Editing Grave of the Fireflies (section)

==Reception==

=== Box office and home video ===
The film was modestly successful at the Japanese box office,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Runyon|first1=Christopher|title=The Studio Ghibli Retrospective: 'Grave of the Fireflies'|url=https://moviemezzanine.com/studio-ghibli-retrospective-grave-of-the-fireflies/|website=Movie Mezzanine|access-date=22 November 2014|date=20 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115074009/http://moviemezzanine.com/studio-ghibli-retrospective-grave-of-the-fireflies/|archive-date=15 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> where it grossed {{JPY|1.7 billion}}.<ref name="ghibli">{{cite news |script-title=ja:超意外な結果!?ジブリ映画の興行収入ランキング |url=https://cinema.ne.jp/recommend/ghibli2016062517/ |access-date=15 February 2019 |work=シネマズ PLUS (Cinemas PLUS) |date=25 June 2016 |language=ja |archive-date=9 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709195712/https://cinema.ne.jp/recommend/ghibli2016062517/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> As part of the Studio Ghibli Fest 2018, the film had a limited theatrical release in the United States, grossing $516,962.<ref name="bom">{{cite web |title=Grave of the Fireflies – Studio Ghibli Fest 2018 (2018) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2634450433/ |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref>

The ''Ghibli ga Ippai Collection'' home video release of ''Grave of the Fireflies'' sold 400,000 copies in Japan.<ref>日経BP社技術研究部 『進化するアニメ・ビジネス—世界に羽ばたく日本のアニメとキャラクター』日経BP社、2000年、47頁。{{ISBN|4822225542}}</ref> At a price of at least {{JPY|4,935}},<ref>{{cite web |title=ジブリがいっぱい COLLECTION |url=https://crowntokuma-shop.com/html/special/ghibli/index |website=クラウン徳間ミュージックショップ |access-date=25 February 2020 |language=ja}}</ref> this is equivalent to at least {{JPY|{{#expr:(0.4*4935)/1000}} billion}} in sales revenue.

=== Critical reception ===
The film received universal critical acclaim. The film [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported a [[List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes|100% approval rating]] based on 46 reviews with an average rating of 9.30/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "An achingly sad anti-war film, ''Grave of the Fireflies'' is one of Studio Ghibli's most profoundly beautiful, haunting works."<ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/grave_of_the_fireflies|title=Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) (1988)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=3 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127032155/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/grave_of_the_fireflies/|archive-date=27 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] assigned the film a score of 94 out of 100 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/grave-of-the-fireflies-1988|title=Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213003148/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/grave-of-the-fireflies-1988|archive-date=13 December 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' considered it to be one of the best and most powerful war films and, in 2000, included it on his list of great films.<ref name="ebert">{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-grave-of-the-fireflies-1988|title=Grave of the Fireflies|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|work=RogerEbert.com|publisher=Ebert Digital LLC|date=19 March 2000|access-date=22 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508000911/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-grave-of-the-fireflies-1988|archive-date=8 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Filmmaker [[Akira Kurosawa]] praised the film and considered it his favourite Ghibli production. He wrote a letter of praise to [[Hayao Miyazaki]], mistakenly believing he directed ''Grave of the Fireflies''. Miyazaki himself praised the film as Takahata's masterpiece, but criticized Seita for not behaving how he believes the son of a navy lieutenant should behave.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wit |first1=Alex Dudok de |title=Grave of the Fireflies |date=8 April 2021 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-83871-925-8 |page=103 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRAYEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT103 |access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref>

The film ranked number 12 on ''[[Total Film]]''{{'}}s 50 greatest animated films.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-greatest-animated-movies/grave-of-the-fireflies-1988|title=50 Greatest Animated Movies: Classics worth 'tooning in for|last=Kinnear|first=Simon|date=10 October 2011|work=[[Total Film]]|publisher=[[Future Publishing]]|access-date=23 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121121111758/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-greatest-animated-movies/grave-of-the-fireflies-1988|archive-date=21 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also ranked at number 10 in ''Time Out''{{'}}s "The 50 greatest World War II movies" list.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Adam Lee|last1=Davies|first2=Dave|last2=Calhoun|first3=Paul|last3=Fairclough|first4=David|last4=Jenkins|first5=Tom|last5=Huddleston|first6=Quentin|last6=Tarantino|author-link6=Quentin Tarantino|title=The 50 greatest World War II movies: The top ten|url=https://www.timeout.com/film/50-best-world-war-ii-movies#tab_panel_5|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out London]]|access-date=24 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221112118/http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/8364/|archive-date=21 February 2012}}</ref> ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine ranked the film at number 6 in its list of "The Top 10 Depressing Movies".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Top 10 Depressing Movies|url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/top10/depressing-movies/5.asp|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|last=Braund |first=Simon|access-date=22 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116192703/http://www.empireonline.com/features/top10/depressing-movies/5.asp|archive-date=16 November 2012|date=2 April 2009}}</ref> The film ranked number 19 on ''Wizard's Anime'' Magazine on their "Top 50 Anime released in North America".<ref>{{cite web | date=6 July 2001 | title=Wizard lists Top 50 Anime | url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-07-16/wizard-lists-top-50-anime | work=[[Anime News Network]] | access-date=2 February 2014 | author=UMJAMS Anime News | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402111019/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-07-16/wizard-lists-top-50-anime | archive-date=2 April 2014 | url-status=live}}</ref> [[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|''The Daily Star'']], ranking the film 4th on its list of greatest short story adaptations, wrote that "There is both much and little to say about the film. It is simply an experience—a trip through the lonely boroughs of humanity that the world collectively looked, and still looks, away from".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bari|first=Mehrul|date=2021-06-13|title=10 must-watch short story-to-film adaptations|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/book-reviews/news/10-must-watch-short-story-film-adaptations-2110225|access-date=June 20, 2021 |website=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]|archive-date=June 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615110854/https://www.thedailystar.net/book-reviews/news/10-must-watch-short-story-film-adaptations-2110225.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Theron Martin of ''[[Anime News Network]]'' said that, in terms of the original [[U.S. Manga Corps]] dub, while the other voices were "perfectly acceptable", "Setsuko just doesn't sound quite convincing as a four-year-old in English. That, unfortunately, is a big negative, since a good chunk of the pathos the movie delivers is at least partly dependent on that performance".<ref name="Martin"/>

