Though Seita, seems a solid and stoic young man he is still charged with care that is far beyond his years and the losses are only hampered by the real need that is present within his sister. Even when Seita seeks assistance from his distant aunt there is still no relief from the care he must provide his sister and the absence of everything that they once knew. There really is for me limited hidden meaning in the present absent dichotomy as the film is reflective of imagery that brings hope back to the children over and over, but only in very small ways, as the reality of the absent environment marks the backdrop of the whole film.

The relationship between Seita and Setsuko provides additional textual evidence of the real challenges that they both face and how, realistically they cope with it. For Seita the only goal is to make Setsuko feel safe and even possibly happy, despite all that has happened. In the scene in the store where Seita spends precious resources...

Though the two traverse many hardships and eventually both die, they are reunited in the opening scene, clean and healthy and in the closing scene, looking over the new incarnation of the city they watched burn in the nation that was so marked by war. The tin of candy safely tucked in the arms of the little girl and the fireflies that so affected her in the bomb shelter (when they died) circling their heads and rekindling their spirits.