Super-depressing, but an exceptional film

Rating: 8/10 (12 November 2006)

Had I been able to see this film in Japanese subtitles, I might have scored it higher. The version shown on TCM was dubbed and I think the dubbing detracted from the film because the characters didn't seem the least bit Japanese. While this may not matter as much with some full-length Anime movies, this one was based on real people living through the final months of WWII with all its privations on the Japanese people. So, to me, it just didn't seem appropriate having the characters sounding like Americans--this seemed a bit tacky. This is all pretty sad, as the film itself is a marvelous film featuring some of the better animation I have ever seen and exceptional production values.
The story is about two siblings whose mother is killed early in the film during a fire bombing. The movie is spent trying to survive on their own and deal with starvation.
The film is apparently based on the writer's own experiences and is extremely important for adults and older kids, as it gives a side of war that is seldom mentioned in films. Although it will probably depress your older kids, it would be a good film to watch with them provided you take the time to discuss the film and process what they see as it is a disturbing episode in history.
I do NOT recommend this to younger or less mature kids. Oddly, when the film was released, it was combined with MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO as a double-feature!!! This was so wrong--combining a sweet movie targeted for the youngest kids in the audience with this realistic and heart-wrenching film about death and starvation! What were they thinking?! I do recommend you see the film, but if possible, try to find the Japanese language version with subtitles.