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Tokyo Weekender
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Grave of the Fireflies: The First Ghibli Movie To Stream in Japan Is Also Its Angriest
For the longest time, Studio Ghibli was against making its catalog available for streaming. But when Hayao Miyazaki needed funds for his third 'final' movie, The Boy and the Heron, the studio relented and Ghibli films began streaming around the world in 2020 — except for Japan, where Hayao Miyazaki preferred for Ghibli releases to be experienced primarily in cinemas. This will change on July 15, 2025, when Grave of the Fireflies comes to Netflix Japan. There are many reasons why this 1988 war anime by Isao Takahata was chosen to break the Ghibli streaming fast, but the biggest one is probably Ghibli not actually owning the rights to it. They reside with Shinchosha, the publisher of the original story the movie is based on. It's all for the best, though, since Grave of the Fireflies is the perfect movie for testing the streaming waters in Japan. After all, if people will flock to possibly the angriest entry in the entire Studio Ghibli collection, then all its other whimsical stuff should go down a treat! List of Contents: A Sad Movie That Should Make You Furious The Movie HAS Villains: Most of Its Adult Characters Children Are Not Small Adults Related Posts Image Courtesy of Netflix Media Center | © Akiyuki Nosaka / Shinchosha Publishing Co., 1988 A Sad Movie That Should Make You Furious Grave of the Fireflies is about two children who die of starvation. That's not a spoiler because the movie is almost 40 years old and, also, the film establishes the deaths of 14-year-old Seita and his 4-year-old sister Setsuko within the first few minutes. The movie may be one of the most infamously sad anime of all time, but if its goal was to make audiences cry, it would have toyed with our emotions more. It would have made us think that maybe Seita and Setsuko could've survived 1945 Japan on their own after the death of their mother in an air raid, only to then pull the rug out from under us. Instead, we know what happens to them from the get-go. So, while the two children's deaths are tragic and continue to be incredibly hard to watch, a closer look suggests that the movie wasn't aiming for tears. Rather, it seems to want our fury. But not fury aimed at war, since it wasn't war that killed Seita and Setsuko. It was a harsh, oppressive and uncaring society that utterly failed to stop its children from making a bunch of dumb, fatal mistakes. The Movie HAS Villains: Most of Its Adult Characters The vast majority of adults that Seita and Setsuko come across in the aftermath of their mother's death are horrible people. While they may not be traditional 'bad guys,' they nonetheless do function as antagonists and are ultimately responsible for two children dying of hunger. It wasn't really what they did, though, but rather what they didn't do. Seita and Setsuko's aunt, who takes them in but keeps calling them freeloaders — even after taking most of the food they bring with them and selling their mother's kimono for rice — is undeniably unkind. But her biggest sin is not stopping the two when Seita decides to move out into an abandoned bomb shelter. Yes, it was late-stage World War II and rations were dwindling — but when adults don't take care of kids, then what even is the point of society? Throughout the movie, we see many grownups who know that two children are roughing it out in inadequate living conditions, and no one lifts a finger to stop them. A farmer urges Seita to apologize to his aunt and get help from neighborhood organizations (i.e. rely on society), but it's not clear why he insists on talking to Seita as if he were an adult who has a say in the matter. Even the 'kindly' policeman who doesn't book Seita after he's caught stealing crops drops the ball because he just lets him go, doing nothing to protect the boy from his own still-developing, pride-filled, stupid brain. Children Are Not Small Adults Seita cannot be held responsible for moving out, not seeking medical attention for Setsuko sooner or waiting too long to buy nutritious food for them. Because he is a child. He does an admirable job for a lot of the movie as Setsuko's guardian, protecting her from air raids and keeping her spirits up. But that's where his 'adult' responsibilities should have ended. He should not be expected to know how to take care of himself, much less a 4-year-old, for the same reason we don't expect kids to make their own dinner every day: They'd either burn the house down or rot their teeth out of their mouths from eating nothing but chocolate. Seita and Setsuko should have been dragged, by force if necessary, back to their aunt, who should have been yelled at until she was shamed into acting like a human being. Then someone should have given Seita a serious talking to for thinking he had the right to risk not only his life, but also that of his little sister. Then another round of yelling at everyone who didn't want to get involved in the matter because it 'wasn't their place.' In the end, the bulk of Japanese society circa 1945 would get a dressing down for their astounding apathy, but maybe that was the point of the movie. Watch it for yourself when it premieres on Netflix on July 15 and see what you think. Editor's note: For those eager to delve deeper into Isao Takahata's work, an exhibition celebrating the late Ghibli director is currently running at Azabudai Hills Gallery. Check it out before September 15. Related Posts Isao Takahata Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation Barefoot Gen: The Unflinching Atomic Bomb Film From Japan's Perspective The Commodification of Studio Ghibli
India Today
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Alice in Borderland Season 3 gets a release date. Arisu, Usagi return to survive
