The Devastating Dedication of a Brother

13.4.2025

This has to be one of my favorite scenes in cinema, in one of my favorite films. Grave of the Fireflies is a story about two siblings who have to survive on their own during the final days of World War II.

This frame captures the essence of the story. While they are on their own and both still children, the older brother takes care of his little sister. He does everything in his power to provide for her and ensure she has enough food, a roof over her head, and can still experience some of the joys of childhood. This particular moment happens right after their mother dies and the boy, Seita, realizes they are on their own from now on. Naturally, this devastates his little sister, Setsuko, and she begins to cry, curled up on the ground.

Seita sits in the corner of a playground as well, when he suddenly jumps up, rushes to a bar on the playground, and starts doing tricks, yelling at her to watch him. When I watched this for the first time, it was probably the music that made me realize how special this moment was. As he begins to roll over the bar, the music swells and emphasizes the importance of the scene. In that moment, he decides to put his own needs second and instead tries to lift his sister’s spirits. This essentially sets the tone for the rest of the movie. From this point on, he devotes himself completely to her. He essentially sacrifices his own well-being to care for her.

Seeing this scene always breaks my heart. There is this boy, in a completely destroyed city, on a playground that miraculously survived the bombings, rolling over a bar just to distract his sister and make her feel better after the loss of their mother. He, on this playground, is the only thing in the frame that is not destroyed. And he is everything Setsuko has left. It truly amazes me how powerfully this scene conveys its message with such a simple gesture. Him rushing to the playground, the music swelling — everything is perfect. Once again showing the brilliance of Studio Ghibli.