Studio Ghibli is the home of some of film’s best titles. From Spirited Away to The Boy and the Heron, the studio has put in serious work to craft its reputation. Decades ago, Studio Ghibli made its humble debut with two films that are considered legendary within the industry, and now Netflix is preparing to bring one of them to its service.
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And no, we’re not talking about My Neighbor Totoro. Grave of the Fireflies is coming to Netflix, and the anime feature is not to be missed. Critics have long called the movie one of the greatest war stories of all time, and it comes courtesy of director Isao Takahata.
According to Netflix, Grave of the Fireflies will make its debut on September 16, and a new update from the service suggests the film will be available stateside. The service previously said the Studio Ghibli film would be excluded in the U.S. and Japan, but that description has been edited; Now, Grave of the Fireflies is said to be joining over 190 markets excluding Japan only.
Of course, Studio Ghibli fans will take any update on Grave of the Fireflies, so Netflix is basking in thanks. If you did not realize, Max holds the streaming rights for Studio Ghibli films in the United States while Netflix oversees the catalog globally. However, Max has never carried Grave of the Fireflies due to licensing complications. These same complications could be the reason Netflix has secured the Takahata classic stateside, and if so, we are eternally grateful.
If you are not familiar with Grave of the Fireflies, the movie was released in 1988 and is one of the first films ever released under Studio Ghibil. Directed by Takahata, the movie is set in the shadow of World War II as we meet two siblings in Kobe, Japan. The pair are trying to survive the end days of the Pacific War, and the siblings must endure unspeakable conditions in hopes of seeing the future. Praised for its brutal imagery and difficult themes, Grave of the Fireflies is lauded as a masterpiece by anime fans and film critics alike. So if you want to know more about the movie, you can read its official synopsis below:
“As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares.”
Do you plan on checking out this Studio Ghibli classic? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
