Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Dir. Isao Takahata

The first animation that Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata directed for the studio is based on a 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name by Japanse author Akiyuki Nosaka.

I've not read the original short, but the film is an immensely powerful story of two siblings, a teenager named Seita and his baby sister Setsuko, as they struggle to survive during the attacks on Japan during World War II.

Their relationship is the heart of the work; it's a heart that beats in defiance of adversity because it's fuelled by love and family values.

The responsibility placed on Seita could crush even the strongest adult, but his feelings for his sister keep him focussed and determined.

For a narrative that's built around heartbreaking tragedy and conflict, there's a lot of joy and beauty to be found in the subtext.

Memories (1995)

Memories (1995)

Dirs: Kōji Morimoto / Tensai Okamura / Katsuhiro Ôtomo

A trio of anime shorts by creators whose names will likely be familiar to fans of the genre. The works are labelled as episodes, but they're unconnected, except for each one being based on a manga by Katsuhiro Ôtomo, creator of the seminal Akira (1982-90).

01. Magnetic Rose

Dir. Kōji Morimoto. Approx 42 mins.

Four space-faring garbage collectors respond to an unexpected mayday call. Hoping for a big reclamation score, they end up getting a lot more than they bargained for. It's written by Perfect Blue (1997) director Satoshi Kon, who adds his reality-bending skills to Ôtomo's. Music is by Yoko Kanno.

02. Stink Bomb

Dir. Tensai Okamura. Approx 39 mins.

For a regular bio-lab worker, what starts out as a simple cold turns into the worst day of his life. It's more comedic than the other two, but it nevertheless has a serious side with a grave message.