As World War II reaches its conclusion in 1945, Japan faces widespread destruction in the form of American bombings, devastating city after city. Hotaru no Haka, also known as Grave of the Fireflies, is the story of Seita and his sister Setsuko, two Japanese children whose lives are ravaged by the brutal war. They have lost their mother, their father, their home, and the prospect of a bright future�all tragic consequences of the war.
Now orphaned and homeless, Seita and Setsuko have no choice but to drift across the countryside, beset by starvation and disease. Met with the apathy of adults along the way, they find that desperate circumstances can turn even the kindest of people cruel yet their youthful hope shines brightly in the face of unrelenting hardship, preventing the siblings from swiftly succumbing to an inevitable fate.
Hoping to unite their countries with an alliance, The Empress of Austria arranges her daughter, the delightful yet spoiled Marie Antoinette, to marry the crown prince of France, Louis XVI. Upon arriving in Versailles, the Austrian princess meets Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, Captain of the Royal Guards—a seemingly dashing young man—but to Antoinette's astonishment, he is in fact a woman!
The youngest daughter of a noble family with a prominent lack of a male heir, Oscar was raised as a boy to continue the family's military legacy. Suffocated by the rigid rules associated with her new position and longing for companionship, Antoinette immediately takes a liking to this intriguing young woman, and wastes no time befriending her. However, as the childish new queen foolishly abuses her power, Oscar is conflicted between maintaining her loyalty to the royal family and addressing the growing concern of poverty among the common people.
Recalling the events of the French Revolution, Versailles no Bara depicts the struggles of two women unjustly burdened by family expectations. Yet, despite being forced to deny their identities at the expense of personal happiness, they march on to become key players in the annals of history.
