It is sad, but that can be a beautiful feeling too!

Rating: 8/10 (16 April 2013)

Yes, it is a sad and emotional movie, but at the same time a beautiful one.
Lately, I have been trying to watch all the Studio Ghibli movies, and this one was the next on the list. It definitely looks and feel different from the other movies of the Studio (it does not have all those fantasy characters and worlds, it tries to portray reality), this is probably because this movie is directed by Isao Takahata and not Miyazaki.
I believe every person might take this movie in a different way, based on personal experiences. I took it as an example of the sacrifices you can make for somebody you love (in this case Seita's fraternal love for Setsuko), and how this love sometimes can lead you to make mistakes, such as was the case of Sentai, where he tried to do what his sister wanted and not what she needed.
I do think it has an anti-war message (although I think it is not the principal theme of the plot), it end up being the background of these 2 kids journey. The animation is not as good as other Ghibli films (it is from 1988!), but still manages to portray properly the attitude of a stubborn teenager and the way of acting and innocence of a 4 year old.
To sum it up. It is melodramatic, yes, but that is just a tool to deliver it's message. It personally reminded me of the way me and my sister interacted when we were kids, always looking after each other, and how that type of love and interaction with your family should never change, because our life is pretty short (as the fireflies).
Score (8)