Respectable effort, but I wished for more depth to the characters, as well as less frustrating character actions!

Rating: 7/10 (1 March 2005)

(SOME MAJOR SPOILERS) Animation is often a favourable genre as far as I'm concerned regardless of the maturity of the content. 'Grave of the Fireflies' tackles a tough issue, and is pretty much an animated film for adults or older children. As the content deals with the children who are left behind during any-given war, and how they become adjusted to a new way of living.
Naturally, being an anime film, it takes the Japanese perspective of World War II, and how the American fire bombings affected the civilians, particularly from the viewpoint of teenage boy, Seita, and his extremely young sister in Setsuko. In the opening scene of the film, it displays the tragic outcome of the lead character, so we immediately know that this isn't going to be a very happy film! The journey of Seita and Setsuko is an interesting one, but also, a frustrating one to watch.
I found myself a little annoyed at some of Seita's actions, although it can be related to youthful rebellion and ideals of being able to survive in the wilderness on your own. The conflict between the Aunt towards Seita and Setsuko seemed extremely harsh, and there could have been more depth to the Aunt's intense dislike of her relatives, cause I think it was needed. Although, I did like the play on the Aunt's use of provisions, and her sense of worthiness when allocating them to her immediate family- even though Seita had provided those provisions. It was a subtle way of showing something deeper to the relationship. The Aunt seemed to think they were ungrateful, yet she was equally ungrateful for what they had sacrificed! The scene where the Aunt asks Seita about school is priceless in displaying the undertones of her manner towards him, revealing the nature of her contempt for him- but I still wish there was more exploration as to why she disliked a young boy and his four-year old sister so much. It seemed a little harsh that any person would treat children like that after a horrendous aftermath to their living situation, and especially during wartime survival, and that's why I think there should have been more exploration of that family unit's history. There was a subtle hint at the Uncle's cowardice, but again, his character was hardly in it to be given depth.
The other problem I had was Setsuko. She was far too young to be realistically left in the care of her brother, and she seemed to be able to comprehend far too much for someone so young, and as a character, I found her slightly annoying. There was some touching moments between her and Seita though, especially when she follows him to the police station, as well as when he's trying to shield her from the horrors of war. 'Grave of the Fireflies' really gets over the desperation of trying to cope with hunger, shelter in the aftermath of war- but it just lost me with the lack of humanity of Seita's closest relatives, and with the irresponsibility of his later actions. Even during the first bombing, I seriously doubt any mother would leave her youngest daughter out of her own sight. So, while some people may say this film is the essential war film, or more precisely, "anti-war" film- I personally think that is tad overstating its importance. A good animated film that is anti-war- and shows the aftermath of it in a realistic manner-- then perhaps that is fair! However, it's not the essential anti-war/war film, and if you can cope with the characters, then this film is pretty rewarding and somewhat haunting! It is, however, a tad overrated in my book! A reasonably good animated film for adults showing the repercussions and the aftermath of war! ***Â½ out of *****!