Wants to make you cry just a bit too much

Rating: 4/10 (24 August 2016)

It's not an unpleasant experience overall: a simple story, cute kids, good scenes - just trying to be too dramatic without actually much content.
If you've been watching any recent movies, you can see the art of making you feel has been improving considerably: good timing of dramatic music, paused dialogue and close-ups, etc. Even if you were not particularly caring for the characters, suddenly you find yourself feeling "this is serious" and maybe even your eyes water up - only to ask yourself why a few minutes later.
Grave of the fireflies takes the basic formula: sad setting (war) + likable characters (cute children) and lets it unfold, adding cardboard characters as needed (cold portrayal of Japanese society, impolite or uncaring neighbors for no reason, etc).
There is a senseless "flashback" from the main characters watching themselves which adds nothing. Character development is a bit limited, as you see the survival strategies ramp up a bit, but no real effect or reason on why that is. In fact, the conclusion arrives for lack of awareness, not lack of resources. Which contradicts the negativity of the war setting..
Anyway, not too unpleasant, except for the "intellectual dishonesty" of shoving drama down the throats of the viewer.