A still from “Grave of the Fireflies” shows the main characters, Seita and Setsuko. PHOTO PROVIDED

Earlier this week, The Express published an Associated Press story about the 80th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This put me in the necessary headspace to talk about one of the best films I have ever seen: 1988’s “Grave of the Fireflies.”

First of all, the history of this is absolutely critical to understand, before we even get to the film itself. Let me begin by emphasizing that “Grave” is based on the firebombing of Kobe in mid-March of 1945 — not the dropping of the atomic bomb. Despite that, thinking of one always makes me think of the other.

Next, this is a Studio Ghibli film, meaning it is produced by the same company that made “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and many others that you may have heard of — or seen us write about before in other Throwbacks. However, unlike those films, this one is not written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Instead, it is written and directed by Isao Takahata, and was based on a semi-autobiographical short story from 1967, which was written by Akiyuki Nosaka. I want to call special attention to this because many people have it in their mind what a “Ghibli film” means, and this is… not that.

Finally, a brief cautionary warning: make sure you are emotionally able to process something sad before watching this film. If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, this one isn’t for you. Please take care of yourselves, and have delicious snacks, good company and soft pets on hand to help with the absolutely crushing emotional weight of this film.

With that stern admonition aside, this film is absolutely incredible, and is one of the golden standards to counter the once-common argument that “animated shows are for kids.”

Well, not this one.

The story follows a pair of siblings, Seita and Setsuko, who were orphaned following the United States’ firebombing of Kobe during World War II, and their attempts to survive in the harrowing aftermath.

A critical detail is revealed in the film’s opening sequence: the orphans do not survive. I won’t get into the details, but I will remind you again of my warning about the emotional weight of this film. The plucky main character kids that you will find yourself rooting for are predestined to die.

Remember that.

The devil, you see, is in the details. And this film has an incredible depth and expanse of details — both within the film itself and also in the making of it. There are many interviews with Takahata and other members of the production team, and most of them reveal something notable that provides extra context. As a pair of examples that I find particularly interesting: Takahata himself survived an air raid on Okayama and thus was able to shape the story around his personal, lived experience; and the color coordinator, Michiyo Yasuda, said they used mostly brown outlines in the film instead of black specifically to produce a softer feel.

That softer feel, along with the generally calm music, really makes the whole thing hit so much harder. There’s no grand adventures or sweeping score accompanying battles or whatever else. It’s just the quiet, dawning horror of watching two kids try — and fail — to survive in a blasted landscape.

I have watched this film once, probably 15 years ago. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen, it’s stuck with me all those years, and I hope to never watch it again.

And, to be clear, that is a ringing endorsement. This movie will very likely destroy you, but it is so worth it for the awe it will inspire. This is art in its highest, purest form: both beautiful and terrible, and conveying a message that you will remember all your days.

“Grave of the Fireflies” is available for streaming on Netflix. It doesn’t have a discrete parental rating that I could find, but most people I saw in a quick search online were suggesting TV-14+, with one person on Reddit saying “at least 16 to not leave too many scars,” which I actually think is a pretty reasonable take.

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Arianna McKee is the Design Editor and the Editorial Page Editor for The Express.