An incredibly moving and brutally honest masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2016)

I just finished watching Grave of the Fireflies and wow. Just wow. I am at a complete lost for words. Until this point, I had only watched a few animes but this heart-rending tale isn't your typical animated film. No, it is SO much more. It has unexpected depth. It has soul. It has a genuine message that shan't be overlooked.
This is an extremely poignant and moving story about a young boy and his little sister struggling to survive in Japan during World War II. Above all, it is based on experience, situation and exploration. And this film offers us a tragic look into real atrocities, real horrors from the perspectives of two joyful kids, Seita and Setsuko. They share a magnificently uplifting and eternal connection (the latter quite literally, as many would argue) that makes you feel all kinds of warm inside just watching them interact with one another.
The animation in this film is simply breathtaking. The painstaking attention to detail, particularly with the surrounding landscape is awe-inspiring. Certain images like the luminous fireflies at night, the glistening pond outside where Seita and Setsuko reside and the beach they visit with its magnificent sunset will resonate with me for a long time. It is hard not to appreciate animation of such quality and finesse.
The impact of this film is heightened with a mesmerizing score and the introspective pauses that are not only tolerated, but encouraged, in Japanese animation films. Majestic sounds used throughout also add to this captivating, almost dreamlike vibe. And yet, it was the true to life storytelling that made this film such a realistic, enchanting piece of art.
I was somewhat confused of the beginning without any context and I later re-watched it after the film's end. It is a beautiful beginning (or rather end) and makes you appreciate the film even more than you thought you did. This wonderfully crafted film deserves a viewing from anyone at least once. It is not simply a movie about war per se, but about the beauty of life and the blissful ignorance of youth.