Formalism is an approach that contains intrinsic properties and treats each work as a distinct or unique work of art. The historical context, the author, or any other external context is not necessary or important to interpret its meaning (Barrot & Sipacio, 2016). It addresses more the formal characteristics of the text or story such as structure, style, imagery, tone, and genre. The animated film entitled “Grave of the Fireflies” tells the story of two children in the port city of Kobe, left homeless due to the bombs. It is a tragic story of the struggle for survival of a teenager and his younger sister during World War II (June 2011). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The entire story is told through Seita's perspective In the story, metaphors are used to show the central theme and to understand what the author is trying to impart or convey throughout the story. The fireflies that appear whenever Seita and Setsuko feel hopeless symbolize the light or lamp of hope that guides them in times of difficulty. In the scene where Setsuko asks her brother why the fireflies have to die so soon, this illustrates desperation and misery. It also illustrates the loss of the mother and how short life really is. There is also a simile used in the story. The candy box is like an emotional support for Setsuko whenever she feels sad and whenever she misses her mother, Seita will immediately give her a drop of candy to calm her down. It shows how Seita changes the character of a brother into a mother figure. She describes that every time she tasted the candy she felt that there was still hope for everything, even though they were facing many challenges. The writer uses a flashback that describes it as a reminder or reminder of how painful it is to lose a loved one. The flashback of how sweet and caring their mother was made Seita sad. When Setsuko learned what really happened to her mother, Seita lost control of her emotions and burst into tears. It depicts that Seita is emotionally fragile but still brave enough to face many challenges and obstacles to survive together with his sister. It was the devastating effects of the war and Seita's pride and ego are the reason for Setsuko's death. Their aunt reminded Seita to look for a job but he chose not to and left his aunt's house. They ran out of food and resorted to stealing fruit and eating frogs. Setsuko suffered from diarrhea and malnutrition, but Setsuko tried her best to feed her sister but it was already too late. Seita shows kindness and gratitude to his brother one last time by saying "Seita, thank you". The last part is so tragic and heartbreaking because of what happened to the main characters.