Studio Ghibli’s War Drama ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ Sets Blu-ray & LE SteelBook Release for July

Studio Ghibli’s Grave of the Fireflies, the acclaimed animated historical drama directed by Isao Takahata (Pom Poko, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) will be released on high-definition Blu-ray on July 8 from GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Studios. The standard edition and the Grave of the Fireflies Limited Edition SteelBook will each include a Blu-ray + DVD, and special features will include storyboards, image galleries, an interview with Takahata, an interview with film critic Roger Ebert, and more.

Pre-orders for the Limited Edition set are open now through ShoutFactory.com and Store.GKIDS.com. The standard edition is available to pre-order through the Shout store, GKIDS store and major retailers.

Synopsis: When an American air raid kills their mother in the final days of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his four-year-old sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves in the devastated Japanese countryside. After falling out with their only living relative, Seita does his best to provide for himself and his sister by stealing food and making a home in an abandoned bomb shelter. But with food running short, the siblings can only cling to fleeting moments of happiness in their harsh reality.

Based on the personal accounts of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki, Grave of the Fireflies is hailed as one of the most stunning contributions to animation and cinematic history. Deftly depicting the beauty of the human spirit as well as its devastating cruelty, Grave of the Fireflies is a singular work of art from Academy Award-nominated director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata.

Special Features

• Feature Length Storyboards
• Deleted Scene Storyboards
• Interview with Director Isao Takahata
• Interview with Roger Ebert
• Promotional Video
• Image Galleries
• Teasers & Trailers

Fans can also catch Grave of the Fireflies on the big screen this year as part of the 2025 Studio Ghibli Fest, presented by GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment. The film will screen August 10-12 amid an exclusive year-long celebration which will also introduce Hayao Miyazaki’s latest Oscar winner, The Boy and the Heron, to the Fest lineup. More information here.