A complex animation for adults

When it comes to Japanese animated features, Studio Ghibli is unparalleled, with the animation purveyor's list of triumphs including Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and the transcendent Spirited Away. Another of the studio's highly acclaimed titles is 1988's Grave of the Fireflies, an adaptation of Nosaka Akiyuki’s novel of the same name, set in Japan during World War II. Still as vital, powerful and unbearably poignant in 2015 as it was back in the 1980s, this haunting yet admirably unsentimental animated endeavour is ultimately a moving story about the relationship between a brother and sister facing poverty and isolation, set against the backdrop of a devastating war. A survivalist drama, Grave of the Fireflies informs us of the collateral damage caused by the Japanese firebombing by the United States in WWII, shining a light on one consequence of warfare that's often overlooked.

The film is largely told through flashbacks, focusing on the final months of WWII. In 1945, bombs are being dropped across Japan by American pilots, leading to mass devastation. During a bombing raid, Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi) and his little sister Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi) are forced from their home and separated from their parents. Desperate for food and shelter, the pair move in with their aunt, but she's distant, and her hospitality becomes increasingly frosty. Ultimately, Seita and Setsuko are driven to a life of fending for themselves, with Seita trying his hardest to shield his sister from the horrors occurring all around them. Tragically, the war takes its toll on the supply line, with food and water becoming scarcer as time goes on. 

Grave of the Fireflies holds up due to the power of its themes and of director Isao Takahata's storytelling, even if the animation has dated to some extent, lacking the precise fluidity of more recent animated productions. The artists at Studio Ghibli spend years on any single production, meticulously hand-drawing every frame, and the artistry is staggering to behold. The visuals are often haunting, effortlessly capturing the time and place, while the colour scheme underscores the downbeat nature of this tale. Curiously, even though this is a downbeat movie, it's not boring or insufferably dour, with the production being bolstered by the rich artistry in each frame and the unforgettably poignant soundtrack by Michio Mamiya.

Although Grave of the Fireflies is often perceived and labelled as an anti-war film, this notion has been challenged by a number of critics, as well as director Takahata himself. War serves as more of a background detail than a primary focus here, but the movie undeniably has things to say about the futility and price of warfare, showing that civilians far away from the battlefield are still affected by all the fighting. Takahata, who actually co-founded Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki, presents the narrative in a matter-of-fact fashion, eschewing sentimentality and manipulation, and the resulting cinematic spell is effective and often enthralling. Moreover, the characters are not degraded, nor is their suffering fetishized. Better yet, the characters are handled with nuance.

A haunting standout in the Ghibli catalogue, Grave of the Fireflies has lost none of its potency or emotional power, and remains an essential watch for anime enthusiasts and film buffs. With its harrowing themes and visceral imagery, the movie proves that the animated format is not merely a children's medium, and can be used to tell rich, complex stories. There is a reason why Grave of the Fireflies has endured for years as one of the greatest animated movies of all time.