Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)

This is a animated film; a very touching animated film; an animated film which can be very hard to watch by some people and a animated film which can be described as realistic. For a variety of reasons, this is not just my favourite animated film of all time but is also one of my all time favourites as well. There are so many things I could talk about but I will try to keep this review as short as I can.

During World War 2, a teenage boy and a young girl try to survive on their own after their mother dies in a air raid. As this film is set in a very dark time, the movie features emotional scenes which work really well and even some of the scenes made me cry as well. On top of that, the main characters are very interesting and when you see them struggle throughout their journey, you can't help it but very sorry for them as they are on their journey in a very unsettling time. Despite those elements being very well done, my favourite aspect of Grave of the Fireflies would have to be the animation. I always found some of the older Japanimation ( otherwise known Anime) films to be outstanding and this is no exception. All the scenes, particularly the upsetting moments, are filled with animation that looks breath-taking and still holds up till this day.

In conclusion, this film is spectacular with heart-gripping scenes, likable characters, visually stunning animation and a very heart-breaking story. This is a must see for Anime fans, animation fans in general, people who enjoyed films like Saving Private Ryan and for people who are invested with the history of World War 2. If you haven't seen this film already, you are definitely missing out.