Graveyard of the Fireflies

I am a novice when it comes to Japanese animations and cartoons. There is a whole big industry out there and I wasn't really interested in manga or anime. However, I saw this show recently and it literally broke my heart. The story is so real and heart-wrenching.




Graveyard of the fireflies is partially based on the life of its Japanese creator and chronicled the tale of two orphans in war-time Japan (in 1945) named Seita and Setsuko. In the space of a few months, they experienced the horrors of air raids, death of their loved ones, abandonment by adult relatives and hardship of life in rural Japan. The most interesting and sobering part is that the show begins and ends with tragedy.

The real victims of wars are the common folks, especially the elderly and the children. I hope that some people out there on a warpath may see this show and be touched by the simplicity of the animation and the sincerity of the storyline, that peace will prevail once again.