps on saying she want to see her mom but Seita says that their mother is away to a far hospital. 

Seita managed to get all of the things he burried in their house and gives it to his aunt for their food supply. Everything went well with Seita and Setsuko they managed to live like normal kids playing around. 

Seita also found Setsuko's favorite:

FRUIT DROPS!

As time passes by the food supply they have can no longer feed all of them, so the aunt asked Seita if they could sell their mother's cloth in exchange of rice. Seita agreed but Setsuko disagrees and pulls her mother's cloth away from her aunt. Seita hugged her and told her to let go and so the cloth was sold. It shows how much Setsuko love her mother. The aunt divided the rice and gave them one small jar.

The aunt still feed them and Setsuko was very happy to finally eat rice. After a few days their aunt has turned into a monster and keeps the food away from them. Setsuko told her aunt that it was their rice and the aunt got mad and told to them cook their own food. 

Seita got mad at his aunt and went to the bank to withdraw some of the savings their mother to buy utensil. Setsuko who seems to feel their aunt's wickedness said she doesn't want to live there anymore. Seita always give Setsuko her favorite candy fruit drops to make her happy. The fruit drops are all gone and Seita just fill the can with water and gave it to Setsuko so she can still taste the candy. That scene broke my heart it's hard to see two kids struggling that way. 

They left their aunt's house and lived in a bomb shelter, which seems to be like a cave.

The first night is so magical, they have gathered all fireflies to light the cave.

Then the next day they saw all the fireflies are dead.



Seita noticed Setsuko burying all the dead fireflies and asked what she's doing. She told him that she's making a grave for them just like their mother. And as you notice Setsuko already knew that their mother is dead and the one who told her is their aunt. Having heard that Seita cried. 

The war is not yet over and the supply of food they have are all gone. They ate anything around them that seems to be edible. When the enemies attack their place Seita goes to some of the houses to steal food and things but it isn't enough. Then Setsuko got diarrhea and Seita still continues to steal. Setsuko is getting weaker and sicker as time passes by.

Seita got caught stealing and was beaten by an old man, Setsuko saw that and ran to his brother and asks him to go to see a doctor. There Seita cried so hard as he sees his little sister so thin and so sick. Seita decided to withdraw all their money in the bank and overheard that the captain of navy is dead. So they are already orphans. Seita brought Setsuko to the hospital and the doctor told him that she needs nutrition. 

As they were heading back to the cave Setsuko said she's thirsty and then Seita saw a man  slicing an ice and he made her drink the shaved ice that fell from the slicing of the ice. 

It is really sad how the kids struggle to survive and how desperate they are to eat and drink. 

Seita decided to work to earn money and to buy all the food necessary to keep Setsuko nourish. When he arrived home he saw Setsuko resting. Setsuko looks really weak. Seita noticed that Setsuko was chewing something and saw that she was eating marbles, she actually thinks it's fruit drops. It seems like she's hallucinating already and her eyes looks dead. Seita gets the marble inside her mouth and went to get the watermelon. Setsuko rolls over and hands Seita rocks and told him to eat those rice balls. She's really hallucinating and almost out of her mind maybe it's because of starvation. Seita cried and fed her watermelon. Setsuko said thank you to Seita maybe for all the things he has done for her. 

And then...

I cried really hard and wished that Seita did work before this happens so that Setsuko doesn't have to die. 

But there's more...

The next thing showed the memories of Setsuko when her brother is away. This is the part where I cried the most. Setsuko playing jack n poy with her own reflection and hide and seek with no one. Just imagine yourself doing that alone. Isn't it sad and lonely? Then Setsuko molding the mud into a shape of food and eat it. Hunger, sadness and loneliness those are the things she experienced. A kid doesn't have to experience things like that, they should be playing, having fun and exploring. We can't blame Seita for not working things out earlier and his aunt because she's also struggling and has to survive. The war has caused this, if there was no war their mother and father would have not died. I know this is just a movie but it depresses me and gets me too emotional.

Humans should stop making war because it affects those innocent people like these kids.  

They don't deserve to die. 

The movie is so good and so depressing. I recommend that people should watch this.

                                                                                                                                                                            All the images are from google.