Grave of the Fireflies
Why do fireflies have to die so soon?
1988 | 89m | Japanese
Popularity: 0.0 (history)
| Director: | Isao Takahata |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Isao Takahata |
| Staring: |
| In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive. | |
| Release Date: | Apr 16, 1988 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Isao Takahata |
| Writer: | Isao Takahata |
| Genres: | Animation, Drama, War |
| Keywords | sibling relationship, hunger, world war ii, shelter, wartime, struggle for survival, pacific theater, adult animation, semi autobiographical, anti war, anime, grim, orphan siblings, children in wartime, distressing |
| Production Companies | Studio Ghibli |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $842,132
Budget: $3,700,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 18, 2025 Entered: Aug 14, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Tsutomu Tatsumi | Seita (voice) |
| Ayano Shiraishi | Setsuko (voice) |
| Yoshiko Shinohara | Mother (voice) |
| Akemi Yamaguchi | Auntie (voice) |
| Masayo Sakai | Woman who takes care of Setsuko (voice) |
| Kozo Hashida | Obayashi Chairman (voice) |
| Kazumi Nozaki | Cousin (voice) |
| Yoshio Matsuoka | Gosaku (voice) |
| Masahiro Kanetake | Aunt's House Guest (voice) |
| Kiyoshi Yanagawa | Patrolman (voice) |
| Hajime Maki | Man who arrests Seita (voice) |
| Atsuo Omotem | Person in Bank (voice) |
| Teruhisa Harita | Station Worker (voice) |
| Hiroshi Tanaka | Person in Bank (voice) |
| Michio Denpo | Station Worker / Doctor (voice) |
| Shiro Tamaki | Person in Bank (voice) |
| Mika Sekita | Nurse (voice) |
| Kyoko Moriwaki | (voice) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Takeshi Seyama | Editor |
| Yoshiyuki Momose | Layout |
| Michiyo Yasuda | Color Designer |
| Hideaki Anno | Key Animation |
| Toshiyasu Okada | Key Animation |
| Reiko Okuyama | Key Animation |
| Kitaro Kosaka | Key Animation |
| Michio Mamiya | Original Music Composer |
| Nobuo Koyama | Director of Photography |
| Yasuo Uragami | Sound Director |
| Michihiro Itou | Sound Effects |
| Hisanori Ooshiro | Sound Mixer |
| Toru Hishiyama | Background Designer |
| Yoshiji Kigami | Key Animation |
| Yukiyoshi Hane | Key Animation |
| Yasuomi Umetsu | Key Animation |
| Toshitsugu Saida | Key Animation |
| Noriko Ozeki | Key Animation |
| Noriko Moritomo | Key Animation |
| Noboru Takano | Key Animation |
| Michiyo Sakurai | Key Animation |
| Megumi Kagawa | Key Animation |
| Kuniyuki Ishii | Key Animation |
| Iku Ishiguro | Key Animation |
| Hiroshi Ogawa | Key Animation |
| Hideo Kawauchi | Key Animation |
| Atsuko Otani | Key Animation |
| Akio Sakai | Key Animation |
| Neil Nadelman | Translator |
| Kazu Hisamura | Assistant Art Director |
| Kaoru Tanifuji | Special Effects |
| Shojuro Yamauchi | Key Animation |
| Naoyuki Taniguchi | Compositing Artist |
| Akiyuki Nosaka | Short Story |
| Isao Takahata | Screenplay, Director |
| Yoshifumi Kondo | Character Designer, Animation Director |
| Nizou Yamamoto | Art Direction |
| Noriyoshi Ohira | Sound Effects |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Tooru Hara | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 50 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 200 | 661 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 93 | 551 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 91 | 500 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 7 | 131 | 558 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 6 | 130 | 641 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 5 | 142 | 593 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 4 | 163 | 525 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 3 | 162 | 621 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 2 | 172 | 639 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 233 | 605 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12 | 188 | 726 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 318 | 669 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | 422 | 781 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | 80 | 425 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 221 | 665 |
The terrible story of two orphaned Japanese kids during the ending of WWII. Incredibly well told and totally moving, without using clichés. A must seen in the anime arena. ...
This was the first animated movie that made me cry as an adult. It still does. Two children are left as orphans in World War 2 and have to survive. Such a basic premise, but this shows intimately what the effects of war are on children (a topic not covered by other movies). And as it's about ... children, it has more of an emotional impact. Described as one of the greatest war movies of all time by Roger Ebert, the work of art will impact you like no other anime. Its interesting to note that this was released originally with My Neighbour Totoro. Both are films about childhood. But where Totoro is about innocence maintained and the joy of childhood, **Fireflies is innocence lost**, a light dimmed after a short period.