User Reviews

I'm assuming that this is a tale well known in Korea where this is from since this is at least the second version of the story and there is a note at the end about further outcome. I was going in a bit blind and it knocked me on my behind.

The story is a Buddist tale of a little boy and his blind sister who wander the country side begging. They are "looking" for their mother, whom the elder sister knows has died in the fire that left her blind. Through circumstance they end up staying with a bunch of monks and well... any more would be telling.

This is a heavy movie. The film has left me emotionally shot and thrown for a loop. Someone's compared it to Grave of Fireflies, which I don't think is fair, other than it leaves you with a strong emotional feeling. Its a very good film that I'll have to watch when I feel up to it. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see what can be done with animated story telling.

If you want to be moved, see this movie.

A word of warning :I don't think that it really for kids, especially children raised in Western, non-Buddist traditions. I don't think they'd understand some of what happens, especially when most of them don't understand how serious cartoons can be. Parents don't give this to your kids until you check it out yourself.

"Oseam" just like "Grave of the Fireflies" it's a heart-breaking animated story involving two orphan kids: However, unlike "Grave of the Fireflies", at first this movie seems to be quite light-hearted and childish in comparison, combining some dramatic scenes with moments of comedy and silliness.

But as the story advances, several elements of tragedy start to appear in the movie, until a incredibly sad (But at the same time, beautiful and fulfilling)ending.

One of the most incredible aspects of "Oseam" is that, despite the fact the story deals with many intense emotions, the movies manages to deliver all those feelings in a subtle way, and that's the main reason why even the most melodramatic aspects of the plot worked so well, being pretty effective at the moment to present the viewers the tragedy of the to main characters.

"Oseam" is a tender, but at the same time sad and heartbreaking movie. Even if the animation isn't so polished as any production from the Studio Ghibli, certainly the story has the same emotional impact that animated masterpieces such as "The Grave of the Fireflies" (Tough in my opinion, "Oseam" is a bit less bleak) have.