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Poster for Rail of the Star - A True Story of Children and War

Rail of the Star - A True Story of Children and War

Seen it?

1993 | 79 min | Animation, Drama, War, History

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With almost no lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for animation lovers and history buffs. If you loved Empire of the Sun or The Bridge on the River Kwai, start here.
The mood
Intense, feel-good.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 19 min.
What might put you off
  • No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

A young Japanese actress remembers her war childhood in Korea. Her father goes to fight, her baby sister Miko dies of typhoid, her beloved Korean maid Ohana is fired due to a mistake which could cost Chiko her life... By and by Chiko realizes that the country is being ruled by the Japanese and the Koreans are persecuted. When the war ends, the Koreans chase the Japanese rule and the roles change. Now Chiko's family is unwanted. But then the Russians come and this is the end. They have to burn all the pictures to avoid all suspicions... even Miko's picture. But when the Russians come to their house, they decide to flee over the 38th Parallel towards freedom. A group of men, women, children struggles along the mountains, led by the light of the Northern Star. Along the way they meet a Korean man, who is willing to help them to escape the Russian soldiers although his family was killed by the Japanese.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 2K people sought it out in the past year

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Cast & crew

Directed by Satoru Namekawa, Toshio Hirata

  • Yoshino TakamoriChitose "Chiko" Kobayashi (voice)
  • Hideyuki TanakaKazuhiko Kobayashi (voice)
  • Keiko HanMasuko Kobayashi (voice)
  • Kenichi OgataTakeshi (voice)
  • Chika SakamotoMichiyo "Miko" Kobayashi (voice)
  • Reiko SuzukiShigeko (voice)
  • Tomoko MaruoOhana (voice)
  • Shinpachi TsujiSano (voice)
  • Hideyuki UmezuTakayashi (voice)
  • ChafurinVillage chief (voice)