Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Stars	User	Rating
14	BeeDub	100 _97th
Bring your popcorn and Prozac.
13	Paxton	87 _95th
As someone who loves talking movies with people, this film has the unfortunate distinction of being the subject of one of the longest film discussions I've ever had. Unfortunate because it was with a librarian and it was me endlessly trying to explain why this does not belong wedged in-between Gnomeo & Juliet and Gumby: The Movie in the kid's section.
11	NathanDarko	99 _99th
Grave of the Fireflies is NOT a film for children... not only. I think it's one of the best anti-war films ever made. After watching that Movie the only thing you can do is switch off the TV, go to bed, wipe away your tears and try to sleep. That was my experience with that movie. And I'm not really emotional. There is no light at the end of the tunnel...in this world or anywhere else..sad but true
9	Mentaculus	96 _96th
If you don't cry while watching this movie, you're probably comatose. Or dead. Or a spawn of the Dark One himself. Beautifully done, sometimes painfully understated for a kind of emphasis that would not be achieved in blatant terms.
9	tathiel	96 _99th
Awesome yet disturbing movie, it leaves you speechless about the world's cruelty. An astonishing movie, definitely not recommended for children! Maybe that's aWestern thing because animation is often considered to be only for children. This defintitely is not. I never saw the movie again although we have it on DVD. However, its pictures are still on my mind and it's a couple of years ago. Highly recommended.
8	Jeb	100 _98th
One of the most shocking WWII films ever made! Absolutely heart-breaking! A high point for Anime and Animation both!
8	Okkervil	96 _99th
If this doesn't make you weep like a fat kid who's had his doughnut stolen nothing will! Utterly beautiful, brilliantly paced and emotionally draining to a degree very few films, (live action or animated alike), ever reach. I'm not one to get emotional at movies, but the ending is just devastating.
7	kubricksucks	60 _15th
if this made you cry you are gay
7	sengir	95 _99th
Perhaps the most heartbreaking animation film ever created. A profound anti-war tale that will haunt you from the first image to the last. Why do fireflies die so young...
6	PeaceAnarchy	95 _99th
The most depressing animated movie ever. This story of a young Japanese boy surviving in Japan during WW2 is incredibly moving as you sense the conflict of a young boy who is still firmly a child and the reality that he must grow up if he wants to survive.
6	saucyjack	94 _97th
An amazing WWII film that truly wrenches at the heart strings and provides a good counterpoint to the war, which has mostly been portrayed from the Allies' side in motion pictures. Quite possibly the most genuinely sad film I've ever seen--no manipulative tactics here, only the stark reality of war and the casualties it reaps.
6	Barthalen	81 _84th
Made me want to crawl into a corner and stop existing. More than usual, that is.
6	hotsake	98 _99th
Everyone should see this movie even if they hate animated films. This masterpiece makes me cry every time I watch it. Believable, tragic and yet still I find it heartwarming.
5	Magb	85 _73rd
This is the kind of movie that I like a lot and respect a lot, but about which I don't have a lot to say. Death is tragic and life is tragic, and sometimes it all just plain sucks. And yet Grave of the Fireflies -- as tragic as it is -- left me with a certain sense of closure, in a "maybe-it-was-all-for-the-best" kind of way. The sense was probably false, but it was there.
5	GravyMaximus	80 _84th
This movie makes me want to kill myself
5	ktappe	100 _98th
Anyone who thinks animated films are for kids should sit through this and then re-submit their beliefs afterwards. It's unfathomable how they could adhere to their previous claim. This is one of the most haunting, devastating, and memorable films you will ever see. Few Americans think about what post-WWII Japan must have been like, and the hell that this film conveys is accurate and heartbreaking. The characters are real and deep, and the story tight. Flawless.
5	la boheme	95 _93rd
If you don't cry, or at least get really, really freaking depressed, then you have no soul.
5	Astrophizz	95 _96th
Good lord this is a crushing emotional experience.
4	Bitch Alert	100 _97th
The most shocking and depressing WW2 story ever told on film.
4	TheWhaler	87 _82nd
One of the most heart wrenching and touching stories I have ever seen. A must see for any and all.
3	Moribunny	90 _97th
Probably the saddest animated feature ever made, this lyrical war drama focuses on the humane rather than the political. It deals with the unwitting, indirect victims of war: two children who are left homeless and thrown into a struggle for survival.
