Hotaru no haka (1988)

Director:

Isao Takahata

Writers:

Akiyuki Nosaka (novel)
Isao Takahata (written by)

Release Date:

16 April 1988 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Drama | War

Plot:

A tragic film covering a young boy and his little sister's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Japan | Firefly | Food | Air Raid | Shelter

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Tsutomu Tatsumi	...	Seita (voice)
Ayano Shiraishi	...	Setsuko (voice)
Yoshiko Shinohara	...	Mother (voice)
Akemi Yamaguchi	...	Aunt (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rhoda Chrosite	...	Setsuko (voice: English version)
Shannon Conley	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Crispin Freeman	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Dan Green	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Amy Jones	...	Aunt (voice: English version)
George Leaver	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
J. Robert Spencer	...	Seita (voice: English version)
Nick Sullivan	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Veronica Taylor	...	Mother (voice: English version)

Directed by
Isao Takahata

Writing credits
Akiyuki Nosaka		(novel)
Isao Takahata		(written by)

Produced by
Tohru Hara	....	producer
Ryoichi Sato	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Michio Mamiya

Cinematography by
Nobuo Koyama		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Takeshi Seyama

Production Design by
Ryoichi Sato

Art Direction by
Nizou Yamamoto

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norihiko Sudo	....	assistant director

Art Department
Katsu Hisamura	....	assistant art director
Yuriko Kashiwakura	....	assistant character color designer
Noriko Ogawa	....	assistant character color designer
Michiyo Yasuda	....	character color designer

Sound Department
Noriyoshi Oohira	....	sound effects
Hisanori Ooshiro	....	sound mixer
Yasuo Uragami	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Kunji Tanifuji	....	special effects

Animation Department
Hideaki Anno	....	animator
Yoshiyuki Hane	....	animator
Kuniyuki Ishii	....	animator
Sodatsu Ishikuro	....	animator
Megumi Kagawa	....	animator
Hideo Kawauchi	....	animator
Masuji Kigami	....	animator
Yoshifumi Kondo	....	animation director
Yoshifumi Kondo	....	character designer
Kitaro Kosaka	....	key animator
Noriko Moritomo	....	animator
Hiroshi Ogawa	....	animator
Toshiyasu Okada	....	animator
Reiko Okuyama	....	animator
Atsuko Ôtani	....	animator
Noriko Ôzeki	....	animator
Shunji Saida	....	animator
Akio Sakai	....	animator
Michiyo Sakurai	....	animator
Noboru Takano	....	animator
Yasuomi Umetsu	....	animator
Shôjurô Yamauchi	....	animator

Other crew
Peter Bavaro	....	voice director

Production Companies

• Shinchosha Company
• Studio Ghibli

Distributors

• Toho Company (1988) (Japan) (theatrical)
• ADV Films (2009) (USA) (all media) (re-issue)
• Central Park Media Corporation (I) (II)
• JONU Media (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Optimum Releasing (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Universe Laser & Video Co. Ltd. (2002) (Hong Kong) (DVD)

Other Companies

• APU Studio  sound recording studio
• Audio Planning U  post-production sound services
• Studio Angel  cooperation
• Tokyo Laboratory Co. Ltd.  film processing

Also Known As:

Grave of the Fireflies (UK) (USA)
Tombstone for Fireflies (USA)
Tombstone for the Fireflies (Australia) (dubbed version)

Runtime:

89 min | Germany:85 min (DVD version)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) (video rating) (1994) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (video rating) (2005) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (video rating) (2002) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (video rating) (1993) | USA:Unrated | Finland:K-11 | Portugal:M/12 | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Chile:14 | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Hong Kong:IIA | New Zealand:M | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:6

Company:

Shinchosha Company

Trivia:

The fruit drops that Setsuko eats were made by the Sakuma Confectionary Company, which in real life was established in 1949 (four years after the events in this movie took place). A few years ago, Sakuma released limited edition tin cans that resembled the one seen in the movie. Some variations of these tins also had a picture of Setsuko looking through her tin for the last drop.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Seita: September 21, 1945... that was the night I died.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Soundtrack:

Home Sweet Home

Haunting

I was warned this movie would be emotional, but I had no idea just how understated that was. By the end, my friend and I were huddled together, pouring out tears I've never shed for any movie before. It was a mix of horror, empathy, sadness, and so many more emotions I can't even begin to list.

Visions of this film have haunted me since first watching it, and I would find it hard to watch again, simply from it being so heart-wrenching. Only one movie has ever hit me hard enough to keep me from subjecting myself to it's strong emotions again (The thief, the cook, his wife and her lover).

I strongly urge all to watch this, as it rises well about any films I've seen, anime or not.