Grave of the Fireflies

I recently watched the film Grave of the Fireflies for the first time. The movie is an animated film that follows two young Japanese children struggling to survive in Japan during WWII. I don't want to share too much about the movie, because I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen it yet. I will say this much about the story line: it's probably the saddest movie I have ever seen. If it is shown in a classroom, teachers should definitely preview it and know their students before they show it. I think it would be most appropriate for high school students, and maybe some groups of mature middle schoolers. In terms of its educational value, it is definitely a fictional account of WWII, but it has many benefits and potential uses in the classroom. First of all, I think it is great for its unique perspective of the War. It not only has value for its Japanese point of view, it would be great to use in a classroom because it shows war through the eyes of children. Additionally, while the movie is clearly set during WWII, the struggles the children face would make this movie thematically appropriate to use in a variety of studies of wars. There are some specific applications this movie can have in teaching students about WWII and Japanese culture, such as vocabulary (kamikaze, air raids), a variety of Japanese foods, and traditional Japanese homes.