Film Art - Barefoot Gen

Barefoot Gen marks our first venture into the realm of Japanese Animation - Anime. Barefoot Gen is an adaption of the manga of the same name by Keiji Nakazawa and is loosely based on the author's own experiences during the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
There's not really much to be said regarding the link between the film and anime as a medium other than the fact that anime really came into its own due to the economic depression following WWII due to the fact that it was cheap as chips to animate. The film itself is really fantastic however, and really makes you feel for the characters. The scene where Daikichi, Eiko and Shinji perish under the rubble of their home is heart-wrenching to say the least, and the rest of the movie is just as painful.
One issue I have with the movie is that Barefoot Gen also uses some cliche poses typical to anime that just seem out of place considering the general mood of the piece, especially in dramatic scenes. For example, during the scene where his family dies, Gen is seen comically dancing around in a panic, which obviously doesn't match the tone being presented to the audience. Having said this, it could be that Gen's behaviour is simply due to him being a child and generally a bit a silly. I find this hard to believe though, and think it is just an unfortunate choice in directing.