Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

You've probably heard this film referred to the saddest animated film of all-time. I think Roger Ebert said it best, "It is a powerfully dramatic film that happens to be animated." American audiences weren't prepared for this story about two young survivors of a napalm bombing in Japan. The film opens with Seita, a young teenager, showing  us the exact day he died. We already know his fate and throughout the film we watch his flashbacks unfold accompanied by his ghost spirit. The grief this film inspires is raw and real. It continued to move me to tears throughout it's short runtime and afterwards my puffy eyes were of no use to me. I couldn't help but sit wallowing as the credits rolled. Why is the world so cruel? Why must children suffer? Indeed, this is a tale of suffering caused by the hands of humans and it may be the single greatest anti-war film I've ever seen. It transcends it's artform and the talented animators and voice actors have truly crafted a story that will always stand the test of time.

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