3	Carpetgiant	86 _69th
Carpetgiant's five easy steps to watching "Grave of the Fireflies". Step one: Make sure house is covered for flood damage. Step two: Start movie. Step three: Lie down. Step four: Watch movie through endless streams of tears. Step five: Adjust lifestyle to accommodate unending crying.
3	angrypierre	92 _96th
Harrowing. Haunting. Excellent.
3	sebby	92 _99th
It will ruin your week but it's worth watching anyway.
3	torontodog	100 _99th
I can't imagine any way this could have worked with live actors. Anime does have its place.
3	XakkMaster	90 _88th
My wife won't even let me mention this movie, it made her so sad. It's a truly heartbreaking film about WW2 and I'd dare say it's essential viewing. Many people, Americans especially, don't think about how the people of Japan suffered during or after the war.
3	Falooza	93 _98th
Easily the saddest film I've ever seen, I sobbed endlessly.
3	Judge Holden	4 _51st
Certainly doesn't live up to its reputation as The Saddest Film of All Time because it's so manipulative and predictable.
3	Bown	74 _34th
Most of the movie was pretty okay. A cute, sad story of a dumb kid and his dumb sister and the cartoonishly villainous people who lead them towards their doom. Then the climax happens - the bit where IF YOU DON'T CRY YOU'RE A MONSTER - and I felt nothing. Mainly because the movie spends too long trying to shove the fact it's sad in your face like CRY dammit CRY THIS KID JUST DIED AND NOW THERE'S A HUGE SAPPY MONTAGE OF HER BEING ADORABLE SO YOU HAD BETTER BE CRYING and it was utterly terrible.
3	unccomp15	92 _78th
Does Grave of the Fireflies inspire tears? Yes. Simply put, it is a sad movie. This tale of two orphaned kids in WWII Japan will make you question war motives, repercussions, and our respective governments. The exploitations of cut-throat, wartime practices are enough to encourage other emotions like anger, hatred, and shame. The life and energy captured by the animation creates a surreal and eerie environment that will leave an impression on you. If anything it will make you think.
3	Red_Falcon_	98 _99th
This is an adult Japanese animated movie that explores how war effects the most vulnerable and innocent people in the most horrific ways. This is one of the saddest and most haunting movies I have ever seen.It's unflinching deception of two young lives ravaged and then ultimately destroyed by war's brutality left me in tears and emotionally drained This is a masterpiece in film making and one of the greatest movies I have seen.Two Thumbs Very Enthusiastically Up !
3	KramYessev	87 _98th
Quite a lot of people have interpreted this as an anti-war film, which I disagree with. The film does show the atrocities and tragic effects war has on society, but I found it to be more of a meditation on relationships in times of crisis. It has to be mentioned: this film is heartbreaking. I'm writing this ten minutes after the credits and I'm still fighting back tears. "Grave of the Fireflies" is beautifully animated, not to mention haunting, and is an essential, albeit difficult, watch.
2	CCLZA	85 _89th
The most shocking WW2 movie ever, this film will take your heart and make you feel what the lead characters fealt. Brilliant. And the best of all: it's honest, not a single frame of emotion manipulation.
2	Stay_Puft	41 _38th
Okay. You both die. I don't care.
2	ozymandius10	91 _98th
One of the most heartfelt movies that I've ever seen. Also (and this may be a BIG negative for some) it's one of the most depressing. That pretty much tells you what goes on. I think the reason that I loved this so much, and don't get as into movies like the Pianist is because of the exposure. There have been many war stories, but you don't see many like this. Plus, it's Ghibli, you know it's quality.
2	h_double	88 _76th
Please watch this with somebody else. One of the most touching and powerful pieces of animation I've ever seen.
2	Nathan S	4 _74th
Need to rewatch, but my recollection is that it's great.
2	martryn	92 _95th
Quite possibly the most painful movie watching experience of my life. Extremely powerful film, and well-worth a watch. Do not be turned off by the fact it is animated, it'll still touch you in the most profound way.
2	frederic_g54	8 _77th
Too sad for words...
2	WoozyB	100 _98th
Perhaps the most heartbreaking animated drama ever.
2	patabongo	71 _21st
I love Studio Ghibli films, and everyone else seems to love this one, but somehow it just did nothing at all for me. Where are my floods of tears, dammit!?
2	Obdurate	95 _97th
Very sad, touching, well animated film. It grabs onto you and won't let go.
