A very deep piece of art (contains spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2004)

Having watched Grave of the Fireflies, I felt that I watched one of the greatest movies ever. Yes it is anime; however, this does not restrict the quality at all. Being moved by this film is easy, as the way emotions are conveyed is simply fantastic.
The story tells of two children who lost their parents during World War II. Seita and his younger sister survive on very little. The movie shows the toll that war brings on the innocent public, the death; destruction and loss are displayed in a way that moves you. The film is often compared to Schindler's List, for its direct and sad style, and it is indeed worth being in comparison.
The movie strikes in the hardest to hit places, you will find yourself at a loss for words. During the course of the movie, the children grow weaker from starvation, and they simply are not able to obtain enough food to keep alive. One of the saddest moments I have ever seen in a film was during the end of the movie, when Seita cremates his 5 year old sister, who "never woke up again". As the start of the film shows, he ends up dying himself.
It's hard to watch the film and feel positive at all, the death and loss is too much for a lot of people to handle. However, upon reflection, the movie is one of the greatest films ever, which will move you and force you to take a second look at anime. For anime is not simply just "kiddie cartoons", it is merely another form of presenting a film, and when challenged with such a hard title, Grave of the Fireflies proves how emotional anime can get.