This is one of the 10 animated films you must see in your lifetime: 28 years after its release, it’s still as thrilling as ever.

Among the thousands of stars in the animated film sky, which are the 10 most important? If you could only remember 10 animated works in your movie-going life, what would they be?

A few years ago, in the AlloCiné editorial team, we asked ourselves this delicate question. After much debate to determine which films deserved the most notable selections, we chose 10 feature films representing several major studios, several eras, and several nationalities.

It is a difficult choice

Among the most difficult choices we had to make during this sensitive process was choosing one film from the rich and prestigious production of the essential Ghibli studios. Only one, yes. but which one

Obviously, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are seminal films that helped write the history of animation thanks to the poetry used by Hayao Miyazaki. We can just as easily bring my neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, or Kiki the Little Witch.

But very bad! After long discussions, we had to decide, and we decided to choose Isao Takahata, the co-founder of the famous Japanese studio. Considered by many to be Ghibli’s most powerful work, his Tomb of the Fireflies is undoubtedly his most moving.

Studio Ghibli’s heaviest and most emotional film

Set in Japan, near the city of Kobe, in the summer of 1945, the film tells the tragic adventures of a young teenager and his little sister who, after losing their parents, take refuge in a close-knit but cruel family. Their desperate search for a better world leads them to overcome the ruins of a Japan that was bloodied at the end of this war, but also to face the indifference and cruelty of their elders, until the end of the film, absolutely heartbreaking, which we will not reveal. He’s here.

This time there are no magical creatures and legendary dragons, as we are used to in other Ghibli products. Instead, Grave of the Fireflies stands bravely in Japan’s sad reality. That’s why you should watch this movie immediately. But not without your tissue pack!

(re)discover the trailer for the film…