Barefoot Gen

Though Barefoot Gen and Grave of the Fireflies both present a Japanese view of the finale of WWII, with special focus on the plight of the children, they also function as the antithesis of each other, in terms of protagonists.

The protagonist of Barefoot Gen is exemplary and selfless, whereas Grave of the Fireflies shows us the experiences of a selfish, far-from-exemplary boy. In both cases, though, we are prevented from harsh judgement and are brought up short by the realization that these are children, suffering the most dreadful imaginable circumstances. Whether they behave well or badly, they are ultimately victims, suffering in the cruellest possible way, and any blame lies with the adults who stole away their right to an innocent childhood.

If you have seen either of these films, and it moved you as deeply as it should (and if it didn't move you, you should consider a career in politics or law), you will surely want to watch the other.

Barefoot is more centered on the war's horrors while Grave of the Fireflies insists more on the human aspects of it. Both anime show the struggle of children to survive in a very sad manner, showing how children have to grow responsible all of a sudden, and still keep a part of their innocence despise the hardships they have to go through.

Both take place in WW2 Japan, and show the grim times during the end of the war. They are very gloomy depressing stories that might make you cry. They may also make you hate America, or its foreign policy at least.

I know it's cliche, but I have to recommend Grave of the Fireflies and Barefoot Gen with each other. It's true that both are about WW2 - but beyond that, each has one or more main characters who refuse to give up and try to live their lives to the fullest. As well, both are tragic and depressing, though not without small rays of hope.

Both anime take a tragic look at WW2 from the eyes of the people, mostly children, that were affected by it personally. Even though faced with plently of dispare, hope is never tossed aside. If you liked one check out the other.

On its basic level, both of these films are set in Japan towards the end of the Second World War. However they also focus on the experiences of children during wartime and how they cope with bereavement and the increasingly difficult living situation. If this aspect of one film interested you then you should watch the other.

War is terrible. In the world of action movies we sometimes need a reality check and these two movies are offering it with open arms.

The end of war in Japan is presented from perspective of children. It is deeply moving story, which shows us how war deforms our lives and makes us realize what really matters. 

Be prepared to shed a few tears.

I see a lot of people recommending a fantasy world of Here and Now, Then and There. for these two very potent titles of Barefoot Gen and Grave of the Fireflies

I can not help but think, that is not based on REAL world situations such as Grave and Barefoot respectively.

Forgive me for saying this, but a forien world of science fiction should NOT be the number #1 recomendation for two titles based on history and the ramifications of the nuclear bomb. 

These two animes are more alike than meets the eye. They both tell the story of war through the eyes of a child and how it effects them, though their reactions and circumstances are different. Eventually, they are more directly involved in the conflict to a point that will forever affect their lives.

Both anime take a tragic look at WW2 from the eyes of the people, mostly children, that were affected by it personally. Even though faced with plently of dispare, hope is never tossed aside. If you liked one check out the other.