Grave of the Fireflies... meh

[pfarber]

This was one of the often cited 'must watch' anime MOVIES (I consider episodic anime to be vastly different than feature length anime films) so I finally found a copy to watch.

Not sure why it's given such a high rating.. I thought the story was a typical war drama and going in I knew that bad things were gonna happen.. but keeping an open mind I sat through the film and what hit me is what WASN'T portrayed.

First, the opening scene in the post WWII Japanese train station where several young boys are completely ignored, as they slump over and die... and the custodial staff seem to be more annoyed that they have to clean up more dead children seems a bit far fetched... but orphaned children in post war Japan had it rough... no family, or worse, family that could not take them in, were destined to starve in the streets and likely die. So mad props for showing 'how it really was'. The first 20 minutes of the film are pretty harsh and realistic... but other than those initial scenes "Grave" completely ignores the intense Japanese nationalism of the war. Sure, the aunt kicks the main characters out of her home for being lazy and not supporting the war (unlike her daughter and husband who work in factories).. but only one other character (the sugar farmer) shows just how bat shit nuts the Japanese were for the Emperor and the war.

Even though firebombing was a prevalent theme (it was not only the catalyst for Seita and Setsuko's mother dying, but also a way for them to live as Seita would raid homes for food while the owners were in the air raid shelters) it was handled as nothing more than plot point.. there was no anti-American theme or negativity towards the US.. so in that respect it seems that some revisionism took place. I'm sure in 1945 Japan people would not be so nonchalant about it.. especially as Japanese soldiers committed atrocities against WWII POWs, and especially US Pilots. I have yet to read about this in any of the reviews about "Graves". Sure, they wanted to tell a story, but to whitewash the nationalism and fanaticism of the Japanese during the war? Nope.. gotta call that out.

The story then follows the two as they scrape by to survive, and then both succumb to malnutrition and die. The end scene was Seita sitting on a bench, overlooking a modern Japanese city, Setsuko sitting by his side... after offering her a piece of her favorite sugar candy he says "you are tired Setsuka, you should rest" and end.

I'm sure that's where the feels were supposed to happen.. but I really didn't fall for it. Can't find much empathy for children of a nation that started a brutal war, slaughtered millions of civilians (really.. Rape of Nanking, comfort women. You need to bow long and hard for that, Japan). I didn't hate the characters, and did feel sorry for them.. a little bit. But this story, in this setting.. nope.