This article is about the 1988 film. For the semi-autobiographical short story of the same name, see Grave of the Fireflies (short story). For the 2005 film, see Grave of the Fireflies (2005 film).
Grave of the Fireflies

Theatrical release poster

Japanese name
Kanji 火垂るの墓

showTranscriptions

Directed by Isao Takahata
Screenplay by Isao Takahata
Based on "Grave of the Fireflies"
by Akiyuki Nosaka
Produced by Toru Hara
Starring
Tsutomu Tatsumi
Ayano Shiraishi [ja]
Yoshiko Shinohara [ja]
Akemi Yamaguchi [ja]
Cinematography Nobuo Koyama
Edited by Takeshi Seyama
Music by Michio Mamiya

Production
companies
Studio Ghibli
Shinchosha
Distributed by Toho

Release date
16 April 1988

Running time 89 minutes[1]
Country Japan
Language Japanese
Box office
¥1.7 billion (Japan)[2]
$516,962 (US)[3]


Grave of the Fireflies (Japanese: 火垂るの墓, Hepburn: Hotaru no Haka) is a 1988 Japanese animated war drama film written and directed by Isao Takahata, and produced by Studio Ghibli. It is based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical short story Grave of the Fireflies by Akiyuki Nosaka.

The film stars Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi [ja], Yoshiko Shinohara [ja] and Akemi Yamaguchi [ja]. Set in the city of Kobe, Japan, it tells the story of siblings and war orphans Seita and Setsuko, and their desperate struggle to survive during the final months of World War II. Universally acclaimed, Grave of the Fireflies has been ranked as one of the greatest war films of all time and is recognized as a major work of Japanese animation.[4][5]