Grave of the Fireflies - Pride and Innocence

[@mongovision5124]

New Channel is here: kzbin.info/door/VNCNjljqJD85AnRq2NcOew

[@fintanwatson8137]

Surprisingly I didn't cry when I watched this movie...I just felt empty. This emptiness stayed with me for a while...

[@bridgettemarie4974]

I believe that should have been the intention of the film. To provide emptiness and lost much like the aftermath of WW2. In reality sadness is the byproduct of this generated feeling, it is emptiness that triggers it.

[@elsakristina2689]

Fintan Watson I watched it last night and I didn’t cry at all but it was still so devastating to watch their health and situation just get worse and worse

[@lilsproutbb]

SAME!!! people think I'm crazy because I didnt cry, but I was moved past tears. I felt empty, dark, and cold. And honestly. A little disgusted with humans as a whole. I feel like a different person because I have watched this

[@gachabts1245]

Same here

[@payatotlao7672]

Hala same hehe.

[@mauriceghanem5533]

a masterpiece that i cannot watch again

[@bigty390]

Maurice Ghanem Me too

[@ahosanhabibole8531]

True

[@haticeolta1046]

I did and I was deeply greived...

[@shahabmemes201]

not much energy to do so

[@spatchmo6938]

I don't think Setsuko is waiting for Seita's spirit to exit his body. She sees Seita in the station and expects him to get up and go to her, but Seita's ghost appears behind her to keep her from entering the station and seeing her brother's dead body. This is mirrored later on the beach, when the living Setsuko comes across a dead body, and Seita pulls her back and tells her not to look at it. In the end, I don't think Setsuko is even aware that she is dead because Seita is protecting her from that fact. Even after his own death, Seita is trying to protect his sister from the harsh reality of death

[@jordiedmond5744]

Yep so true I also believe it isn’t Seitas fault because of her death

[@BaronSquanch]

But Setsuko is aware of death and its finality as the film progresses. This is evident in the scene when she buries the fireflies and asks why they must die so quickly. Seita is probably protecting her after her death from something that Setsuko now has a very clear picture of.

[@jordiedmond5744]

Idk why everybody is attacking Seita because of the death of his sister it was the systems fault. His pride is coming from propaganda and kids were taught Japan was one of the strongest nations in the world. He thought everything would be back to normal soon but when he had heard Japan lost the war, the death of his father and when he was punched blue by a farmer he had no faith in people and then also realized that he caused so much damage to his sister that was underfed and die afterwards. It is adolescence, kids think they know a lot about growing up and about the world in meanwhile doing that they walk against a wall but sadly for Saita it was a hard lesson and he couldn’t support that no more. I love this movie because he loves his sister so much and she loves him they can’t live without one and another and that is a form of respect to each other you can’t blame him because of the death of his sister he is a child himself

[@Emberseptemberashesaj]

I blame the dumbass aunt it’s her fault for being a selfish ass bitch

[@willmurrin9344]

I think people get mad at Seita because he made the decision to leave his Aunt's care. She did not kick them out, they chose to leave. The aunt was not welcoming, and did not provide them with great care, but she did meet their basic needs. Had they not let the Aunt's house, they would have survived, at least for longer.

[@jordiedmond5744]

@@willmurrin9344 he is a kid he doesnt know better, he did listen to his sister so that was the biggest mistake. He should be more severe to her to stay at their aunts house anyways you can see he really loves his sister so it is not his fault for the heart and soul he had for his sister

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

@@jordiedmond5744 His pride doesn't just come from propaganda. It comes from the fact his father is a naval officer. His aunt dislikes him because of his pride. Seita doesn't care about anyone but his sister and his father. He doesn't have a conscience when it comes to how he treats anyone else. He never seems to realise that his father will be killed and his sister will die of starvation. This is the arrogance of youth.

[@curiositymagnetsraj5455]

@@willmurrin9344 his aunt told them to shift to new shelter and relatives which is indirect way to say "get out". Called them pests. Some people chose to die with respect than to live with humiliation. And nothing lives forever.