2	e_e	90 _94th
Be warned. There's the sad.... and then there's the emotionally devastating.
2	begoniabol	86 _89th
I watched this movie, expecting to cry. Unfortunately I didn't, but I was really touched. During the movie I was moved, but it was afterwards it really hit me how sad it actually was.
2	Pepsi-Man	4 _96th
Great film to pop in and have some friends over!
2	Ocelot	80 _89th
I wasn't a huge fan of it initially but it has grown on me over time.
2	omgfridge	8 _80th
Gut wrenching and superbly made though I must admit, I was expecting more of an emotional impact even despite how sad the story is.
2	DavidBlast	85 _88th
I dare you! Nay! Double dare you: Show this to your kids under the pretext that it's a Disney movie! A thoroughly grim account of how the Japanese suffered during World War II, watched together with the companion piece 'Barefoot Gen' it'll be a pleasant afternoon for the whole family.
2	Bunken	80 _88th
A no hope and heartbreaking film... It's a brave movie and once again it proves that if you do it right, animation can be the right way to portray real life struggle, cause then you can still distance yourself from the horror as it were also the case with e.g. Waltzing With Bashir. Animation isn't as in your face as real film, but it can definately be as effectfull!
2	St. Berna	80 _71st
Genel olarak iyi ve "izlenir" bir anime. Fakat filmin genelinde hakim olan duygu somurusu durumu, kucuk Setsuko'nun olumunden sonra ayyuka cikiyor. Bu noktadan sonra Setsuko'nun acikli muzik esliginde geriye donuslerle yansitilan "e hadi artik aglamayan kalmasin" amacina yonelik sahneleri ve filmin senaryosunun bence zayif olusu, puanimi 9'dan 8'e dusurdu.
2	guy piranha	65 _53rd
The final dilemma being on nobody but the protagonists is why I had a tough time feeling sorry for anything that followed. And showing a little kid wither and die is about the laziest way to evoke emotion from an audience, no matter what you want to say. Gee, why not drown a box of puppies in slow motion, just to make sure your point came across? If you make me weep like a bitch for a giant nazi-tarantula, that's when you can call yourself a storyteller!
2	Uncle Pete	95 _97th
Beautiful and heartbreaking. Everyone should see this at least once in their lives.
2	groovegod	97 _91st
Superb. Among my top 5 films of all time, animated or no. This heart-wrenching tragedy is so palpable, it is sure to evoke tears in even the toughest souls. The music is so full of passion and sadness, a perfect match for the film. A great commentary on war and it's ugly ramifications, as well as a touching personal glimpse into the true story of a family that was torn to bits by WWII. I can't say enough good about this.
2	Leonardis	96 _91st
A Studio Gibli film that is certainly not for younger viewers. Grave of Fireflies is certainly one of the most heartwrenching movies I have seen and one of the saddest for sure, but it's got a really good story and some great animation. I'm not really sure what else to say about it... It's good but dang...
2	ratedargh	95 _92nd
I think the most accurate immediate description of Grave of the Fireflies is that it is an honest, emotionally devastating sledgehammer to the stomach. I've been affected by animated films and shows but it's usually paired with either a sense of humour or adventure to lighten the mood. Not so, here.
2	bakcheia	99 _97th
I have yet to come across a film that has made me this sad. It is perfect and heartbreaking in every way possible.
1	MegaProto	54 _17th
This movie is overrated beyond belief. Just because it looks pretty everyone says they love it. Well let me tell you this movie is depressing as hell. And the ending sucks, too.
1	MartinTeller	85 _84th
Beautiful and touching, but somewhat manipulative.
1	Kirjat	95 _93rd
One of the hottest animated movie. Came to me with Miyazaki films and topped them all. Except, maybe, for Chihiro. I cried everytimes Setsuko did. So sad, so nice.
1	grimace98	80 _89th
Ohhhhhhhhh good lord. ;_______; A great, great movie that I never ever want to watch again.
1	DMCrimson	83 _82nd
It starts with the Tokyo firebombing raids. Then it somehow gets sadder.
1	chow25	97 _99th
One of the most shocking movies I've seen, and not in a gross-out way or over-the-top way, but in an emotional way.
1	Pickpocket	1 _12th
Too manipulative and stupid for me
1	IMPERIALIST	97 _91st
Touching, though be aware of anti-war sentiments. As a film about lonliness and emotions alone, it's a beautifully animated film.
