Western audiences often focus on the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Grave of the Fireflies reminds us that the firebombing of civilian cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe) was equally horrific. The March 1945 bombing of Tokyo killed an estimated 100,000 people in one night—more than either atomic bomb. The Kobe raid depicted in the film happened on June 5, 1945. The phosphorus and napalm bombs created firestorms that boiled the river water and asphyxiated people in shelters.
The film features a distinctive animation style, with a muted color palette and a focus on realistic depictions of rural Japan. The animation is often stark and haunting, adding to the overall sense of melancholy and tragedy. Grave of the Fireflies-Hotaru no haka