Grave of the Fireflies is an unusual animated piece in that it is very serious in nature; yet unlike most animated films there is very little masking or sugar-coating of the content (due to the fact it is based on a real-life account). This resulted in a very heart-wrenching tale which in some cinemas had to be released as a dual-feature with My Neighbor Totoro as audiences would need to see something optimistic afterwards.
For my Film Studies project I am exploring how serious topics are presented in three animated films, the other two being An American Tail and Wall-E. The aim of my research is to find out how topics are presented in a way that is suitable for child-viewers and can pique the interest/attention of older viewers who have some background knowledge on the context of the films.
Grave of the Fireflies stands out boldly from the other two as there appears to be no restriction in the blood, misery and destruction that the children witness and suffer on their journey. The aim of this post is to gather opinions on how the characters, style and themes connect with the topics to affect the audience, and if there are any elements at all which render it suitable for children. Any feedback will be much appreciated and credited in my source list.