ironhorse_iv I read the Manga before seeing this movie, so I was kind of had some high standards to the film, but haven't yet saw the live version of Barefoot Gen Part 1 (1976), Barefoot Gen: Explosion of Tears (1977), Barefoot Gen: Part 3 Battle of Hiroshima (1980). So this animated film, is the first one I had seems since reading the manga. I wasn't disappointed. The film shows the madness of war, and it's just as heartbreaking, disturbing, and yet at the same time, it's so inspiring and uplifting by the actions of Barefoot Gen who is trying to make what best for his family. Barefoot Gen proves that even in the most dired and bleak of moments, a ray of hope can shine brightly. It shows that even a cartoon can show depth and cover one of the worst events in World History. The main different between the movie, and the book is the cutting of characters and more of the backstory before the bomb. In the book, the family are treated as traitors when his father is against the war forcing Gen's older brother to join the Navy to prove that his family isn't a coward. There is also a sum story between another family relation living in the county. Mr. Pak also has a bigger part. The story reveals… the life of young Barefoot Gen surviving the horrors of Hiroshima, and it's an emotional driven story that would probably scare younger viewers. Most of the film, deals with his relationship with his mother, and his younger brother Shinji. I like the subbed version over the dubbed version when the dub is annoying, and when all the music has been changed. This isn't one of those movies. The English dubbed version is just as watchable as the sub version. The movie tends to be really, really depressing, there are parts in the movies that are just down right heart breaking. so this isn't a movie worth watching on family night… but a movie worth to be teach in history class rooms about the dangers of nuclear weapon. In this film, you will feel every person's pain after the bombing. You can see the sadness, the pain, and what real death is. Most other movies make death too cliché and dramatic. But, in this movie, it shows what real death is. That is what makes this movie powerful in it's images.

dinningfamily I was warned that this movie was graphic and heart wrenching, but being curious I decided to watch it as I have seen graphic dark animation before such as Grave of the Fireflies, Watership Down, Plague Dogs, When the Wind Blows, Felidae etc so I thought I would be able to handle it... Boy was I wrong.I learned that the effects of the bomb were horrible but not this horrific. Just seeing people including young children melt away to nothing, dogs yelping in pain as it's coat caught on fire, horribly unrecognizable,graphically burnt people walking down the street like zombies (Were they still alive?) a mother laughing hysterically after losing her family... This had struck me down to the core watching this and lasted hours after watching the film. I also kept thinking... How can humankind be so cruel? This movie was hard to watch but movies like this should not be hidden. Movies like this should be view to the world for hopes on peace. Never again should this happen.

siderite 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.

kaji-saori I've read the comic books of barefoot gen when i was in the elementary school. My teacher had the whole series of it, and i was really horrified when i first read it, but i was very curious and was into it after all. When I saw the movie, I liked the comic book better, but still it describes the horror of the war. I watched this movie with my grand parents who was in Hiroshima at that time, who really experienced it, said this movie describes it so well. hopefully I think anyone would experience this sad incident again, but it is really important to get an idea of what had happened in the real world. this movie is the best way i know to get a sense of it.