[@BaronSquanch]

Watching Setsuko slow starving to death, mostly alone, in a cave like shelter in the woods is the sadest i ever watched in a movie. Espacially the last scene just before her death, a 4 year old who uses her last energies to offer her brother rice and take care of his well-being, broke my heart and made me cry. Setsuko is probably the cutest girl I've ever seen in a movie. Rest in Peace, little angel.....😞😞

[@vampirzii]

I just saw this today. I think the beginning scene and the ending scene of this movie was the most devastating because of how sad it is. And when you watch the beginning again it literally tears you apart because it all makes sense. Its unbearable to watch again for that reason. Oh God 😢😭

[@Nash.NaMash]

Jeeezzz I watched the movie many times before but when I hear the flute at the beginning, I can't hold it back, just cry like a little baby. Damn so many years I'm still so weak

[@4Deadserious]

At 5:50 you say that he care's about the outcome of the war. I disagree. He doesn't care about the outcome as much as he cares about the fate of his father, who was part of the decimated Imperial Navy.

[@beebutt976]

Sauce Daddy I also kind of saw it as him realizing his people went through so much only to lose

[@KeithBoehler]

@@beebutt976 Its part of why I think it is seen as an anti war film. It reflects the "no winners in war only those that lost less". Many films that are anti war still have a somewhat "happy" ending. In black hawk down they are ultimately rescued and that gives the film a better note compared to them just dying. In the video game This War of Mine a starting quote "In modern war... you will die like a dog for no good reason" and ends with no glory. Ultimately no one should feel inspired.

[@davy209]

The only hoped that Seita had was for their dad to return home and save them from their situation and his main motivation to keep living and enduring all of the hardships, one day at a time, and counting each day that passed.

[@JimPTheOne]

This movie is so masterfully done that just breaks people, I was completely depressed for two days, woke up the next morning to just burst into tears. I completely understand anyone that doesn't want to see it again, it's just a defence reaction to the annihilation of your emotions.

[@ferdamusonthebeatz7891]

Just saw this movie yesterday and wow totally heart touching

[@winkledorf17]

Ferdamus On The Beatz touching huh? I felt more of a brutal pounding followed by stabraping

[@sarahmcalister7117]

What’ll are you talking about he was an angel he was so attentive to his sister and did all he could for her. He was right to leave his aunt she was emotionally abusive and cruel. He told her he didn’t when her to know about their mother yet but she told her anyway, ate their food, constantly and unfairly criticized them yet she seemed surprised when he had enough and took his sister out of that situation. If his sisters death is the fault of anyones pride it is hers. He was an angel and also just a child, a child is not supposed to be a caretaker but because of war apathetic adults and leaving an abusive situation and not having another place to go they both died. It was not his fault she died and he was not wrong for leaving a toxic home it is not his fault his parents died stop blaming the victim he did everything right they just had a lot of misfortune fall on them.

[@Arte-fi4rt]

Oh my god, finally someone with heart. You used the right word for him - an Angel. Personally, I think that any person who called this boy proud is really messed up in their head. Why ? Because I see it as the way of thinking of that aunt of their's - she also saw him as proud... HE WAS LITERALLY A KID DOING everything that he literally could so he and his sister could survive. How the hell could you ever blame a pure child!!!

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

He caused his sister to starve to death, and he was stealing. Yet you still think he was right to leave his aunt? Unbelievable.

[@mitsu4176]

Well said👋👋👋

[@TheMaskedDonut]

