# 179 Hotaru no haka (1988)

Hotaru no haka, also known as Grave of the Fireflies, is a film about a relationship between two orphaned siblings, a teenage boy named Seita, and his younger sister, Setsuko. The story takes place in Japan towards the end of the World War II. After their mother's death, they end up staying with their distant aunt, but as soon as they run out of food, she becomes resentful and tell them that they have outstayed their welcome. Seita and Setsuko decide to start living on their own in an abandoned bomb shelter.

I have to admit that I had never seen anime until I was in college. Everyone around me was going crazy about it, and out of curiousity, I asked a friend of mine if she could recommend me a film she liked, to get me introduced to the whole thing. So guess what, she said that Grave of the Fireflies was a must-see, and I followed her advice. I really enjoyed it the first time I watched it, not to the point of falling in love with the genre, but at least I learned that there was some good anime out there.

Having watched it again, I have to say I have pretty much the same impression.  The movie makes you feel hopeless, from the beginning of it you know that nothing good is going to happen, and no matter how hard Seita tries, no matter how much he loves his sister and sacrifices himself, he can't help her. This is a story that has probably happened to many families and still happens to this day. But despite all of this, there are still some moments when we see how beautiful this life can be, like when you see fireflies in the dark. It's a very strong anti-war movie, and even though I didn't learn anything new from it, and may be it wasn't as deep as I expected it to be, it's also very emotional and beautifully drawn. 

Interesting fact: NTV in Japan produced a live-action version of "Grave of the Fireflies" in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Like the animated version, the movie focuses on two siblings and their struggle to survive the final days of the war in Kobe, Japan. However, unlike the animated version, the movie tells the story from the point of view of their aunt, and it deals with the issue of how a wartime environment could change a kind woman into a cold-blooded demon.

Favorite quote: "September 21, 1945... that was the night I died".