Netflix has nearly the entire catalog of Ghibli films available. However, one of the most important anime films has been missing until now. As the streaming service has now announced, the collection will finally be completed.
Which film is coming to Netflix? Starting from September 16, 2024, Netflix will add Grave of the Fireflies to its lineup. This is an anime film from 1988 based on the partly autobiographical short story Grave of the Fireflies by Akiyuki Nosaka.
- The film is set in 1945, towards the end of World War II. Kobe is hit by a bombing raid. In this, fourteen-year-old Seita and his four-year-old sister Setsuko survive.
- Right at the beginning of the film, we see a scene where Seita is lying starved in a train station. It is clear from the very beginning that the boy will die.
- The film shows how the story of Seita and Setsuko evolved to that point. The two experience several tragic moments and have to find their way in a war-torn world.
The Ghibli film is considered the saddest film that the animation studio has ever produced. This is partly due to the sad experiences that the two children must endure. On the other hand, the actual story behind the film is even more dramatic.
So keep your tissues ready if you want to watch Grave of the Fireflies:
The story of the Ghibli film is only partly fictional
What lies behind the film? The film is based on a short story by Akiyuki Nosaka. In it, the author processes his own experiences that he had to endure at that time: One of his sisters died of an illness, his adoptive father died during the bombing, and his younger adoptive sister from malnutrition.
Nosaka revealed that the young Seita became such a good and caring person only to compensate for what he himself was unable to do. For him, it was a burden to carry his little sister and endure her crying at night:
I always thought that I wanted to perform these generous acts in my mind, but I couldn’t. […] I believe there is no one in the world more hopeless than I am. I wrote nothing about this in the novel.
Akiyuki Nosaka, via Ghibli Wiki
The author kept the food for himself every time he found something to eat. The food is said to have tasted even better because it was scarce. Yet, every time he kept the food for himself, he reportedly felt guilty. The short story is therefore an apology to his sister.
How sad is the film? If you watch the film, this background information will emotionally destroy you even more. In the Reddit forum, some users write that they could only watch the film once and never again afterward.
Many users cried during the film. They believe it is one of the best films ever. This is also reflected in the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, which stands at 100% based on 46 reviews or 95% based on over 50,000 audience reviews.
However, they simultaneously hope that they will never have to watch it again. We can now fully understand why. If you want to see more animes that will bring tears streaming down your face, we can recommend the following: The 5 saddest animes that will surely break your heart
