One of my longstanding cinematic distastes is for animated features.  Typically, they are not aimed at my demographic, hence the humor is usually lost on me.  For whatever reason, Western civilization has taken cartoon art to be something for children.  Not every culture sees it the same way, and that is particularly true for Japanese animation, known more familiarly as Anime.  Though more hardcore fans of the genre might eschew mainstream works, one of the outlets responsible for making it more widely popular is Studio Ghibli.  I have heard of their work, if for no other reason than some of their movies have won Academy Awards.  Though today’s film, Grave of the Fireflies (1988) did not garner such accolades, it is no less powerful.  It also provides some great material for this Catholic reviewer to discuss.

Given that the first thing we hear in Grave of the Fireflies is that Seita Yokokawa (voiced by Lucas Jaye) has died on September 18^th, 1945, one might wonder what there is to discuss.  He is slumped over in a Kobe, Japan, rail station close to the end of World War II.  As he lies there, he has visions of his younger sister, Setsuko Yokokawa (voiced by Luna Hamilton).  In it, they are on a train watching the destruction of the city by American bombers.  We then return to reality, back in their house preparing to evacuate before another attack.  Once Seita has buried some of their belongings, he straps Setsuko to his back and they make a run for it, dodging the spreading inferno from incendiary rounds.  Finding their planned shelter already too crowded, they head to the sea.  When they finally emerge, it is to a devastated landscape with barely a building left standing.  She wonders if their house is burned down, and he says that it is probably so, adding that their father will make the Americans pay.  In the meantime, their main concern is finding their mother, who has been badly burned in the raid.  Upon giving Setsuko the news, Seita tries to comfort her but she wants to see her mother right away.  Even his attempts at distracting her with gymnastics do not cheer the little girl.  In the morning, he is on hand to see his mother transported to a better hospital, and then he and his sister go to stay with their aunt (voiced by Ren Hanami) in the countryside.  The next day, Seita returns to the site of their home and retrieves the items he buried before the raid.  Sadly, once he returns to his aunt’s house, he finally reveals that his mom passed away.  He does not tell Setsuko, but Seita promises his aunt that he will write to their father, who is in the navy, when he is able.  The letter goes unanswered, as do his aunt’s.  A further worry is the state of the war, which they learn is not going well while talking over dinner.  Seita tries to take Setsuko to the beach to take her mind off the constant attacks, but even that is marred when she finds a dead body.  She is made more upset when their aunt goes to trade their mother’s kimonos for extra rice.  However, their aunt gets angry with them before too long that they are simply taking up resources instead of contributing to the family, or the war effort, and suggests they stay with other relatives.  Once more, Seita tries to be the optimist, reminding Setsuko that their mom had money in the bank.  With it, they buy a stove so as to not inconvenience their aunt, and return to her house.  They might have provisioned themselves, but their aunt continues to give them a hard time.  So unbearable does it become that they decide to move into a seldom used air raid shelter beside a pond.  It is as Setsuko is burying a bunch of fireflies they had trapped to light the cave that she tells Seita that she knows their mom is dead.  They also soon run out of food, and their attempts at begging are refused.  As such, they resort to stealing tomatoes from a field.  It becomes evident that they are starving.  Seita tries to steal some more food, but he is caught and taken to the authorities. He is also beaten up by the farmer who confronted him, but the officer is angrier about the violence against a minor.  A tearful Seita is soon reunited with Setsuko, and they go back to their makeshift shelter.  Unfortunately, her condition continues to deteriorate, and he resorts to looting during raids.  Coming back from one, he finds her close to death.  He takes her to the doctor, and she is diagnosed as being malnourished.  Seita protests that food is the one thing he cannot provide, though he tells Setsuko that he will bring her some.  She complains that she does not want him to go, but he departs anyway, taking out the rest of the money to purchase supplies.  It is while he is at the bank that he learns of Japan’s defeat, not being able to believe the news.  His first thought is that their father let him down, and he is devastated.  Seita’s efforts to bring Setsuko food are for naught, too, as she dies soon after he arrives.  He obtains the proper materials for her funeral, placing her body and her belongings on a pyre.  The movie ends shortly thereafter, with Seita remembering the good times he spent with Setsuko in their waterside retreat.

Though Grave of the Fireflies ends with Seita alive, the beginning has him slumping over dead.  I guess what is shown from then until the conclusion is a flashback.  This is not made abundantly clear, nor does it need to be.  Overall, it is a bittersweet experience about love and loss.  Even so, there are some simple pleasures to be taken in the midst of great loss, like when Seita finds an open spigot and takes a moment to bathe himself.  Another is the fruit drops Seita produces whenever Setsuko gets sad.  There are also the fireflies themselves.  I have increasingly come to understand these moments as evidence of God’s mercy.  It is important to remember such things when times are difficult.  It is when there are difficulties that God is closest to us.  This includes when in the midst of dealing with the loss of loved ones.  There are those who will say that God’s gift of intellect, the one that allows us to think of those who have passed, is a sick joke.  What good does it do to have those people so close to the surface of our thoughts?  For one thing, it is evidence of the fact that God has blessed you.  When you love someone, be they family member or friend, especially if those feelings are reciprocated, it is an indication that God has brought good into your life.  A loved one can suddenly die, or perhaps even worse, betray you, but while it is good it is something for which one should be thankful.  I get the impression that is how Seita is at the end of the film.  He did his best by his sister in impossible circumstances, and she is grateful for his efforts.  That, too, is a blessing.  At the same time, I am not sure how to reconcile that with the opening scene.  It appears that he gives up, keeling over and dying when he is gently nudged.  God would not want you to give in to such depression.  He desires joy for you, and there is much of that feeling experienced by this brother and sister.

The fact that Seita and Setsuko had such a close bond in Grave of the Fireflies is what makes the movie.  Nonetheless, it can be a hard one to watch.  It is incredibly sad no matter its artistry.  Therefore, I give this one a cautious recommendation.