Night on the Galactic Railroad


JPEG image Type: movie
Genre: Science fiction, fantasy
Dub/Sub: Subtitled
Length: 115 minutes
Copyright date: 1985/1995
Animation quality: 8.5
Rating:
          V-V
          G-----------PG----------PG13-----------R------NC17
Why:
General overall quality: 9.5
Distributed by:Central Park Media (U.S. Manga Corps)

A note: certain nouns are applied loosely, as most of the main characters in Night on the Galactic Railroad are from a feline race.

In a far away land there lives a young boy named Giovanni. His life is different then that of his peers, for his father is gone, presumed on a fishing trip in the North, and his mother is ill. Giovanni works at the local print shop before and after school each day to make money for his household. His peers make fun of Giovanni because he can not play after school, that is, except for his friend Campanella.

On the night of the Festival of Stars, the kids from Giovanni's school again make fun of him, so he runs away from the town common into the countryside. It is there that something odd occures, a train appears from the sky, a train which is on the Galactic Railroad.

Giovanni boards the train, and is soon joined by his friend Campanella. Together they meet many interesting people who are also riding the train and they see many sites as they travel towards the edge of the universe.

Night on the Galactic Railroad is based on a 1927 classic piece of literature by Miyazawa Kenji. It is a very symbolic story filled with much metaphor. In most ways, Night on the Galactic Railroad has more in common with 2001: a space odyssey then most other Anime.














Night on the Galactic Railroad is divided into several chapters or acts which basically describe the story line. These acts are:
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