I didn't come away from the movie feeling the bit about the sin of pride. I know the author wrote it with that in mind, and I'm not going to pretend it's not there. But to me, that interpretation comes from a different place. This is easily the saddest movie I've ever seen, and the fact that it was based on a true story makes it all the more tragic. Literally every aspect about this is tragic. It's a scarring experience that, even if we're not the ones who went through it personally, clearly resonated with everyone. There's a reason many people only watch this movie once; it's like re-living a trauma; it's that effective. And when coping with trauma, a common reaction is to try and justify, or explain it in a way that allows us to move on. Again, totally reasonable. If only I did BLANK, then BLANK wouldn't have happened. And in that sense, I find the reading of "If only he wasn't so proud, than maybe he and his sister would have survived" to be insufficient. Maybe he could have sucked up his aunt's abuse for a bit longer till the war ended, but they had no way of knowing how long it would go on. I also really got the sense that, it wasn't so much that the aunt was abusive, that she was gradually making them feel less and less welcome. The choice to leave is his own, but who's to say the way things were going, that she wasn't about to kick them out? And sure, maybe he could have made different choices that would have bought him and his sister enough time to make it to the end, but again, we're speculating. And as for asking others for help, the film does a very good job at showing the general population plowing through dire times, and only able to support themselves instead of others. Who's to say they would have helped? There was no Brad Pitt character from 12 Years a Slave to come along and save the day. At best you get people who are sympathetic, but unable to help. Which brings me to my point that the two of them were dealt an unbelievably rotten hand and had basically the whole world working against them. Some stories are tragic because we know what choices could have been made to make everything turn out different, but others are sad because of how unfair the situation is. And that's this movie. Two innocent kids forced to try and survive a truly unfair world, and are just unequipped to do so; despite their best attempts.

[@shashankke250]

Woow truly amazing. Even I was wondering, wish he had stayed with his aunt only, at least they would be alive. So the director of the movie purposely made the aunt's character so unwelcoming, as if you observe the focus was he is proud that she & her family is supporting the Imperial JAPAN, by being productive. So the culture during those times were as such that patriotism was above all, so a person who refused to participate was to be looked down. It's very true, to come over trauma we question or try to justify.

[@Arte-fi4rt]

Listen, she literally was abusing them, don't make it look like she didn't. Saying that "she made them feel less and less welcome" is makeing the abuse smaller and not treating it as one, and that is AWFUL. Belittling an abuse is almost as harmful as the abuse. I hope that I gave you something to think about!!!

[@rexremedy1733]

I don’t think that it was pride that made him leave the aunt. He wanted to emotionally protect his sister from the aunt. Later we learn that his fears the aunt would emotionally hurt the sister, were justified. As we learn the the aunt has informed his sister about her mothers death.

[@mohammadsirajuddin1102]

you feel so disturbed for a whole week, this movie is so powerful and that bgm makes me cry like a baby

[@beebutt976]

This was the saddest movie I have ever seen so far, I couldn’t even breathe through my nose it was so plugged with snot

[@sarahmcalister7117]

What kind of person blames a child for their own demise? Unbelievable.

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

Seita caused this by being too proud, making bad decisions, and not appreciating how important and difficult it is to stop a young child from starving to death.

[@davy209]

I get why so many people hated Seita and blamed his pride as the reason for his and Setsuko’s deaths at the end. After watching the movie several times, I personally don’t blame Seita and I understand the reasons why he’d made the decisions he’d did because I think both Seita’s and Setsuko’s fate were inevitable from the moment their mom died. If you look at the situation realistically, even if Seita had swallowed his pride and begged for forgiveness from his aunt, it still wasn’t a guarantee that she would have taken them back, especially after she’d already sold all of their mother’s possessions to benefit her family, so what use will both them be for her after all that? Also, fire bombings during air raids were happening very often, so there was a good chance that her house might have burned down and her family were already long gone by then. How I see it, the only real two options Seita had was to either moves out with Setsuko, or their aunt would have, most likely, kicked both of them out eventually when it became desperate times for her own family. The only real option he can hope for was to endure everything long enough until the war was over and for his father to come back home, but unfortunately, his last hope was taken away from him abruptly.

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

@@davy209 the way the movie was structured shows an inevitability. At the start we already know they died still as children. But I would say it's a tragedy rather than an inevitability. Part of the factors that lead to their deaths is Seita's character. He is a flawed character, but can we blame a child for having a flawed character?

[@ronitganguly3318]

Life changing experience! Changed my way of thinking!

[@tonybarde2572]

It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell. -William T Sherman

[@justahuman-being5983]

The tears came back to me after seeing ur analysis. Thank you for making this video.

[@willmurrin9344]

Best analysis of this movies I've come across.

