Go home, get some ice cream, find someone you love and, with them, watch these 89 minutes of story-telling mastery.

Rating: 10/10 (5 July 2011)

Studio Ghibli's Grave of the Fireflies is a lesser-known anime from the creative studio responsible for the Oscar-winning Spirited Away. The lack of fame is understandable due to the sadder side that Grave of the Fireflies brings to the table, but don't let that difference dissuade you. This masterpiece is arguably a more well-rounded story and should be on everyone's list of anime films to see.
Starting off with a family in Japan during World War II, the bond between brother and sister is instantly there to see and is the main focal point of the feature. This is a relationship that everyone can see in their own lives, if you have siblings or not there will always be someone who in that situation you would protect and do absolutely anything for.
After the death of their mother and the terrible treatment their relatives show them, they have no choice but to go it alone. Surviving on scraps of food, morsels they can steal and barter for. All seems to be going well for a while until the plot takes us down a slippery slope full of turbulent emotional conflict. Complications in their lives quickly arise, and without substantial nourishment and proper shelter they struggle to stay well.
The end is expected but nonetheless manages to still bring a tear to the eye of any human—however, strangely, it is not entirely out of sadness that you cry. Their horrendous ordeal to survive is over. I have yet to meet someone who it hasn't touched and wholly convinced them how important family and friends are in their lives.
Films depicting family bonds and sibling dependency are not uncommon but where some only scratch the surface Grave of the Fireflies brings a whole new side to the idea and will leave you with a lasting impression.
Even if you don't enjoy films that leave you in tears this is a must- watch Ghibli classic. Go home, get some ice cream, find someone you love and, with them, watch these 89 minutes of story-telling mastery.