Grave of the Fireflies

Set against the backdrop of World War II, this film follows Seita and his younger sister Setsuko as they struggle to survive after their mother dies in a firebombing. The story begins in Kobe, where the siblings lose their home and eventually move into an abandoned bomb shelter with their cousin Kyoko's family. When rationing becomes impossible, the children are forced to leave their relatives and fend for themselves in a city that no longer cares about them. Grave of the Fireflies stands as a stark examination of civilian suffering during the Pacific theater conflict.[edit]