Nosaka won the Naoki Prize for best popular literature for this story and "American Hijiki", which was published a month before.
"Grave of the Fireflies" was translated into English by James R. Abrams and published in an issue of the Japan Quarterly in 1978.
[5] Isao Takahata, the anime film director, said that he saw similarities to Chikamatsu Monzaemon's double-suicide plays.
[5] Nosaka added that "while there's a strong blood tie, he's shut out from being able to love her as a girl" and that his tension increases to high levels and therefore sublimation takes place.
[5] Nosaka explained that Seita "is rather spoiled for a wartime child" and therefore the children of 1987 would act like he would if they were put in that situation.
[5] Isao Takahata said that he was compelled to adapt the story into an animation after seeing how Seita "was a unique wartime ninth grader.
[5] Nosaka said that in the story, Seita "got increasingly transformed into a better human being" since he was trying to "compensate for everything I couldn't do myself" and that he was never "kind like the main character."
[5] Nosaka said that "[i]n the end, it turns out that the days leading up to their death are like the development of a love story.