On 25 December 2016, [[Toei Company]] made a [[Twitter]] post that read {{nihongo|"Why did Kiriya have to die so soon?"|なんできりやすぐ死んでしまうん|Nande Kiriya sugu shinde shimaun?}} in order to promote an episode of ''[[Kamen Rider Ex-Aid]]''. The hashtag became popular, but Toei deleted the tweet after receiving complaints that referencing the ''Grave of the Fireflies'' line {{nihongo|"Why do fireflies die so soon?"|なんで蛍すぐ死んでしまうん|Nande hotaru sugu shinde shimaun}} was in poor taste.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Salas|first1=Jorge|title=Toei Issues Apology Following Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Tweet|url=https://tokusatsunetwork.com/2016/12/toei-issues-apology-following-kamen-rider-ex-aid-tweet/|work=The Tokusatsu Network|access-date=28 December 2016|date=25 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228032941/http://tokusatsunetwork.com/2016/12/toei-issues-apology-following-kamen-rider-ex-aid-tweet/|archive-date=28 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Before that, the ranking website Goo's readers voted the film's ending the number 1 most miserable of all anime films.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2016-12-02/grave-of-the-fireflies-tops-poll-of-anime-most-miserable-endings/.109432|title=Grave of the Fireflies Tops Poll of Anime's Most Miserable Endings|date=3 December 2016|access-date=7 December 2020}}</ref>

In June 2018, ''[[USA Today]]'' ranked it 1st on the 100 best animated movies of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stockdale|first=Charles|title=The 100 best animated movies of all time|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/06/12/100-best-animated-movies-all-time/696107002/|access-date=2021-08-31|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2022, the film was ranked 225th on ''[[Sight & Sound]]''{{'s}} Greatest Films list (Critics + Directors' combined poll), being one of the only three animated films to make the top 250 (alongside ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' and ''[[Spirited Away]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Greatest Films of All Time |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time |access-date=2 December 2022 |website=BFI |language=en |archive-date=18 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318214144/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/greatest-films-all-time |url-status=live }}</ref>

Film director and critic {{ill|Haruo Mizuno|ja|水野晴郎}} reviewed ''Grave of the Fireflies'' on his popular TV series. He praised the film for the honorary image of the soldiers of Japan through the depiction of the fireflies, and the moving depiction of a heartbreaking experience many people of Japan had lived through.<ref>{{Citation |title=水野晴郎 解説「火垂るの墓」 | date=4 March 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CAJqyW9m7c |access-date=2023-03-21 |language=en}}</ref>

After seeing the reactions of the audience after a screening of the film at ''Festival « Pour éveiller les regards »'', Jean-Jacques Varret, head of Les Films du Paradoxe, knew he had to distribute it in France.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Le tombeau des lucioles |url=https://www.buta-connection.net/index.php/longs-metrages/films-d-isao-takahata/le-tombeau-des-lucioles?start=4 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=www.buta-connection.net}}</ref> It was released in two Parisian arthouses and the reaction was modest. Following the release however, Les Films du Paradoxe chose to release the film on video cassettes and on the streaming service Canal+.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Citation |title=Grave of the Fireflies (1988) - Release info - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095327/releaseinfo/ |access-date=2023-03-21 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Public reaction===
After the international release, it has been noted that different audiences have interpreted the film differently due to differences in culture. For instance, when the film was watched by a Japanese audience, Seita's decision to not come back to his aunt was seen as an understandable decision, because it was understood how Seita had been raised to value pride in himself and his country. Conversely, American and Australian audiences were more likely to perceive the decision as unwise.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Osmond |author-link=Andrew Osmond (journalist)|first=Andrew|year=2010|chapter=Grave of the Fireflies |title=100 Animated Feature Films: BFI Screen Guides |publisher=British Film Institute |pages=82–83 |doi=10.5040/9781838710514.0035 |isbn=978-1-83871-051-4 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oneroomwithaview.com/2018/04/19/the-human-cost-of-war-in-grave-of-the-fireflies/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213052034/https://oneroomwithaview.com/2018/04/19/the-human-cost-of-war-in-grave-of-the-fireflies/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=13 December 2019|title=The Human Cost of War in Grave of the Fireflies|last=Campbell|first=Kambole|date=19 April 2018|website=One Room With A View|language=en-GB|access-date=13 December 2019}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Recipient
! Result
|-
| 1989
| [[Blue Ribbon Awards]]
| [[Blue Ribbon Awards for Special Award|Special Award]]
| rowspan="3"|[[Isao Takahata]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|1994
| rowspan=2|[[Chicago International Children's Film Festival]]
| Animation Jury Award
|{{won}}
|-
| Rights of the Child Award
| {{won}}
|}