Grave of The Fireflies - 2005 Live-action Version

2005 Live-action Version

The drama is liberal in deviating from the original work. The author will be grateful if my novel, being adapted now, 60 years after the war, could convey the brutality of wars, even just a little bit, to the people living in the present days.

NTV in Japan produced a live-action TV drama of Grave of the Fireflies, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The drama aired on November 1, 2005. Like the anime, the live-action version of Grave of the Fireflies focuses on two siblings struggling to survive the final days of the war in Kobe, Japan. Unlike the animated version, it tells the story from the point of view of their cousin (the aunt's daughter) and deals with the issue of how the war-time environment could change a kind lady into a hard-hearted woman. It stars Nanako Matsushima as the aunt, as well as Mao Inoue as their cousin. The drama is approximately 2 hours and 28 minutes long.

The film is something of an epilogue; set in 2005, 60 years after the war, it opens at a crematorium in Kobe, just after the aunt, Hisako Sawano has passed away, aged 95. The funeral director mentioned how a person who lived through the Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei eras had finally gone to her rest. Seita's and Setsuko's cousin, by now herself a grandmother, discusses the long shadow of the Second World War after the funeral with her granddaughter, and what the family had undergone.

In the anime' version of the film, Seita's aunt is his father's sister, while in this version, Seita's mother is the "aunt's" first cousin.

Just prior to Seita's death in September 1945, someone let his aunt and cousin know that Seita was still alive, though with no sign of his sister Setsuko and living near the central railway station in Kobe. The aunt and cousin go to the station in hope of finding him, but cannot. However, Seita's cousin finds a janitor, and asks him if he saw "a third-year middle-school student, Seita Yokokawa, from Kobe 1st Middle School," wearing a school cap and with his little sister. This triggers the janitor's memory, who recalls that the previous night, he and another janitor had seen a dead boy matching Seita's description in a corner of the station. While carrying his corpse to be cremated, a metal fruit-drop tin had fallen from his clothes; thinking it rubbish, the janitor had tossed it into a field.

The aunt locates the tin; while her daughter looks on, she opens it and turns it over. Two small bits of white bone fall into her palm - Setsuko's. The aunt falls silent, while her daughter, who understands what had happened to her cousins, tearfully blames her mother for causing their deaths, and walks away. However, the aunt notices something - under the tin are two small, glowing fireflies. As they fly off, tears come to her eyes. Knowing she is forgiven, the aunt whispers a soft thanks.

It is the 18th year of Showa - 1943. Seita's father, a Captain in the Imperial Navy, discusses the true situation of the war with his son, telling him that he must now look after the family as he will soon be deployed, and that he is willing to die in the Emperor's service. Seita gives his father his assurance. Meanwhile, his uncle, Genzo Sawano, a carpenter, has been drafted into the army, and his aunt is trying to hold back her tears at his departure.

Commenting on the dramatization, Akiyuki Nosaka noted that the drama was liberal in deviating from his original work but also said that he would nevertheless remain thankful if it could convey the brutality of wars to the people of the present days.

Cast:

• Seita Yokokawa (横川 清太 Yokokawa Seita)：Hōshi Ishida (石田法嗣 Ishida Hōshi)
  • 15-year old Seita is the son of a Japanese naval commander.
• Setsuko Yokokawa (横川 節子 Yokokawa Setsuko)：Mao Sasaki (佐々木麻緒 Sasaki Mao)
  • 5-year old Setsuko is Seita's younger sister.
• Hisako Sawano (澤野 久子 Sawano Hisako): Nanako Matsushima
  • 35-year old Hisako is Seita's aunt
• Natsu Sawano (澤野 なつ Sawano Natsu)/Natsu Mitsumura (光村 なつ Mitsumura Natsu) : Mao Inoue (young woman)/Keiko Kishi (old woman)
  • As a 16-year old, Natsu is Hisako's eldest daughter. She forms a relationship with Seita and protests how Hisako treats Seita and Setsuko. As a 76-year old she remembers the old days and tells the story to her granddaughter.
• Genzō Sawano (澤野 源造 Sawano Genzō): Tsuyoshi Ihara
  • 39-year old Genzō is Hisako's husband.
• Yoshie Sawano (澤野 善衛 Sawano Yoshie): Jun Kaname
  • Yoshie is Hisako's brother in law. Because he has a bad leg, he was not called into service.
• Keiko Mitsumura (光村 恵子 Mitsumura Keiko): Mao Inoue
• Hana Sawano (澤野 はな Sawano Hana): Mayuko Fukuda
  • 12-year old Hana is one of Hisako's daughters.
• Yuki Sawano (澤野 ゆき Sawano Yuki): Narumi Iihara (飯原 成美, Iihara Narumi?)
  • 10-year old Yuki is one of Hisako's daughters.
• Teizō Sawano (澤野 貞造 Sawano Teizō): Shōta Horie (堀江 晶太, Horie Shōta?)
  • 7-year old Teizō is Hisako's only son. He suffers from asthma.