Montealegre - Grave of the Fireflies

Grave of the Fireflies is a very heartbreaking movie that takes place in Japan during World War II.  This movie was done by the infamous Studio Ghibli and directed by Isao Takahata. This is one of the more sad movies that Studio Ghibli has produced, but I believe it has one of the most moving stories. The story from the very beginning has a very ominous and sad tone. The first line in the movie, Seita speaks of the day of his death. Then they show him die in a public place along with other kids. The movie then begins to show what happens before he dies.

Throughout the movie, World War II is going on. Seita and Setsuko are separated from their mother because she has to go help at the shelter. The two go out and do things together when an air raid goes off. Seita keeps his little sister safe and hopes to meet up with his mother at one of the shelters. Instead, they have to go to a school. The shelter had been blown up a long with many other areas. The school was being used for a small, temporary hospital or clinic. There, Seita finds his mother. His mother seems to be burned almost completely over her body. She did not live for long. Seita does not tell his little sister of what happens, because it just seems like what it best at the time. Their father is currently as war as well. They go and live with their aunt. Their aunt treats them rudely and badly. She was constantly telling them they were burdens and lazy and useless. They eventually decide to live on their own. Things were better this way. They lived in a shelter. At this shelter, they would grab a bunch of fireflies at night and have them fly around in the shelter for light. In the morning, the fireflies would be dead. They were short lived, which is sort of like mono no aware. The fireflies do not live that long, but during their time they are beautiful. I almost feel like the characters represented mono no aware as well. They were young and had so much heart, they tried their best, but in the end they die. They are like the fireflies, short lived but beautiful.