NHK Documentary on Grave of the Fireflies Production to Be Published as Book
The book offers a rare, documented look at the unfinished state in which Takahata felt he released Grave of the Fireflies, drawing on primary production materials and firsthand interviews.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime Anime.
A book based on the NHK ETV special 'Grave of the Fireflies, Isao Takahata, and the Seven Notebooks' will be released on June 24, 2026. Written by NHK director Yoko Terakoshi, the book examines director Isao Takahata's creative process through seven preserved notebooks and interviews with staff, and includes previously unpublished materials.
Yoko Terakoshi, the NHK director who produced the ETV special, wrote the book after hearing Takahata say during the production of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya that he released Grave of the Fireflies without completing it at all. She then examined the seven notebooks kept as art objects and interviewed production staff and experts from the film's era. The book includes an eight-page color frontispiece with 13 materials and scene cuts, two of which are being made public for the first time. Grave of the Fireflies began worldwide distribution on Netflix in 2024, and domestic distribution started last year.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.