Principal cast
Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Akemi Yamaguchi and Masayo Sakai
Film 304 of 498 on the Screen Path
Grave of the Fireflies
Why do fireflies have to die so soon?
About the film
Grave of the Fireflies at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1988 film at stop 304 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
Key craft credits
Nobuo Koyama (director of photography), Takeshi Seyama (editor), Michio Mamiya (original music composer), Isao Takahata (screenplay) and Nizou Yamamoto (art direction)
- Director
- Isao Takahata
- Release
- 1988-04-16
- Runtime
- 89 minutes
- Genres
- Animation, Drama and War
- Country
- Japan
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyCitizen Kane is the complete public example: both learning videos and a five-question sample quiz are available below.
Start the example →Full cast
Full cast
- Tsutomu TatsumiCharacter: Seita (voice)
- Ayano ShiraishiCharacter: Setsuko (voice)
- Yoshiko ShinoharaCharacter: Mother (voice)
- Akemi YamaguchiCharacter: Auntie (voice)
- Masayo SakaiCharacter: Woman who takes care of Setsuko (voice)
- Kozo HashidaCharacter: Obayashi Chairman (voice)
- Kazumi NozakiCharacter: Cousin (voice)
- Yoshio MatsuokaCharacter: Gosaku (voice)
- Masahiro KanetakeCharacter: Aunt's House Guest (voice)
- Kiyoshi YanagawaCharacter: Patrolman (voice)
- Hajime MakiCharacter: Man who arrests Seita (voice)
- Atsuo OmotemCharacter: Person in Bank (voice)
Full crew
Full crew
- Isao TakahataCredits: Director, Screenplay
- Michio MamiyaCredits: Original Music Composer
- Nobuo KoyamaCredits: Director of Photography
- Takeshi SeyamaCredits: Editor
- Neil NadelmanCredits: Translator
- Naoyuki TaniguchiCredits: Compositing Artist
- Hideaki AnnoCredits: Key Animation
- Yukiyoshi HaneCredits: Key Animation
- Yasuomi UmetsuCredits: Key Animation
- Toshitsugu SaidaCredits: Key Animation
- Shojuro YamauchiCredits: Key Animation
- Reiko OkuyamaCredits: Key Animation
- Noriko OzekiCredits: Key Animation
- Noriko MoritomoCredits: Key Animation
- Noboru TakanoCredits: Key Animation
- Michiyo SakuraiCredits: Key Animation
- Megumi KagawaCredits: Key Animation
- Kuniyuki IshiiCredits: Key Animation
- Kitaro KosakaCredits: Key Animation
- Iku IshiguroCredits: Key Animation
- Hideo KawauchiCredits: Key Animation
- Atsuko OtaniCredits: Key Animation
- Akio SakaiCredits: Key Animation
- Yoshiyuki MomoseCredits: Layout
- Yoshifumi KondoCredits: Animation Director, Character Designer
- Nizou YamamotoCredits: Art Direction
- Michiyo YasudaCredits: Color Designer
- Yasuo UragamiCredits: Sound Director
- Tooru HaraCredits: Producer
- Kazu HisamuraCredits: Assistant Art Director
- Michihiro ItouCredits: Sound Effects
- Noriyoshi OhiraCredits: Sound Effects
- Hisanori OshiroCredits: Sound Mixer
- Kaoru TanifujiCredits: Special Effects
- Toru HishiyamaCredits: Background Designer
- Akiyuki NosakaCredits: Short Story
- Yoshiji KigamiCredits: Key Animation
- Toshiyasu OkadaCredits: Key Animation
- Mutsuo KosekiCredits: Background Designer
- Shuichi HirataCredits: Background Designer
- Noriko HiguchiCredits: Background Designer
- Seiki TamuraCredits: Background Designer
- Yoshinari KanebakoCredits: Background Designer
- Yoji NakazaCredits: Background Designer
- Fukiko HashizumeCredits: Background Designer
- Eiko SudoCredits: Background Designer
- Eiji HirakawaCredits: Background Designer
- Junko InaCredits: Background Designer
- Hiroshi AdachiCredits: Assistant Editor
- Tomoaki NishigiriCredits: Production Assistant
Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.