[@मगरमच्छ]

Irony is many seita and setsuko still suffering in Syria, iraq, yaman ,Afghanistan ,Africa and in Asia

[@Maroniie]

My favorite movie essay! You are very good with words, it made me very emotional hearing your description of this movie!

[@moth8468]

Brilliantly crafted movie, and brilliantly analysed. Great job!

[@sarahmcalister7117]

Also you could see in the aunts face she knew they probably wouldn’t make it when they were leaving but didn’t care enough to stop them or apologize for eating their food, insulting them, unfairly criticizing them as I said before if anyones pride is to blame it is hers. Again stop blaming the victim.

[@erinmccutcheon3751]

She didn't try to go looking for them or make sure they were okay either.

[@Arte-fi4rt]

​@@erinmccutcheon3751 she never cared at all, why would you expect her to go look for them. She was fucking heartless abuser.

[@jakeindalake3191]

Man I watched this last night I'm still deppresed over it

[@bensharplesfilm]

Returned to this video I made 6 years ago to see it has 24k views. I feel really bad I wasn't here for you guys to respond to your comments after I abandoned this channel. I'll be reuploading this video to my new channel and hopefully I can get access to this account to redirect people there. Thank you so so much anyone of you who watched this video over the years. Its means the world. You can find me now here and many new video essays kzbin.info/door/VNCNjljqJD85AnRq2NcOew

[@jonatanpinadulucmusic]

Can someone explain to me why he didn't go to get the savings money earlier?

[@harsharoyal5927]

I think because of war 🤔

[@HanifahNR]

Wait i thought he did? He buy some stuff like stove, bed, etc to support their live under the cave--or whatever is it called.

[@cintsscha5899]

Thats what I asked myself, too.

[@croisssan]

why is it pride of seita? he just don't want to live with that greedy aunt, u know they got so little rice while seita and Setsuko was the one who get that rice, why is it pride? their aunt and her family did not care about them rather than die mistreated or die cause of starvation, both are so fucked up, the ending, they live as spirit, the last scene was the modern day. setsuko still not realize she is died, but seita know. look at another film about this timeline, kono sekai no katasumi, they are more fortunate than them but they still help, while that aunt, is not. same timeline but the wrong one was the greedy aunt. yes they give them a place to live, but on other things did their family care about them, they just a child, and her aunt child is more bigger than them, is that pride?

[@Arte-fi4rt]

Okay so after reading many comments saying that you (those who wrote the comments too) think that the boy was proud, i didn't even want to watch the review, and so i didn't. How could you say that a poor child that was literally doing everything to protect and provide for his sister+ DEALING WITH MULTIPLE TRAUMAS + being abused + BEING JUST A KID NOT PREPARED FOR SUCH DIFFICULT ADULT LIFE AND FAITH - how can you call him fucking PROUD???

[@thesenate5913]

Seita's Aunt was somewhat annoying but she wasn't abusive. Although she was slowly showing that she didn't want them there or that them being there is just a burden for what she is currently dealing with. Although i could say that Seita should have done something to help around the house or get a job or something like that, but he really can't because it's not available at the time or he's too busy taking care of his sister. But if the war didn't happen, they would still be intact, the mother won't be dead and they won't have to starve to death.

[@shashankke250]

Yes exactly Him going to the war or becoming firefighter meant, no would take care of his sister. His priority was his sister, that's why he didn't go to the war efforts.

[@Arte-fi4rt]

She was literally abusing them. How can you not see that not only she wanted him to be there - she was not treating him with any sort of respect, emphaty and the way she threw his mother clothes at him? Bruh.

[@thesenate5913]

@@Arte-fi4rt telling kids to clean the house is not abuse

[@Arte-fi4rt]

@@thesenate5913 first of freaking all - the boy was a young teenager and he was literally too busy baby sitting his sister. Who fucking normal would see that such boy went through, and while being a relative that has food because of that boy - expect him to clean the fucking house?¿??? Are you serious???