1	Ytadel	8 _93rd
This deeply tragic tale of the struggle to survive is certainly one of Ghibli's best films - but also one of the last I'll choose to watch at any given moment (ala Schindler's List, The Pianist, 12 Years a Slave, etc.) Outside of love of one's sibling, there's isn't much of a humanist core to it - it's bleak and frustrating and nihilistic the whole way through. But I imagine that life in this place and time probably was a lot like that. The emotional impact is gutting.
1	Alex Watkins	4 _70th
It takes a while to really work, but once its emotional center takes hold it becomes a captivating and engrossing experience. It's certainly manipulative more than a little of the time, but it's effective enough to override this concern, and goes about its story with a grace and dignity that makes its tragedy that much more affecting. A very impressive work.
1	parcaliham	80 _64th
18 Temmuz 08, 00:45am. & savasin boktanligi uzerine, carpici bir anime.kucuk kiz aglarken cocugun bak ne hareketler yapiyorum deyip birseyler yapmaya baslamasi bogazi dugumluyor. 4-5 yaslarinda kizkardesi olanlar izlemesin.
1	twincinema	90 _92nd
A great film for some perspective, also if you want to spend the rest of the night in a depressive haze.
1	Skenkere	91 _96th
I don't care if you like anime or not, this movie will make you cry.
1	caiman	67 _31st
This movie made me feel nothing. I'm not a cold-hearted person, but I wasn't sad or moved or touched or anything like so many others seem to have been. All I could notice was how the movie was TELLING ME I needed to feel sad, and it's hard for me to feel genuine emotion when the movie is so clearly manipulative. And maybe I've been spoiled by the gorgeous Miyazaki films, but I didn't even find the animation especially nice. Given this film's reputation, this was quite a disappointment.
1	TedDedon	85 _73rd
I watched the English dubbed version so Setsuo's voice was terribly annoying, but the movie was so excellent that it really didn't take away from it. For an animated movie this holds the drama and class that most war movies don't even come close to capturing.
1	Drewlephant	99 _99th
If you don't like this movie, you're wrong. Simple as that.
1	mclinusa	50 _3rd
This might be a great movie ... if you want to kill yourself. This movie is great in the way that it made me so depressed. The opening line is the main character telling you that today is the day he dies. The entire story is of how miserable his journey was. How the happy family life he had evaporated with the war. How his pride helped cause the death of his younger sister and him.
1	msprague	75 _74th
The usual high quality animation and story that one expects from Studio Ghibli. A tragic story.
1	KasperL	85 _93rd
Highly effective melodrama. Uncomfortable viewing if you let it get to you.
1	Evolution	84 _83rd
Why do fireflies die so soon? This movie is so damn sad.
1	Luna6ix	80 _74th
I have pretty leathery skin, so I felt rather uneffected by the tragedy of this movie. Don't get me wrong, it's sad, it's good, but I can't help but be bothered most about the fact that the evil aunt survived until the end.
1	whatismyname	85 _97th
A rollercoaster of emotions. The second half was truly beautiful, the relationship between the siblings and the cruelties of society in times of need is heartwrenching. Everything seen through the eyes of the young, not knowing of the complexities of life, but manage to do their best, in this sense, it sort of reminds me of Nobody Knows.
1	ofallpieces	100 _98th
Tragic... And gorgeous... There is nothing that can be said about this film that hasn't already been said a million times over. Even for those who don't enjoy Japanese animation, I would consider this film a must-see. Brilliant.
1	Vandelay1	91 _98th
Very Great
1	Ofterdingen	91 _99th
I can't see how this story could possibly have been told better (or more subtle) than this. The carefully nuanced movements of Setsuko were especially devasting.
1	vespera23	88 _88th
Will reduce you to a quivering, sniveling mass of dopey melancholy...in a good way.
1	WWallce4prez	83 _82nd
An extremely moving and harrowing tale of a family's lives destroyed by war. Beautiful animation and story telling in this great anti-war film.
1	KAH	3 _74th
Devastating.
1	chiefg	100 _99th
I'm a sucker for tearjerkers, and this is the proverbial motherlode.
1	psim	76 _54th
In my memory this was a grueling experience, but actually the film also has many lighter moments about trying to keep a sense of normalcy and humanity under dire circumstances. However it can be hard to empathize with many of the decisions the main character makes.