The hit Japanese survival thriller, 'Alice in Borderland' returns to Netflix with high-stakes drama and the mysterious Joker card in play. Netflix has officially set the date for one of its most anticipated Season 3, which premieres globally on September newly released teaser poster shows Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) reaching for each other across a haunting divide, evoking the eerie uncertainty that defines the trailer teases new characters, including Tetsu (Yugo Mikawa), blue-haired Rei (Akana Ikeda), and the gun-toting Kazuya (Joey Iwanaga), while longtime cast members Hayato Isomura, Ayaka Miyoshi, and Katsuya Maiguma return to add continuity to the chaos. Watch it here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix Japan | (@netflixjp)With slick visuals, a bigger ensemble, and mind-bending twists, 'Alice in Borderland Season 3' promises a gripping return to the world where survival is never guaranteed, and the rules? They keep per the synopsis by the streaming platform, the third season is directed by Shinsuke Sato again, and adapted from Haro Aso's manga. The Season will pick up after Arisu and Usagi seemingly return to the real world after clearing all the card married and living peacefully, the two are haunted by fragmented memories of the Borderland, a mysterious limbo between life and death. However, their peace is disturbed after Usagi disappears without warning and Arisu has to return to Borderland to protect Borderland, what awaits him is a level of brutality far beyond before. From flaming arrows to electric death traps, the Borderland is more vicious than ever. But it's not just about survival this time, it's about facing the last card left unturned: the it's time to play.- Ends
Time Out
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Netflix Japan to air ‘Grave of the Fireflies' from July 15
Grab your tissues, folks. Netflix Japan has announced it will stream Grave of the Fireflies starting from July 15. The critically acclaimed tearjerker has been available in 190 other countries and regions since September of last year, though this summer marks the first time it will be streamable specifically on Netflix Japan. Grave of the Fireflies – released in 1988 and directed by the late Isao Takahata – is an animated film based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka. The emotionally gripping film tells the story of 14-year-old Seita and his little sister Setsuko as they struggle to survive the brutalities of the Second World War. The timing of the streaming is especially poignant, since this year marks the 80th anniversary of the air raid on Kobe, as depicted in the picture.
SoraNews24
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Studio Ghibli anime to stream online in Japan for first time ever, but not from any deal with Ghibli
Netflix Japan will be the first service to stream Ghibli anime online in Japan, but the debut won't be a tale of whimsical adventures. Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is well known for his fondness for doing things the old-fashioned way and distaste for digital technology. As an example, it wasn't until 2019 that Ghibli finally agreed to partially acquiesce to modern media consumption patterns and allow its anime films to be available for online streaming. Since then, viewers in nearly 200 different countries around the globe have been able to watch the studio's works online, but to this day no Studio Ghibli film has ever been made available for streaming within Japan. That will finally be changing this summer, though, through a deal that Netflix Japan has just announced. Netflix was Ghibli's second streaming partner, and while it was HBO Max that secured the Ghibli streaming rights for the U.S., Netflix has been the streaming source for Ghibli anime for most of the rest of the world through a 2020 agreement that specifically excluded Japan. However, while Netflix Japan will become the first service to stream Ghibli anime within Japan, they won't immediately be providing access to the full Ghibli library. In fact, they're starting with only a single movie, and while one might assume it would be My Neighbor Totoro for the presence of the studio's de-facto mascot, Spirited Away for its critical acclaim, or The Boy and the Heron by nature of being the most modern Ghibli anime, it's actually none of those, and is instead Grave of the Fireflies. ▼ Netflix Japan's tweet announcing the deal スタジオジブリによるアニメーション映画『火垂るの墓』7月15日よりNetflixにて独占配信が決定！1988年の公開以降、国内外から多くの関心を集めてきた不朽の名作が、この夏ついに日本のNetflixへ。戦災孤児の兄妹が生きた 忘れることができない夏を、もう一度#火垂るの墓 — Netflix Japan | ネットフリックス (@NetflixJP) May 14, 2025 Originally released in Japanese theaters in 1988, Grave of the Fireflies doesn't have the sense of whimsical adventure found in many of Ghibli's most popular anime, nor is it a magic-infused journey of empowering self-discovery. That's because Grave of the Fireflies , directed by the late Isao Takahata, is about a young orphaned boy and his even younger sister struggling to survive in the closing days of World War II. Despite originally playing as a double-feature in Japanese theaters with My Neighbor Totoro , Grave of the Fireflies is an unflinching depiction of the terrible, tragic effects war can have on children and other non-combatants. But why is Netflix starting with Grave of the Fireflies , and Grave of the Fireflies alone? Likely because it's the only Ghibli movie that neither the studio itself nor its parent company control the rights to. Though Studio Ghibli made the movie, it was produced for Shinchosha, the Japanese publishing company which also has the rights to the semi-autobiographical book of the same name that Grave of the Fireflies is based on. Shinchosha's ownership of Grave of the Fireflies is why the movie is often left out of home video collections in Japan of the rest of Ghibli's works, and also why you won't find Grave of the Fireflies exhibits at the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo or Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture. Considering that it took some convincing to bring Miyazaki around to the idea of Netflix streaming Ghibli anime even outside of Japan, it wouldn't be surprising if the studio's decision makers still aren't ready to let the films they have control over stream domestically. TV broadcasts of Ghibli movies on Friday nights in summertime also continue to bring in high ratings, keeping them in the public conscious and conversation year after year. So it might be some time until the rest of the studio's anime can be streamed in Japan, but Grave of the Fireflies is a start, and it'll be available on Netflix Japan starting July 15. Source, top image: Netflix Japan ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How A Tale Of Resilience ‘Itaewon Class' Became A Japanese Musical
