Overview
A poignant tale of survival and resilience in the face of unimaginable horror.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- mournful
- intimate
- historical film study
- anime deep dive
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, emotionally devastating anti-war anime, though its graphic treatment of atrocity can be overwhelming.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gen and his family face hunger, social ostracism, bombing, death, and radiation sickness as noncombatants in Hiroshima.
The bombing and its aftermath are depicted through bodily destruction, fire, collapse, and radiation sickness.
Gen’s father is punished for recognizing that Japan cannot win, while officials and neighbors enforce wartime conformity.
Gen experiences the final phase of World War II and the atomic bombing through the immediate needs and perceptions of a young boy.
Films like Barefoot Gen, and why
Grave of the Fireflies
anti-war drama, civilian suffering, and devastating depictions of wartime violence
In This Corner of the World
historical anime drama confronting militarism, trauma, and the human cost of war
The Wind Rises
animated historical drama focused on ordinary civilians enduring catastrophic wartime events
Movie Details
- Director
- Mori Masaki
- Release Date
- 1983-07-21
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (272)
Cast
- Issei Miyazaki
- Masaki Kouda
- Seiko Nakano
- Takao Inoue
- Yoshie Shimamura
- Takeshi Aono
- Katsuji Mori
- Taeko Nakanishi
- Tatsuya Jo
- Junji Nishimura
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- RetroCrush Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Barefoot Gen about?
- A young boy struggles to protect his family as wartime hunger and the Hiroshima atomic bombing shatter his world.
- What is Barefoot Gen like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Barefoot Gen as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Barefoot Gen violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Barefoot Gen as graphic.
- What did critics think of Barefoot Gen?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, emotionally devastating anti-war anime, though its graphic treatment of atrocity can be overwhelming.
- Which films are like Barefoot Gen?
- Films with a similar feel include Grave of the Fireflies, In This Corner of the World, and The Wind Rises.
- How long is Barefoot Gen?
- Barefoot Gen runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch Barefoot Gen?
- In United States, Barefoot Gen streams on RetroCrush Amazon Channel.
