“It Rained Fire”: A Raw, Unflinching Look at War’s Innocent Victims

Let’s cut straight to the chase: It Rained Fire (1998, originally titled Hi no Ame ga Furu) isn’t your typical anime. No flashy mechs, no magical powers, no cutesy sidekicks—just the quiet, devastating story of the 1945 Fukuoka firebombing, told through the eyes of ordinary people caught in the crossfire. If you’re used to Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, this might feel like a gut punch at first. But stick with it. This is the kind of anime that doesn’t just entertain—it lingers, making you think long after the credits roll.

First off, let’s get the basics straight (since this film is so underrated, even anime fans might miss it). Produced by Group TAC (the studio behind Akira’s early work) and directed by Takashi Anno, It Rained Fire is a 45-minute war drama based on firsthand accounts of the June 19, 1945, U.S. air raids on Fukuoka. Unlike Grave of the Fireflies (which focuses on two siblings in Kobe), this one zooms out to show a whole community: a mother searching for her child, a teacher herding students to safety, a doctor working until his hands shake. It’s not just a story—it’s a memorial.

The animation? Don’t expect modern 4K gloss. The 1990s style is rough around the edges, but that’s the point. The muted colors (grays, browns, burnt oranges) make the fire scenes—when the sky turns red and ash falls like rain—hit harder. One fan on MyAnimeList put it best: “The simplicity makes the horror feel real. You’re not watching a cartoon; you’re watching people’s lives fall apart.” And let’s talk about the sound design: the distant hum of planes, the crackle of fire, the silence after—chills. It’s the kind of audio that makes you check over your shoulder, like you can hear the bombs too.

What makes It Rained Fire stand out, though, is its refusal to take sides. There are no “good guys” or “bad guys”—just people trying to survive. A young soldier cries as he writes a letter home. A nurse shares her last rice ball with a wounded enemy pilot. This isn’t propaganda; it’s empathy. As one reviewer noted, “It doesn’t blame—it remembers.” That’s rare in war stories, especially in anime, where heroes often get all the glory.

Now, let’s be real: this film is heavy. You might need a hug (or a snack) afterward. But it’s also necessary. In a world where war feels like something that happens “somewhere else,” It Rained Fire reminds us that history isn’t just dates in a textbook. It’s the mother who loses her child, the teacher who can’t protect her students, the family that never comes home.

And hey, props to Orphan Fansubs for translating it into English. Before their 2020 release, this film was almost impossible to find outside Japan. As one fan gushed on Reddit, “I’ve been looking for this for years! Finally, I can watch it with subtitles.” The 360p quality isn’t great (we need a remaster, stat), but the story shines through anyway.

So, who should watch It Rained Fire? If you love Grave of the Fireflies or In This Corner of the World, this is right up your alley. If you want to see anime as more than just entertainment—if you want it to make you feel, to make you care—this is a must-watch.

Is it perfect? No. The pacing is slow, and some characters feel underdeveloped. But those flaws don’t matter. What matters is that It Rained Fire tells a story that needs to be told. It’s a reminder that war leaves scars—on cities, on families, on souls. And in a time when we’re all so busy scrolling, it’s a film that makes you stop and say, “Wait. This happened. We can’t forget.”

So, grab your headphones, dim the lights, and give It Rained Fire a chance. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. As one fan put it, “This isn’t just an anime. It’s a lesson in humanity.” And right now, we could all use a little more of that.

Final thought: After watching, take a minute to think about the people in the film. They’re not characters—they’re memories. And memories, like rain, keep falling… if we let them.