The time is World War II. Chiko is a young Japanese girl living in North Korea
with her family, which was then under Japanese occupation. Soon, Chiko's
father gets drafted into the Japanese army.
Moreover, life in North Korea has been getting increasingly difficult for
Japanese people as they are persecuted by various forces. Chiko and her family
must escape to the south at all costs, and make their way back home to Japan.
Review: Rail of the Star: A True Story of Children
Based on an autobiographical novel by Chitose Kobayashi, Ohoshi-sama no Rail or Rail of the Star is
an anime which showcases the effects of war on innocent citizens... as seen
through the eyes of a child. It runs along the same lines as "Grave of the Fireflies", albeit the latter is a great deal harsher in its portrayal and
much more emotionally involving.
Rail of the Star anime begins in modern day Japan. A grown-up Chiko gets a glimpse
of the news, featuring the arrival of some Japanese war orphans. This prods
her to reminisce about her own childhood, and how the war affected her own
life. Thus we are taken back to the 1940's, during the time when Chiko and her
family resided in North Korea.
We see how they live from day to day, to the time when Chiko's father gets
drafted and until the time he returns, eventually planning their daring escape
to the south. It's not so much a war movie, and you won't see any fighting or
bloodshed.
The character designs are very plain, like everything else in this anime. The
Japanese truly do look Japanese though, with their chinky eyes and pale faces.
The art and animation are adequate overall, but won't really strike one as
anything impressive.
Rail of the Star is a nice human interest story, but that's about it. It
doesn't quite possess the visual splendor or the poignant feel of
"Grave of the Fireflies", but for six bucks, I'm not complaining. It's
meaningful in its own right and it's not such a bad way to spend around 75
minutes of one's time.
Miscellanies: Rail of the Star: A True Story of Children
For something along these lines also see "Grave of the Fireflies".
Rail of the Star: A True Story of Children (Ohoshi-sama no Rail) | |
| Genre | Drama |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 1 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Jul 10, 1993 |
| Producers | TV Tokyo |
| Studio | Madhouse |
| Rating | G - All Ages |
| Themes | Historical |
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