Soundtrack/Score:
A beautiful soundtrack, I would give it an 8/10, the instrumentals were very appropriate and really set every mood in the film. The real beauty in this soundtrack was the vocal choir done by the children in this movie, involving both Russian children and Japanese children. The song Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru (Hoshi-meguri no Uta) is one of these choir type songs played in the film. I was very impressed that they used children to sing in this film rather than adults, there is an innocence and purity in the voice of children that really just made you heart melt during these scenes.
Animation: This section is a bit tricky, I am sure some people who felt like the animation designs for the characters could have been better, I too felt the same in the beginning of the film. However, as the movie progressed I realized that these characters, mainly children were made to be real, they were simple, but real. The characters didn’t have perfect figures, or perfect eyes, sure that stuff looks great in most anime, but that type of design wouldn’t fit in well with the harsh realities of this time. Moreover kids are imperfect, well everyone is, but it’s much more obvious in children and I felt the animation reflected that well (it’s a very delicate time in life where your struggling to find an identity and a place within your family). The backgrounds were always top notch and were visually satisfying, some scenes remind me of Makoto Shinkai’s work.
Characters:
Our main man Junpei is our star here, but really the whole event/movie is about children and what they experienced and felt during this time. Not only was the focus on Japanese children, but also Soviet children who were stationed in residential Japanese areas with their parents who were invading Japan. 2 other important child characters I feel I should mention in this film are Junpei’s younger brother Kanta and a soviet girl (about the same age as Junpei) whom Junpei interacts with. Giovanni is very confused about how he should feel toward the Soviet (she is the enemy, but she is just a child too, could she be “evil” like the adults?), and it’s very interesting how things play out between these two characters. The 2nd third of the movie is more focused on the relationship between these two characters. Our final arc of the film is really about Junpei and his brother and really about Junpei’s sense of family. This final arc is very intense and invokes so many emotions in you, grab some tissues if you cry easily, I didn’t cause I’m heartless moron, but yeah.
Other:
The film supposedly makes make references to a book called “Night on the Galactic Railroad” written by Kenji Miyazawa, the book itself is referenced in the film many times. You may like to read this book if you have access to a copy, to have a deeper understanding of the film, though by no means is required. Overall the film had very strong plot, pretty good characters, and a great soundtrack, I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Some themes or ideas that circulate this film are loss, confliction with change, confusion towards society, family, regret, the power and dynamics of a family unit, and the longing to be back home.
