Grave of the Fireflies (Japanese, 1988)

Original Title: Hotaru no haka

Directed and written by Isao Takahata

Base from the novel of Akiyuki Nosaka

Starring Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi and Akemi Yamaguchi

Movies are usually described as "moving", "powerful" and "nice", but Grave of the Fireflies is just one of the highly revered movies that perfectly fit those three aforementioned adjectives.

The sight of the two children caught in the peripheral effects of war makes Grave of the Fireflies a painful yet beautiful movie at the same time. It is indeed an allegory of the two children who struggled for survival after their parents got killed in the war. Produced in the late 80s, the animated one gave simple actions and focused on scenes that portrays beauty and innocence, enhancing the big differences from the harsh realities of life experienced by the two main characters.

Spirited Away (Japanese, 2001)

Written and Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited Away is one of the impeccable movies I have ever seen. The plot was fantastic and full-bodied. Each character was given so much personality, even the little soot spiders weren’t treated as two-dimensional!

This box-office hit Japanese animated movie reflects the culture and beliefs of the Japanese people. Even at modern times, there are still who believed in kami, a Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Even here in the Philippines, Filipinos also have this similar beliefs about spirits dwelling around the surroundings. Some them guard those century-old trees or even inhabit those long abandoned houses or buildings.

There are several significant themes presented in the movie.