[@davy209]

I get why so many people hated Seita and blamed his pride as the reason for his and Setsuko’s deaths at the end. After watching the movie several times, I personally don’t blame Seita and I understand the reasons why he’d made the decisions he’d did because I think both Seita’s and Setsuko’s fate were inevitable from the moment their mom died. If you look at the situation realistically, even if Seita had swallowed his pride and begged for forgiveness from his aunt, it still wasn’t a guarantee that she would have taken them back, especially after she’d already sold all of their mother’s possessions to benefit her family, so what use will both them be for her after all that? Also, fire bombings during air raids were happening very often, so there was a good chance that her house might have burned down and her family were already long gone by then. How I see it, the only real two options Seita had was to either moves out with Setsuko, or their aunt would have, most likely, kicked both of them out eventually when it became desperate times for her own family.

[@Sakyo597]

I liked the way you tied everything up with what you said

[@WiscoMel]

I disagree about the aunt, they were disrespected BY her, not to her. She took everything they had and gave them very little of it. He can’t work, and can’t go to school. If he felt that leaving his sister alone with his aunt would be safe, I think he would have ventured out further to find work and help contribute more. What aunt would sit there and allow her niece to starve? She was in poor condition prior to them moving out.

[@Arte-fi4rt]

Oh my god FINALLY FOUND A COMMENT, A PERSON THAT ACTUALLY sees the aunt as an freaking heartless abuser and. I saw a comment that summed up the aunt as "not abusive, but less and less welcoming" - bruh for me people that see it that way are the same heartless as that aunt.

[@jaceblak5741]

Thank you for this comment.

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

You are receiving the story from the ghost of Seita. Even from his biased perspective you can see that he is not being a good guest in her home. He is lazy, stubborn and arrogant. She is a grown woman and that is her home. It's unbelievable that you think she owes these children any more respect than she gives them.

[@WiscoMel]

@@chesterdonnelly1212 I disagree. I’ve had rude guests in my home but I never treated them with any less respect than anyone else. She purposely fed him and his FOUR year old sister as little as possible. Gave them a tiny room to share. Sold their mothers things to get food, ate all the rations they brought then complained about the military not sending more. If she wanted them gone so badly then she, as an adult, should have helped find his other family members in Tokyo. These are children who lost their parents and home. How much do you expect a 14yo child to do? She could have helped him get into a different school or find employment (his were destroyed). The bottom line is that a 14 and 4 year old can’t survive on their own. Rude or not. The aunt and her family was complicit in their deaths.

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

@@WiscoMel the only way in which I blame the aunt is she let them leave. Maybe she was thinking they'll be back in a few days. Seita was headstrong but she, as an adult, would know that Setsuko needed to be fed every day. The aunt was right to tell Seita to sell what they had to buy food. Later in the movie Seita goes to the bank to withdraw all his parents money to buy food. By this point that money had become worthless. He should have done that as soon as I moved in with his aunt. Of course he didn't know this at the time, but he just needed to do what he could to keep himself and his sister alive for a few months until the war was over. He made the worst decision, to try to do it outside of systems of society.

[@savirahye]

Hey pal I just wanted to say this video is amazing but I'd like to correct you I think the city they were looking at was modern day Kobe not Tokyo but still really loved the movie as heartbreaking as it was!

[@h.ar.2937]

My god so this was partially a true story (or at least inspired by true events) This makes it even MORE sad

[@davy209]

I get why so many people hated Seita and blamed his pride as the reason for his and Setsuko’s deaths at the end. After watching the movie several times, I personally don’t blame Seita and I understand the reasons why he’d made the decisions he’d did because I think both Seita’s and Setsuko’s fate were inevitable from the moment their mom died. If you look at the situation realistically, even if Seita had swallowed his pride and begged for forgiveness from his aunt, it still wasn’t a guarantee that she would have taken them back, especially after she’d already sold all of their mother’s possessions to benefit her family, so what use will both them be for her after all that? Also, fire bombings during air raids were happening very often, so there was a good chance that her house might have burned down and her family were already long gone by then. How I see it, the only real two options Seita had was to either moves out with Setsuko, or their aunt would have, most likely, kicked both of them out eventually when it became desperate times for her own family. The only thing Seth’s can do and hope for was to endure the hardships long enough until the war ended and his father comes back home, but unfortunately, that was no longer an option anymore and it killed his motivation to keep living.

