Anyway it is probably necessary to say talk about broad the similiarities before we go into the differences. First obviously the two main characters are a pair or orphans, one older, one younger. The older one feels a duty to emotionally protect the younger. In this each pair of orphans tries to seek nothing more than survival and happiness. Also both films end in death, particularly death due to starvation/malnutrion. In other words the skeletons of plot and characterisation are the same or at least very similiar. Also both films use the same sort of techniques to get you to pity the children. We are made to compare them to other children, happier children. The reason of course they are happier is due to the love and protection their parents, mainly their mothers give them. Basically there is more than enough that is similiar to justify a comparison between these two rather emotional animated movies. However, let's get onto the differences for these are far more interesting.
The first difference is the mood presented at the end of the film. Although both end with the death of the younger sibling as well as the discovery and mourning by the older sibling, each has a different feeling. The emotions created in Grave of the Fireflies is one of sadness. This is because throughout the film the siblings lose more and more. At the start they have everything but continue to lose more and more (house, mother and then their already absent father) as the film goes on. On the other hand the siblings of Oseam are already at their lowest points. They have already lost their parents (even if we do discover their mother is actually dead half way through the film to evoke sympathy), their home and Gami has already lost her sight. As the film goes on they gain things, friends/family in the monks and a home in the temple. They have gained some stability and the ability to survive even if they do struggle for happiness at times. However, Gami does usually seem happy with her new home (when not being bullied), even is Gilson is bored and dissatisfied. Seita and Setsuko on the other hand go from their own home, to the abode of their nasty aunty (even though she takes them in she gives them the short straw especially in relation to food), and finally to living on their own. Seita is even pushed so far as to lose his morals and steal. Seita constantly asks for help but is all too often refused. When Gilson asks for help he will receive it, such as with the boiled potatoes (even if he is then bullied he did receive help in the first place). They are not really scolded no matter how much trouble Gilson causes. In other words we feel sad for both sets of siblings but as the film goes on more goes right for Oseam's orphans but it is nothing but downhill for the orphans of Grave of the Fireflies.
Gilson with his new parental figure.
This difference of mood is furthered by how the led up to the death is presented. Setsuko's death is a long drawn out process. She is straved, malnutrished and ill for quite some time. She physically changes: the colour goes from her cheeks and from her eyes. She is obviously in pain. She saddingly tries eating rocks and marbles due to ther hunger. She does not even get to enjoy a last meal. In constrast, Gilson's stravation is not long and drawn out. There is only one brief show that he will soon be out of rice to eat. Also the cold winter he is stranded in does not really seem to affect him. In other words the pain in which he would have died in is not emphasised. In fact when he dies he seems to be at peace and realise he is happy with his place in life and his new family (as we can see with the snowman family he has made). Likewise his interactions with the picture of the Goddess of Mercy could imply his pain but the ending turns this into his inner tranquility. It also results in Gami's sight returning, as if Gilson's death is a sort of sacrefice so that his sister can be happy. So again Oseam's mood is generally sad but has definitely more to be happy for than there is in Grave of the Fireflies. As a side note there is little to no humour in Grave of the Fireflies, whereas there is some in Oseam, especially in relation to Gilson and his pet dog.
Setsuko and Seita were basically forced to live alone. http://skyfurrow.deviantart.com/art/Fireflies-423638228
So why, why is there such a difference of mood? Well Grave of the Fireflies is set quite obviously during the end of the Second World War. The father is part of the Japanese navy. Seita's and Setsuko's house is lost due to an American bombing. They are forced into stealing because of the regulised ration in place due to the war. Their aunty often scolds them (unjustifiably) for being lazy and worthless in such a time of need. The war is firmly in the background of the film and this is why the film is so negative and sad. It aims to show that war is bad and has many. It doesnot focus on the horrors seen in the trenches but the voiceless victims. The civilian children who do not truly understand what is happening and who have no choice in their circumstances. These are the ones who are really hurt in war and although Grave of the Fireflies is to the extreme, it still shows the victims of war beyond the casualities on the frontline. The fact nothing goes right for Seita and Setsuko shows how selfish and ingenerous people are in war. Now there is some controversy that this comes from a country that realistically lost a war after trying to invade another neutral country (the US) but I don't really want to get into the historical hypocises that could be brought up as the film maker (TERERFE) was not the one deciding to go to war, he is his own man. And so he sharing his antiwar sentiments through this masterpiece of a film.
The true victims of war are supposedly the children who only have themselves to depend upon. http://orinknight.deviantart.com/art/Grave-of-the-Fireflies-146550966
Oseam, as a movie, on the other hand has no real message for the audience I think, and thus the ending can be happy. In fact I would say it cannot be sad because the story behind Oseam seems to be a fairly traditional one about the transformation and restoration of a Buddhist temple. Interestingly there is a1990 film, live action this time, on the same story. So the story Oseam is based on would promote Buddhism and spirituality. I don't think the director really wants more people to become seriously religious after seeing his movie but the story it is based on would want this. Anyway the traditional tale of Oseam (and so the movie too) definitely shows the value of inner tranquility in a way that makes Gilson's death somewhat acceptable in the scheme of things. Because it is a story of why a temple was made being rebuilt, of course it will have this sort of peaceful, serene and miraclous ending. Why would they build or reconstruct a temple on a cursed ground? Surely if a boy died there and it was not some sort of miraclous and peaceful passing it would not be justifiable to place such a holy and spiritual building in this place. Thus the feeling at the end of the film is what Buddhism is about and so the origin story of a Buddhist temple would have these values.
So there we have it. I hope that it sort of made sense. Again I would urge you to watch both these post haste. Links below:
Grave of the Fireflies:
http://myanimelist.net/anime/578/Hotaru_no_Haka
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=332
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=152
Oseam:
http://myanimelist.net/anime/2141/Oseam
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=1053
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4495
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