I was extremely young when I first watched this anime. too young. the only word that comes to me that explains this piece of art rightfully, is heart-wrenching. extremely and painfully heart-wrenching. I remember it living a sad feeling inside of my stomach when I first saw it on the cartoon channel because I wasn't used to things having such bad endings. it wasn't necessarily an anime with a sad ending but the emotions you'd feel throughout the movie are so heart-breaking that the ending doesn't affect you that much. this anime is truly the saddest thing to watch and it's not fit for kids but it's beautifully written and performed. it's a masterpiece that truly opens your eyes to what indeed went on during wars and how cruel and unfair the world is. and even tho it lives an unsettling feeling in your stomach, it still makes you feel grateful for what you have, moral of the story, it'll make you feel a lot of emotions but I wouldn't recommend it to kids as its too harsh. but it's 100% recommended to those that are mature enough to handle it. it's truly amazing.