Well I technically lied. A little. I’m a huge fan of Miyazaki’s films but I also love Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies. This 1988 film is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical by Akiyuki Nosaka, intended as a personal apology to the author's own sister. When I first watched the film, I was bawling like a baby. It’s like an animated version of to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List only set in Japan but same time period. Here’s a trailer:
This animated film was heartwretching for me as it did for Schindler's List, only shorter and setting was at the otherside of the Earth but I cried for 10 minutes after the film. Although both the critics and I did view this film as an anti-war film, Takahata stated that he intended to convey an image of the brother and sister living a failed life due to isolation from the society and invoke sympathy particularly in people in their teens and twenties.
Overall, this film was tale of the relationship between two orphaned children, Seita and his young sister Setsuko as they recalled some of their memories before moving on to the next life. Yes, they died. I cried like crazy when the film ends as the contrast between one family and the orphans’ family after the war ended. It’s like as if that family didn’t even suffer from anything while the orphans had to survive against both the war and their relatives’ neglect.
Although not as well known to Hayao Miyazaki, both he and Takahata are indeed co-founders of Studio Ghibli. I noticed compared to Takahata, Miyzaki’s films have a lot of adventure and loosely base on novels with his own twist. Although I’m not as certain, it seems like Takahata’s works are more on a realistic level than Miyazaki. Either way, I enjoy both of their works and always look forward to their future projects. If you were deeply moved after watching Schindler's List, this film is for you to watch. There's also a live-action film for you to choose.
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