This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

I will admit that I did not like the style of animation that was going on, but the characters were so charming that I wanted to see what happened next. I knew already that this movie was about the Hiroshima bombing, but when they showed the bombing in action, it was so tragic, I teared up and felt so sad for the women, the men, and especially the children and babies that had to endure such suffering. It is quite detailed, it shocked me as to how detailed it was considering the animation. The deaths of the father, daughter, and youngest son was also very tragic and shocking. You'd think "they're not going to die, they're going to live and somehow find a way to survive all this" - but sadly this was not the case. The mother's reaction to their deaths seemed quite realistic and disturbing, but she was able to snap out of it for her son's sake. The birth of the daughter was sweet and brought back a smile on my face, making me think "there it is, the hope we all want to see" but her death too was very sad and tragic. The movie isn't too long, but the amount of time spent with Gen makes you like him more and more throughout the film.This movie is very much recommended for those who are interested in the Hiroshima bombing and the aftermath. This is not a kids film.

Keiji Nakazawa survived the bombing of Hiroshima, and grew up wanting to become a manga artist. He moved to Tokyo and told nobody there about his experiences until the death of his mother triggered a determination to call everyone involved to account for the bombing and the war. In Barefoot Gen he not only exposes the horrors of nuclear war, but also criticizes the militarization of Japanese society in the war years, and the sometimes abusive nature of its family traditions. The film retains the simple graphic style of Nakazawa's original art, which makes the horrors it depicts all the more terrifying. The film's images seem expressionistic, almost surreal, but they record what actually happens under a nuclear blast. Despite all that Gen has lost and endured, he is determined to live, making this a difficult film to watch, but an important and ultimately positive one. The trauma of Hiroshima haunts many anime, but only in Barefoot Gen do you really see what it was like at ground zero.

I rate this high mainly because of the subject. The animation itself is not what one would expect from '83 animes, but the story is sound. The plot is less emotional than Grave of the Fireflies, but mainly because it is not as dramatic and the message is actually a positive one. The scenes of the nuclear explosion in the city are horrendous.There is also an 1986 movie called Hadashi no Gen 2, and I will see it as soon as possible to comment on it.Bottom line: if you've seen Grave of the Fireflies, you will find this mildly entertaining; if you haven't, I suggest you see this one first and then definitely see Grave of the Fireflies.On a personal note: if you're American, you should see this at least to understand what things were done in the name of freedom and pursuit of happiness.

If you haven't seen this film, make it a top priority to track it down.Barefoot Gen, the animated version of the autobiographical manga by Keiji Nakazawa, is an unflinching first-hand look at the result of dropping an atomic bomb on a civilian target. Comparisons to Grave of the Fireflies will abound, but for me personally Barefoot Gen was the more moving of the two. Though it centers on the effects of the atom bomb, the fact is this could be about any war, and any people. It is a story for all of humanity.Barefoot Gen is filled with its fair share of caricatured mannerisms, but calling it a dramedy is pushing it. There isn't much to laugh at and even when the characters act a little over-the-top, the overall effect hits its mark (strongly). What makes the story even more powerful is knowing it comes from a survivor of the attack, and the honesty with which the film doles out darker and darker shades of life in the aftermath of the bombing (including subtle things one might not think about).I think this along with Grave of the Fireflies belongs in every collection, even if you will only watch it once or twice, if only to show it to future generations. Its one thing to see a big explosion relating to the a-bomb in almost every other anime, but its another thing entirely to see the reality of it, and its aftermath.At the risk of sounding incredibly pretentious, it made me want to burn flags. Not just from one country, but from all countries... to put it another way, I wish we could be united by our common humanity.