Grave of the Fireflies is a 1988 Japanese animated film based on a semi-autobiographical novel about two orphaned siblings - Seita and Setsuko - struggling to survive in Japan during World War II. The film depicts the hardships they face as homeless and starving children after their mother dies, leaving them with an uncaring aunt. Setsuko slowly develops malnutrition and dies in Seita's arms, after which he also passes away from starvation at a train station. The film is known for its vivid and tragic portrayal of the human costs of war through the lens of children.

1. Abdulla AlDosari Phillip Rothschild
Bianka Juchelka Sarah Webb

2. OVERVIEW
HOW DOES IT END?

3. While the basic purpose of most films is to
entertain, many often end with tragic or devastating
culminating events.

4. Because these sad endings are the last moments of a
film that the audience sees, they often leave lasting
impressions.

5. Unlike stories with happy endings, sad endings are usually
more memorable, more meaningful, more captivating, more
educational, and resonate with people for a longer period
of time.

6. These reactions often encourage people to evaluate their
dreams, needs, values, and morals in their own lives.

7. When people are sad, they try to alter these unpleasant
feelings through understanding, self-analysis, and
evaluation, often followed by changes in attitudes or
actions.

8. On the other hand, when people are happy they are
satisfied with themselves and do not want change, thus do
much less self-analyzing.

9. Although animation films are usually thought to have
happy endings, due to the nature of their targeted
audience and the media used, several animation films
have sad endings.

10. These animated films, like films with live actors, can also
help to evoke strong emotions and add to the impact of
the film.

11. From the opening scene of the animated film Grave of the
Fireflies, it is clear that this movie is going to end
tragically.

12. The remainder of the movie depicts one tragedy after
another.

13. Many of the sad moments during the film were drawn-out
with silence, allowing the audience the time to further
analyze the effects of each tragedy suffered.

14. Many who watch this film will not only be emotionally
captivated from the first scene to the last, but also long
afterwards.

15. Sad stories such as Grave of the Fireflies inspire people
to search for a greater meaning in their own lives.

16. INTRODUCTION

17. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is a Japanese animated film
written and directed by Isao Takahata.

18. The Japanese title is Hotaru no Haka (火垂るの墓). The
film is based on the semi-autobiographical novel also
called Hotaru no Haka written by Akiyuki Nosaka.

19. It is not an entirely true autobiography because while it
is based on a part of his life, it does not portray all the
events accurately.

20. But he and his sister did live in Kobe, Japan, during the
World War II air raids.

21. His sister died during that time from malnutrition and the
author blamed himself for her death.

22. It is clear that the author felt that he should have died
instead of his sister.

23. Throughout his life the author has suffered from a deep
guilt for his sister’s death. He would often eat first
leaving his sister without enough food for
herself, resulting in his survival and her death.

24. Akiyuki Nosaka wrote this story as an apology to his
sister.

25. SYNOPSIS

26. The film opens with Seita slumped over in a train station
with sores covering his body and his voice narrating the
day of his death, September 21, 1945.

27. The spirit of Setsuko appears and they are reunited. The
film retraces their tragic fates as victims during World
Word II.

28. With their father serving in the Japanese
Navy, Setsuko, Seita, and their mother prepare to leave
for the bomb shelter as planes fill the sky.

29. As bombs fall, Setsuko and Seita are forced to find
shelter elsewhere.

30. Seita discovers his mother has been injured and wishes
not to tell Setsuko. Shortly afterwards she dies.

31. With their lives turned upside down, Setsuko and Seita
are left homeless, hungry, and with little money as they
struggle to survive.

32. Setsuko wonders where her mother is.

33. To keep Setsuko’s spirits high, Seita gives her fruit drops
that he salvaged from their home.

34. Seita and Setsuko seek help from their aunt.

35. With food rations decreasing their aunt grows resentful.

36. Their aunt convinces Seita to trade his mother’s kimonos
for food.

37. Setsuko, unaware that her mother has died, does not
want her mother’s kimonos traded.

38. With food becoming scarce, their aunt begins to deprive
Setsuko and Seita of food.

39. With lack of support from their aunt, Seita realizes that
it is time to leave.

40. Seita finds an old abandoned shelter to live in.

41. For a brief period of time they are happy once again.

42. At night Seita and Setsuko catch fireflies to light the
bomb shelter.

43. The next day Setsuko finds all the fireflies have died and
wonders why.

44. She digs a grave and begins to wonder why her mother
had to die.

45. At this moment, Seita has realized that Setsuko knows
about their mother’s death and he realizes that he cannot
protect her from everything forever.

46. Their happiness is short-lived as their food supply
starts to diminish once again, forcing Seita to steal.

47. With lack of food, Setsuko slowly begins to suffer from
malnutrition.

48. Seita often leaves Setsuko alone at the shelter to
search for food.

49. One day Seita returns to the shelter to find Setsuko, in a
delusional state, with a marble in her mouth believing it is
food.

50. Seita tries to give her food but it is too late, Setsuko
passes away.

51. Seita cremates Setsuko’s body and never returns to the
shelter.

52. A few weeks later Seita dies at the train station.

53. After he dies, Seita’s and Setsuko’s spirits are reunited.

54. The final scene of the films shows Seita and Setsuko
sitting on a bench looking down upon the modern day city
of Kobe, Japan, a place that once was their home.

55. VIDEO CLIP

56. In this scene, Seita witnesses the final moments of
Setsuko’s life.

58. In this next scene we see a happy Setsuko playing and
enjoying herself. She is in the place that was once her
home.

59. We are seeing Setsuko’s spirit after she has died. She is
finally free of all the worries that troubled her during
her short life.

60. She lit up the world for such a short time, just as the
fireflies light up the night with their short lives.

62. SYMBOLISM

63. A passing kamikaze plane reminds Setsuko of a firefly.

64. The fruit drops symbolized hope and helped to preserve
Setsuko’s and Seita’s childhood by giving them moments
of sweetness in an otherwise harsh world.

65. The bombs resembled fireflies as they fell through the
sky.

66. The short life spans of fireflies resembled the untimely
deaths of Seita and Setuko.

67. The human soul was represented through the floating and
illuminating fireflies.

68. POPULAR CULTURE

69. Sakuma drops are a famous Japanese candy sold in iconic
tin cans that have been around since 1908.

70. The candies became very popular after they were
featured in Grave of the Fireflies and were such an
important emblem throughout the film.

71. This inspired the Sakuma Candy Co. to make their own
special edition featuring Setsuko on the cover and
are sold worldwide for about $5.

72. CREDITS
Introduction & Video Clip
Abdulla AlDosari
PowerPoint, Symbolism, & Popular Culture
Bianka Juchelka
PowerPoint & Overview
Phillip Rothschild
Discussion Questions
Sarah Webb

73. WORK CITED
• Martin, Theron. animenewsnetwork.com. Graves of the FireFlies, 2012. Web. 30
May 2012.
• Wikipedia contributors. "Grave of the fireflies." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 Dec. 2007. Web. 31 May 2012.
• Ebert, Roger. rogerebert.com. Graves of the FireFlies, 2000. Web. 30 May
2012.
• ghibli-gifs.tumblr.com. Graves of the FireFlies, 1999. Web.
27 May 2012.
• cubo3.com. Especial Ghibli- Túmulo dos Vagalumes, 2010. Web. 25 May 2012.
• jbox.com. Sakuma Drops-Grave of the Fireflies Limited Edition, 2012. Web. 29
May 2012.
• Wikipedia contributors. "Sakuma drops." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Aug. 2011. Web. 1 Jun. 2012.