1	spookymari	88 _94th
I cried so hard, like a little kid. Truly touching movie.
1	rnevesr	95 _95th
"it's like the biggest onion you'll ever peel ever"
1	Jack Bz	96 _88th
The start of the film essentially tells you how everything's going to end up, but you find yourself really hoping it isn't true. It's tragic, and emotionally devastating, and everything's more effective by the realistic actions of the characters (especially Setsuko). It really is probably the best movie to show people who are against anime by sheer principle.
1	Daisuki-chan	90 _99th
THE tragedy movie.
1	mrandersen10	85 _89th
If you've ever lost a loved one, this'll be borderline unbearable to watch.
1	overrated	59 _61st
This didn't affect me at all. Never being loved has its perks.
1	zjr1717	90 _89th
This is quite possibly the saddest film i've ever seen. Its the kind of movie you struggle to watch again once you've seen it, despite how powerful and well done it is.
1	redacted	85 _83rd
One of the rare films with a plot line that goes beyond the 'man falls into a hole, man finds a way out of the hole'. This one is more like 'man falls into a hole, the hole gets endlessly deeper'. There's brief scenes of respite during this tailspin to the end of the character's stories, but these scenes really are glints of distraction, that seems to be a symptom of being human, rather than any form of catalyst for salvation.
1	lethias	89 _82nd
Reality is cruel. War is unfortunately part of human reality. The movie is a technical masterpiece. But don't forget you have, even at this very moment, wars around the globe and stories like this every day. And I am willing to take this stance - if you support leaderships that support war, you support acts of terror. That is either apathetic or not well thought-out (stupid). But hey, we wouldn't be able to cry over movies like this so something good comes out of the suffering. Right?
1	cameron326	100 _99th
One of the best films of all time.
1	fxcrnr	89 _84th
A great film, very very moving and terribly sad (and that's giving nothing away) - but unlike films like Schindler's List it's a film I feel I'll only ever want to watch once, simply because it was so sad.
1	Trooth	87 _95th
It's a fine movie, I mean, as long as you don't mind not smiling for a week or two afterwards.
1	EntertainMe	92 _96th
Not content to be a simple indictment of war, this is a crushing and powerful treatment of wounded national pride that manages to avoid jingoism. A deeply personal story about hubris and the failure of human conscience, body and spirit, one that frankly discusses death while singing at each moment with life. (I would recommend watching the subtitled version, as the English dub contains a few bad performances which sap the pathos out of some scenes.)
1	talonmalon	93 _88th
An incredibly powerful war film.
1	yolandabcool	85 _74th
Beautiful, but the saddest film I've ever seen.
1	TheEscapist	85 _94th
Very sad film. It's worth seeing, but be aware that it will be a depressing watch. Very well made film. Reminded me of this quote by Tolkien: "The world is full enough of hurts and mischances without wars to multiply them."
1	odinkirk	85 _76th
Careful. If you have a heart, this movie will tear it out of you and then put it through a meat grinder.
1	gogolit	83 _86th
Shocking. Words cannot really describe the feelings. This is the only war film you ever need to see.
1	amazedemon	65 _61st
Grave of the Fireflies is a sad film, but not one that I personally found moving. Through a series of misfortune & bad decisions, two children end up broken by war & a society of neglect. Though the theme is globally applicable, the film felt directed at a Japanese audience alongside their cultural beliefs & reasoning, with characters that didn't resonate with me. Ultimately, I'm left remembering a joke; [the film is assuredly] a tragedy, because it wasn't an accident and it wasn't a great loss.
1	KeyUtkan	86 _96th
Maybe the best and most realistic movie about WWII. Great animation, powerful story and stunning story telling via visuals.Its a classic.
1	Pickle_Man	100 _94th
Watch it as a double bill with Totoro as god intended.
1	Narg	83 _87th
1. Those fruit drops wrecked me. 2. All the discourse around this movie is about how this movie is a big sad and that war is very bad, both of which are true. Equally interesting and devastating to me was that it was also about the destructive nature of pride. Seito is a child of a nation that was convinced of its own right to use power; and part of this movie, to me, was asking Japanese viewers to look at their past directly as he looks right back at them.
1	brell	40 _76th
I usually rate based on enjoyment and this one is just gonna have to be an exception because it's a good movie that I'm unlikely to rewatch in whole again

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Average Percentile 75.45% from 5078 Ratings