Two kittens go on a metaphysical journey on a magical railroad train.
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Title: Kenji Miyazawa's Night on the Galactic Railroad (1985)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Mayumi Tanaka | ... | Giovanni (voice) | |
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Chika Sakamoto | ... | Campanella (voice) |
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Junko Hori | ... | Zanelli (voice) |
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Ayumi Ishijo | ... | (voice) |
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Kaori Nakahara | ... | Kaoru (voice) |
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Yoshie Shimamura | ... | Givoanni no haha (voice) |
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Shun Yashiro | ... | (voice) |
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Reiko Niimura | ... | Old Woman (voice) |
| Chikao Ohtsuka | ... | Birdcatcher (voice) | |
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Hidehiro Kikuchi | ... | Young Man (voice) |
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Yuriko Fuchizaki | ... | (voice) |
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Tetsuya Kaji | ... | Train Conductor Shashou (voice) |
| Takeshi Aono | ... | Wireless operator (voice) | |
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Seiji Kurasaki | ... | Milkman (voice) |
| Gorô Naya | ... | Dr. Bulganillo, Campanella's Father (voice) | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
On the night of a cat village's Festival of the Stars, a kitten and his friend go on an celestial journey on a magical space locomotive. On that trip, they have various stops where they meet strange sights, even more unusual fellow passengers and learn some lessons of life on their trip to the terminus of the Galactic Railroad. Written by Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>
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from "Messiah"
by George Frideric Handel (as Georg Friedrich Händel)
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The main characters are portrayed as cats. Ironically, Kenji Miyazawa was said to have disliked cats. See more »Quotes
Campanella: I don't know how to explain it; but I think that people are happiest when they do something truly good. That's why I believe my mother will forgive me for what I've done.See more »
Soundtracks
Hallelujah Chorusfrom "Messiah"
by George Frideric Handel (as Georg Friedrich Händel)
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Details
Country:
JapanRelease Date:
7 February 1986 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Night on the Galactic Railroad See more »Company Credits
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Night on the Galactic Railroad isn't your traditional family film. It deals with some incredibly deep themes, as well as having a slow meditative pace. We follow a young cat (changed from human in the original book) called Giovanni. Giovanni has no time for himself. His father is away, his mother is sick, and when he isn't at school he has to work. One evening the family's delivery of milk never comes, so Giovanni goes to get it. He rests on top of a hill before being confronted by a train. He gets on and finds his friend Campenella. From there the duo encounter a number of passengers each with a strange story to tell. This film is certainly all about the metaphysical. Each story strengthens the themes of religion and sacrifice. It gets highly emotional at times. The imagery is often surreal but always memorable. The animation is calm in both colours and movement. This film is presented in chapters, which I think may be a better way to digest it. It's something no country but Japan would try, and the ending is so powerful it really does make the journey worth it. Mature and thoughtful, if sometimes a little slow.