Hotaru No Haka (The Movie)

The 2005 version focuses on the growing divide between the teenage boy and the family friend (played by Matsushima Nanako) who initially takes them in after their mother is killed during an air raid. As rice rations grow scarce, the kindly housewife soon turns cold as she has to choose between feeding her sick son or the two orphans.
The movie is in commemoration of the 60 year anniversary of the end of WWII, and at times, is remniscent of a CBS afterschool special. As if the antiwar message isn't already clear, at the end of this recent version, two of the main characters reiterate the tragedies of war. "Yes my daughter, war is bad. Look at what it has done to these poor kids."
Well casting, particularly of the little girl, makes the story enjoyable, but viewers might still prefer the original. Still, recent version was one of the highest rated programs of the year.