[@regulararyan]

Don't watch this movie otherwise you will be in depressions for 1 month my personal experience 🤒🤒🤒😭😭

[@jordiedmond5744]

Haha took me 3 days tho but it is good for ya

[@haticeolta1046]

Same me

[@imayasayoo5993]

Oooo it's hurd.. It so much pain when I watch this movie

[@TheGuydavidlewis]

Great analysis. Thanks.

[@shahabmemes201]

Why this cannot end It broke my heart

[@zebrieeez9267]

Ive seen a lot of movie scenes of this anime on Facebook and Anime. And it was really painful to watch. I wanna watch the full version of it but the scene parts are way too painful.

[@mdmuhidulhoque]

my all time best last animation is Grave of the fireflies". and this girl i am so very emotion and i cry look like this two children is my children and after i likely japan country and offcourse midileeast and europe i likes.

[@tomthumb3897]

yup I'm done. barely a minute or two in and I can't watch anymore.

[@samwisesamgee7380]

Hm...I wouldn't say that a lack of dialogue that explicitly details the horrors of war would remove any basis for this being classified as anti-war. The power of the movie, and the point you make about pride being what kills the brother and sister can also be applied to war itself. It's very difficult to watch a movie like this and not feel the emptiness that comes from wondering what the reason truly is for all of the sufferings we have put each other through as a human race. I think we should see this as a reminder of what the reality of war truly is. I suppose i've made my opinion clear on this matter but i'm curious, would you consider this to be an anti-war movie?

[@jordiedmond5744]

I don’t think it is an anti-war movie yet war is bad and lead them both to death but I think the message of this movie is giving people false believe and false narrative to the people that is given by the system in this part the Japanese gouvernement and it’s society. Like Seita was so shocked when he heard the war was lost and the death of his father and everyone looked at him like he was crazy. He understood that he was pranked by the system and the people around him so he lost all the trust in everyone that slowly leads to the death of Setsuko and Seita afterwards as well

[@Will_to_Wonder]

Saddest movie(anime) ever.

[@sweeety969]

Finally someone who did their research and isn't just talking out their ass and calling the aunt a swear word and blaming people's apathy or greed or whatever for the fate that befell the children but rightly and aptly focused on what the author intended.

[@dontqq29]

double feature with my neighbor totoro

[@coleplastaras2712]

The movie is 100% anti war, it’s not the main idea but it’s there, i think what you mean is the film isn’t anti-american.

[@mintsponge]

Nicely made video but work on the delivery I think mate. You sound really bored reading off the script here

[@WetaMantis]

Solemn.

[@Dancemuse]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@usa7006]

This story is also different from so-called anti-war films. This story is about a boy with communication difficulties and his sister.

[@wendellramcharan6365]

who is narrating this?

[@bensharplesfilm]

Me haha

[@beassiblings8708]

Hey I subbed😁😁😁

[@evanberchule8389]

Watch the 1980s soviet film Come and See for a far darker however just as impactful film.

[@bisw4sh]

Everyone said you'll cry but I actually didn't, maybe because I was prepared as it had war theme. But I did cry on I want to eat your pancreas, A Silent voice, Your Name and garden of words those wrenched my heart and was feeling depressed and low for a week.

[@NajwaShariff]

Despite all the good review, how hard is it for u to pronounce SET-SU-KO (instead of SETS-SU-KO) ? Haha.. Btw, good vid

[@beassiblings8708]

Hey ive sub😊😊

[@andresmill414]

I hate war

[@LeonardoSanchez-se6fz]

da lo mis mo......

[@sweeety969]

They should have eaten the fireflies 😭

[@leetaylor1593]

Were the Japanese thinking about Nanking or invading Asia.

[@shamimsumon5113]

It was an extremely sad movie but Titanic was much more sad and heart breaking for me

[@ajoyhide9736]

I hate this movie...y setsuko hv to died..seika too young to care sechan..war make them suffer a lot...

[@barbarenbernd1861]

Is this a troll review?

[@prometheus9142]

why do you say that?

[@LSJ-qv3hr]

How so

[@zeked96]

Yes I agree with the other two people here