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Celluloid
AnimationDramaWar Editor's Pick

Grave of the Fireflies Review (1988) — 83% Celluloid Score

Directed by Isao Takahata · 1988 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is Grave of the Fireflies worth watching?

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) earns a 83% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for Grave of the Fireflies?

Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.

83%
Celluloid Score Recommended

4-input transparent breakdown

87% Editorial Rating
89% Audience snapshot · excluded
81 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4
8.5 IMDb /10
Watch Trailer
Runtime
1h 29m
Cast
Tsutomu Tatsumi , Ayano Shiraishi , Yoshiko Shinohara , Akemi Yamaguchi , Masayo Sakai , Kozo Hashida , Kazumi Nozaki , Yoshio Matsuoka , Masahiro Kanetake , Kiyoshi Yanagawa
Streaming
Netflix
Country
Japan
Language
Japanese

Where to watch

  • Netflix

Rent: Amazon Video

Buy: Amazon Video

Where to watch Grave of the Fireflies by country

Country Streaming on
India Netflix
Indonesia Netflix
Japan Netflix
Malaysia Netflix
Nigeria Netflix
Pakistan Netflix
Philippines Netflix
South Africa Netflix
South Korea Netflix
Thailand Netflix
Turkey Netflix
United Arab Emirates Netflix
United Kingdom Netflix
United States Netflix

Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.

Why this score?

  • Celluloid's editorial rating is positive (87/100).
  • General viewers mostly liked it (89%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (81/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4/5).
  • IMDb users score it 8.5/10.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded animation, drama, war pick
  • Short runtime — easy weeknight watch

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

    Is Grave of the Fireflies worth watching?

    Yes — Grave of the Fireflies earns a 83% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Celluloid Verdict

    IMDb Top 250 #36 (8.5/10) — Grave of the Fireflies remains one of the most highly rated films of all time.

    Celluloid editorial verdict

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    What is Grave of the Fireflies about?

    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.

    Watch the Trailer

    Critic Reviews

    critic Grave of the Fireflies

    Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Review

    Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies (1988) remains a defining Animation landmark from Japan, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

    Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.

    Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

    Grave of the Fireflies stills

    Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.

    Grave of the Fireflies production still 1
    Grave of the Fireflies production still 2
    Grave of the Fireflies production still 3
    Grave of the Fireflies production still 4
    Grave of the Fireflies production still 5
    Grave of the Fireflies production still 6

    Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.

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