Bahasa Inggris : Synopsis Film Grave of The Fireflies

Grave of the Fireflies is an animated film telling the story of two children. 14 year old Seita and 4 year old Setsuko, they are brother and sister living in wartime Japan with their mother comfortably, their father serve as captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy. One day, an air strike from the US army attack and destroy the city where they live, a lot of people burned in their own house and also in the river a lot of dead bodies floating. Chaos everywhere, Seita and Satsuko need to evacuate but the mother suffers from heart condition so Seita and Seito need to go first. In the midst of chaos ,the children run to the bomb shelter by their own self. Seita and Setsuko manage to survive the air strike, after that they try to search their mother. They find her in the clinic set up within a school, the condition of their mother is in serious condition, horribly burnt and covered head to foot with bloody bandage. Sadly, she dies short time later and buried in a mass grave. Seita who see their mother burried, questioning the condition “Why my mother need to die?”. After that Seita is determined to protect his sister as best as he can. 

They travel to the home of their aunt who allow them to stay, but there’s strange and weird condition, that Seita must sell his mother’s kimono for rice to survive. The children aunt becomes rude as food rations shrinks and she accuses Seita for not doing anything to earn the food she cook. Tired of his aunt insults, Seita decides to leave with Setsuko and protect her on his own. 

They find an abandoned bomb shelter and live there, when the night comes they use fireflies for light. The children soon run out of food, Seita unable to find work, so he forced to steal in the middle of chaos from local farmer when the air strike attack again. Soon he is caught by the local farmer, after he return he find that setsuko is sick, and takes her to a doctor. The Doctor informs Seita that his sister is suffering from malnutrition but offers no help. In panic and depression, seita run to the bank and withdraws all of the money remaining in his mother’s bank account. He buy a lot of food to treat setsuko. As he leaves the bank he becomes sad when he learns from a crowd that Japan has lost. His Father, who had once promised that Japan never be defeated is dead along with the imperial navy and the ship. Seita return with a heavy heart and a lot o food, only to find Setsuko lying on the ground, hallucinating and trying to encourage Seita with ittle rock that she thinks are rice balls. Seita trying to prepare some food and get Setsuko to eat a bit of watermelon, She thanks him, feeling exhausted, closes her eyes and she never wakes up again.

The local farmer give him some supplies and tools to bury his sisters. Seita prepare a fire and cremates his sister’s body. A few weeks later, he find himself in Stations and dies of starvation. The spirit of Seita and Setsuko are seen together, healthy and happy, as they look down on the modern of city of Kobe.

Best Scene :

While in sick and hallucinating condition, Setsuko try to encourage his brother with little rock that she thinks are rice ball. Even in such a dire condition she still loves his brother and want him to be happy.

The spirit of Seita and Setsuko playing the middle of the night with the fireflies. Seita gives her favorite candy to make her happy.

Conclusion : Grave of the flies is a 'tear jerking' film indeed, but it is more accurate to say that this is an inspiring film. The story of Seita and Setsuko opening our eyes and gives us an image of war. The reality of war is not just about a powerful nation that try to conquer other nations, it also give a side effect that most of us did not realise, the innocent children that just want to live happly are tortured by the condition that war gives into their life.