Only 3 Animated Movies Are Sadder Than 'Grave of the Fireflies'

The realm of animation is no stranger to dark, morbid, and disturbing material. It can be the violent and haunting visuals of Watership Down or the surreal chaos of Belladonna of Sadness, but the medium has long been a way for artists and storytellers to deal with heavy themes through a very creative, colorful, and impactful lens. However, when it comes to sheer misery and bleakness on the animated big screen, it really doesn’t get more harrowing than Grave of the Fireflies, Studio Ghibli’s 1988 anti-war masterpiece. Based on Akiyuki Nosaka‘s 1967 semi-autobiographical short story, the film follows siblings Seita and Setsuko as they attempt to survive in the aftermath of the Kobe bombing of 1945.