Itaewon Class is more than a popular webtoon, garnering over 430 million cumulative views on Kakao Webtoon. It's a source of ongoing inspiration. The engaging storyline has inspired a variety of adaptations, including the 2020 Korean TV series, starring Park Seo-joon and Kim Da-mi, and a 2022 Japanese TV series titled Roppongi Class, which topped Netflix Japan's most watched list for weeks. A Taiwanese series is being developed and the first-ever musical adaptation of Itaewon Class is currently in rehearsal. The stage adaptation of the original webtoon will be performed at Brillia Hall in Tokyo from June 9 through 30, with a national tour following through July 21. Produced by the Japanese entertainment company Toho Co., Ltd., the musical is a collaboration between Korean, Japanese, and U.S. creators, including composer and lyricist Helen Park. The award-winning South Korean-born composer is best known for the score of the Broadway musical KPOP and she's the first Asian female composer/lyricist for a Broadway play to be nominated for a Tony Award. Park is also a fan of the original Itaewon Class webtoon by Kwang Jin. 'I loved how compelling the webtoon is in its rawness and humanity,' said Park. 'What struck me most was how grounded and flawed the characters were—and how deeply relatable their struggles felt.' The webtoon was serialized from 2016 to 2020 on Kakao Webtoon, a platform operated by Kakao Entertainment. "It features Park Sae-ro-yi as the protagonist ― a character who steadfastly adheres to his own beliefs and principles ― while unfolding the stories of various young people navigating life in contemporary society," said Jake Hwang, chief manager of Story IP Business at Kakao Entertainment. Sae-ro-yi (Nozomu Kotaki) is an ex-convict who opens a pub in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood and tries to live in a way that would make his late father proud. As a high school student he transferred to a new school because his father (Masahiro Asano) transferred to that location for work. There he saw his classmate Jang Geun-won (Kentaro Akizawa) bullying others. Everyone looked the other way, but Sae-ro-yi hit him. Because Geun-won is the son of Jang Dae-hee (Kenta Satoi), the chairman of the restaurant chain where Sae-ro-yi's father works, Sae-ro-yi drops out of school and his father quits his job. "The story of Itaewon Class is one of resilience, ambition, and the pursuit of justice—all set against the vibrant, ever-changing backdrop of Itaewon, Seoul,' said Park. 'Musically, I wanted to reflect that energy by blending contemporary musical theater with k-pop, rock, and the lush, emotionally rich style of Korean drama that defined the TV adaptation.' When his father later dies, Sae-ro-yi learns about Geum-won's involvement. He assaults Geum-won and ends up in prison, crushing his hopes for the future and his budding romance with classmate Soo-ah (Minami Umezawa/Yurina Kawaguchi). Years after his release Sae-ro-yi opens a restaurant in Itaewon. He doesn't know a lot about business but he instinctively knows who to trust. As an ex-con Sae-ro-yi knows what it's like to be looked down on. He assembles a crew of workers, who might find it hard to fit in anywhere else, and together they excel in the convivial setting of the pub DanBam. He teams up with the smart sociopath Yi-seo, played by Sora Kazuki/Sara). He also hires Hyeon-yi (Kate Doi), Seung-won (Kodai Yoshida), and Geun-soo (Tasuke Niihara), Geun-won's younger brother who has feelings for Yi-seo. 'I was also inspired by the characters' emotional journeys,' said Park. "Each of them has a distinct voice, and I tried to capture that individuality and depth in the score.' For Hwang the ongoing adaptations of Itaewon Class stem from its vivid, lifelike characters and its close reflection of real-world narratives. 'The story deeply resonates with readers, offering comfort and encouragement to many young people living through today's challenging times,' said Hwang. For Park the story is timely, but the message is timeless. 'I believe it's the timelessness of the themes—perseverance, integrity, love, and revenge—set within a culturally specific context,' said Park. "It's a classic hero's journey, but one deeply rooted in contemporary Korean society, which gives it both universality and a fresh perspective. That balance is what makes the story resonate so strongly across different mediums and cultures, including the Japanese audience we're honored to present this musical to.' The musical's script was written by Riko Sakaguchi, best known for her work on the productions The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Mary and The Witch's Flower. The production will be directed by Koyama Yuna, who won the Yomiuri Theater Award for Outstanding Director. The musical's choreography is by Kyle Hanagami, who has worked with k-pop group Blackpink. Lee Hee-joon is the lyricist and composer, known for his work on the musical Darwin Young's Origins of Evil. The webtoon Itaewon Class is available in English on Tapas and the live-action Korean adaptation is available on Netflix.
