Rail of the Star

© 1997 TV Tokyo / PACK IN VIDEO / JVC
A.D.V. Films
Color / Stereo / 80 minutes / Japanese Language / English Subtitles

A star of hope...

A promise of freedom...

The aftermath of war

Chitose, Chiko to her friends, is unaware of the meaning of war but as a young Japanese girl growing up in Japanese occupied Korea during World War II she is soon to learn that soldiers on the battlefield are not the only casualties of armed conflict. From the first small inconveniences to the increasing scarcity of such vital supplies as clothes and medicine, Chiko finds that, as the Empire of Japan reaps the increasing bitter harvest of a failing war effort, its children must suffer as well. Initially part of the wealthy fuling class, Chiko's small family is rocked by tragedy after tragedy, losing friends and loved ones and sinking slowly into poverty as the unrelenting ravages of the Great War continue. And yet, it is peace that brings the greatest danger of all, for Japan has lost the war. Chiko's family now finds itself completely abandoned, an unwelcome band of strangers at the mercy of a land full of angry and vengeful victors with little compassion for their former conquerors. To make matters worse, Korea has been divided between the Allied victors at the 38th parallel, and Chiko's family is in the northern half, where the Russian Army has already begun a ruthless search for former Japanese veterans. With their lives at stake, Chiko and her surviving family must embark upon an epic journey across a war-ravaged land, joining with other survivors in a desperate quest for the perceived freedom of the U.S. Occupied Zone below the 38th parallel!

Based upon a true story, this is a tale of war unlike any animated film ever seen. A child and her family must endure the unendurable in their bid to reach the promised land of South Korea by rail, by foot, guided by the light of a star. Rail of the Star is an unforgettable tale of courage, tragedy and the triumph of the human spirit!

• Kobayashi Chiko: Takamori Yoshino
• Kobayashi Kazuhiko: Tanaka Hideyuki
• Kobayashi Masuko: Han Keiko
• Takeshi (grandfather): Ogata Kenichi
• Kobayashi Miko: Sakamoto Chika
• Shigeko (grandmother): Suzuki Reiko
• Ohana: Maruo Tomoko
• Sano: Tsuji Shinpachi
• Rin: Umeda Hideyuki
• Yohko: Ohno Yuka
• Yon-il (Ryuichi): Miyazaki Issei
• Hatsue: Konya Michiko
• Guide: Kitajima Junji
• Interpreter: Ishil Koji
• Station staff: Ito Eiji
• Yukiko:
Sumitomo Yuko
• Officer: Nomura Jouon

• Based on the original novel by: Kobayashi Chitose
• Executive Producer: Takeuchi Mamoru
• Director: Hirata Toshio
• Producer: Ohstuka Satoru, Hori Yuzo
• Planning: Shikamoto Kisuke
• Coordinator: Kubota Masaaki
• Screenplay: Urahata Tatsuhiko, Asakura Hideo
• Character Design: Kanemori Yoshinori
• Animation Director: Kimizuka Katsunori
• Music: Sakata Koichi

• English Version Executive Producer: John Ledford
• English Version Producer: Matt Greenfield
• English Version Screenplay: Janice Williams
• Translation: Kuni Kimura

• Go to the Rail of the Star review page...