Night on the Galactic Railroad

1985 108 min ★ 7.1 Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy

Giovanni currently lives a dreary life of near non-stop work. At school, his peers ridicule him incessantly, and his employer at work is distant and cold. As his isolation from society becomes unbearable, he suddenly finds himself on a train heading far away from his miserable home. Accompanied by Campanella, an acquaintance from school, Giovanni embarks on a journey that will define the rest of his life.

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Cast

Mayumi Tanaka

Giovanni (voice)

Chika Sakamoto

Campanella (voice)

Junko Hori

Zanelli (voice)

Kaori Nakahara

Kaoru (voice)

Yoshie Shimamura

Giovanni's Mother (voice)

Reiko Niimura

Old Woman (voice)

Ayumi Ishijo

(voice)

Ayako Hori

(voice)

Chikao Ohtsuka

Birdcatcher (voice)

Hidehiro Kikuchi

Young Man (voice)

Details

Director

Gisaburō Sugii

Screenplay

Minoru Betsuyaku

Tagline

"Japan's most beloved children's book is now a hauntingly beautiful feature film."

Status

Released

Original Language

JA

Production

Nippon Herald Films, The Asahi Shimbun, Group TAC

Reviews

N

Norsk

March 27, 2026

★ 7/10

Based on a 1983 manga which was itself based on the classic 1927 book by Kenji Miyazawa, Night on the Galactic Railroad is a movie you are unlikely to forget. This movie will leave you sad, bewildered and happy all at various times. Two humanoid cats find themselves on a mysterious railroad through the universe. There are others on board this train as well and all of them seem to know where it is ...