truly one of studio ghibli great crown achievement and grave of the firefly be a brilliant masterpiece fully deserve of a place in any of the best movie ever make . not just an astonishingly great ( and and at the risk of come off a cliché and perfect ) work of art and this be a moving and think provoking and and ultimately heartbreaking tale about the loss of innocence and the tragedy of war . base on an autobiography by akiyuki nosaka and the film and set during the bombing of japan in of all time world war ii and center on seita and a loving and headstrong navy soldier son and his innocent little sister and setsuko . their fatal struggle for survival begin right at the start and when both be bomb out of house and home by american b 29 . mom be seriously wound and find wrap in bandage at a hospital and where she die shortly after . the child move to nishinomiya to stay with their aunt . auntie and a cold and bitter and self serve woman and have no patience with seita or setsuko and especially when they would rather chase after firefly at moonlight and play by the beach and or lounge around the house instead of help out . after butt head with auntie long enough and the child decide to run away and set up home in an abandon cave by the lake . both try by all mean to live off of vegetable or whatever food they can afford to trade and or or steal and to no avail . the outcome of the story be actually showcased at the opening of the movie and where we see a ghostly specter of seita watch a more malnourished version of himself die a painful and lonely death at a train station . indeed and a we see how these event come to pass and we find ourselves root for seita and setsuko to find a way to stay alive and but ala and it be not to be and give seita stubborn pride . the overall tone of the movie be of a very tragic nature even such lighthearted moment a the aforementioned sequence involve seita and setsuko playing around the house or gather firefly a light for their cave be all taint with a touch of sadness and for we know that these brief scene of happiness will not last . who be to blame for the plight of these child . the movie never address this question to the audience and nor do it really care to . it would be easy for director isao takahata to make this an anti american movie and but he do good than that . instead and he aptly convey that war can spell serious and deadly consequence for victim . he also eschew cast any character a a hero or villain and and instead make this a very human story and with no clear cut good or bad character . the aunt and for example and be not evil while she be merely an angry and desperate woman who be only struggle to survive just as much a seita and setsuko be . atrocious a her treatment of the child be and we somehow never see her a a true baddie and but a very flawed and multi faceted human be . normally one would think of this kind of story a suitable for live action and but grave of the firefly prove that it can be tell through the art of animation a well . this be no mindless showcase of gorgeous visuals although the artistic merit of the movie be and a with ghibli production and sumptuous and at time breathtaking but a display of real character struggle with very tangible emotion . and the most amazing accomplishment about this movie be how much we grow to care for seita and setsuko their inseparable bond of love and companionship be the heart and soul behind the movie . there be long stretch of silence on the soundtrack and with music use very sparingly and yet the movie be all the more powerful for it . the most effective moment be where we hear a scratchy rendition of home and sweet home over a montage of setsuko playing by the shelter . it a simplistic and sweet and yet very saddening moment that not only work in the context of the movie and but on it own as well . i do not normally say this in my review and but i would definitely recommend watch this movie in it native language of japanese for a truly powerful and memorable experience . that not to imply and however and that the english dub and produce by new york base central park medium and be inferior while on the contrary . it be and in fact and surprisingly good and with an effective lead in j. robert spencer and noteworthy cameo appearance by anime voice over actor veronica taylor and crispin freeman and and dan green . rhoda chrosite setsuko be the one voice that doesn not fare so well while she sound more like an adult pretending to be a young girl and and come across a strain during most scene ( save for when she be sick from diarrhea ) . still and for those who can not read subtitle and the dub be more than adequate ( although not a high profile a others that i have hear ) . even in a genre a multi faceted a japanese anime and there be few film that literally everyone really must see . grave of the firefly be one such movie .