Line #8 Literature/NightOnTheGalacticRailroad


1	[[quoteright:267:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nokto_2_3294.png]]
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3	->''"I'm not sure what happiness really is."''
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5	''Night on the Galactic Railroad'' (銀河鉄道の夜, romanised ''Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru'') is a 1927 novel by Japanese children's book author Kenji Miyazawa. Considered a classic in Japan, it has since been adapted into an [[FilmOfTheBook animated film]] and numerous stage plays. ''Night on the Galactic Railroad'' is a MindScrew tale peppered with a good bit of religious symbolism, but it's that special kind of Mind Screw — the kind where you can [[FridgeBrilliance actually understand things if you give them a good bit of thought]].
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7	A boy named Giovanni, while going to get milk for his mother, decides to take a rest under the starry sky... and [[DeusExMachina suddenly]] finds himself aboard a magical train. His best friend Campanella happens to be riding with him in the same car. The train in question is traveling along The Milky Way, heading for an unknown destination.
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9	The 1985 film changes all but a few characters from humans to [[FunnyAnimal anthropomorphic cats]], apparently, to honor the author's belief in reincarnation. Also, to honor Miyazawa's love for {{UsefulNotes/Esperanto\| The Universal Language}} the film was alternatively named ''Nokto de la Galaksia Fervojo''. All signs and "chapter titles" in the film are also in Esperanto. There was a decent English dub released in 2001 starring Creator/VeronicaTaylor and Creator/CrispinFreeman, but was [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes out-of-print]] for a while, and the DVD was nigh-impossible to find for less than 70 USD. But not anymore! Creator/DiscotekMedia has announced a DVD and Blu-ray release for 2015.
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11	Consists of:
12	* The original novel by Miyazawa Kenji, published posthumously in 1934. Four drafts are known to exist, of which the last one is the best-known.
13	* A 1985 animated film directed by Gisaburoo Sugii.
14	* A 1986 theatrical drama by Sou Kitamura, titled ''Sou Kou: Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru'' (想稿・銀河鉄道の夜).
15	* A theatrical sketch in a 2002 play consisting of Kenji's works, written by Yutaka Narui.
16	* A 2004 musical by the Warabiza performing arts company.
17	* A 2011 play in English by the University of Massachusetts.
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19	Not to be confused with ''Manga/GalaxyExpress999'', though it was also inspired by this story.
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21	Compare ''Anime/OneStormyNight'', an animated film adaptation of a children's book also directed by Gisaburoo. Contrast with ''Anime/TheLifeOfGuskouBudori'', another adaptation of Miyazawa's book, ''also'' by Gisaburoo.
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23	----
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25	!! The animated film provides examples of:
26	* AdaptationDistillation: Some things in the book Miyazawa didn't specify, so Gisaburo had to use his imagination. The director also added the blind conductor to the story.
27	* AnAesop: Use your life to the fullest while you still have it, and live for others.
28	* AmbiguousSituation: The bulk of the story is one big MindScrew so it goes without saying that what is or isn't "real" can be left up to interpretation. [[spoiler:The one part that ''is'' undoubtedly real is Campanella's death, as Giovanni unfortunately learns at the story's end.]]
29	* AndYouWereThere: During the "Pliocene River" portion, Giovanni & Campanella discover an archaeological dig being headed by a man who's identical to their school teacher, though this is never brought up. Within the context of the train ride being Giovanni's dream it ''seems'' like Campanella's presence in it would also be this trope, [[spoiler:but it's actually something [[DeadAllAlong far worse]]]].
30	* AfterlifeExpress: It's revealed that the train's purpose is to carry the souls of the dead to the other side. Giovanni is just a guest and he goes back to his current life, though. [[spoiler:But his friend Campanella doesn't as he really did die.]]
31	* AnthropomorphicAnimalAdaptation: The book was about humans but the movie is about anthropomorphic cats.
32	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Campanella is dead and Giovanni is devastated about losing his OnlyFriend. However, it's implied that Giovanni's father might come back home after all, so it's implied that things are improving for him. Giovanni, knowing what really became of his friend, vows to live his life to help others and assures himself that he and Campanella will always be together.]]
33	* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:Campanella.]]
34	* UsefulNotes/EsperantoTheUniversalLanguage: All text in the film is written in it. The movie's alternative name is mentioned above. This was done because the original book's author loved that language.
35	* FunnyAnimal: Almost all the characters are cats occupying human roles.
36	* TheGhost: Giovanni's father and big sister are both referred to, but never heard or shown.
37	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Campanella saved the life of one of the kids who had been cruel to Giovanni, Zanelli, at the expense of his own.]]
38	* KidsAreCruel: Played straight with Giovanni and Campanella's classmates (especially Zanelli), who tease Giovanni about his missing father (who has failed to return from a fishing trip) and frequently ostracize him. Averted with Campanella and Giovanni, who are very thoughtful and courteous kids; even the way [[spoiler: Campanella died]] makes it obvious that he's the exact opposite of this trope.
39	* MindScrew: That special, rare case, when all becomes clear near the end.
40	* NoFocusOnHumans: The only humans that appear are the man and the two kids in his care [[spoiler:who were all among the ones that died on the Titanic]]. Everyone else is an anthropomorphic cat.
41	* OnlyFriend: Campanella, to Giovanni.
42	* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Campanella is DeadAllAlong after having saved Zanelli from drowning in the river and then himself drowning. The entire train ride, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane whether it really happened or not]], serves as a premonition of this for Giovanni.]]
43	* RuleOfSymbolism: Playing right into how much of a MindScrew the story is, a lot of its visuals are heavily symbolic and draw from the juxtaposition of the theme of astronomy with spiritual or philosophical undertones. Almost all of it is in service of building up to TheReveal.
44	* SceneryPorn: The visuals and locations play an important role in telling the story, so much attention has been paid to their design and they are frequently focused upon.
45	* ShoutOut: Guskou from ''Anime/TheLifeOfGuskouBudori'' appears briefly.
46	* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Anime/TheLifeOfGuskouBudori''
47	* TheStoic: Campanella.
48	* TimeDilation: Implied to be what Giovanni & Campanella experience at the "Pliocene River" - while from their perspective they only visit the area for a short time, by the time they return to the village before the station they find that everything's been degraded and turned to stone. Campanella even says that he feels as though the run back to the station lasted over a million years, [[MindScrew but according to the clock in the station they were only gone for about 15 minutes]].
49	* TheVoice: Giovanni's mother, who is in bed with an unspecified illness. She talks to Giovanni from another room in the house, but we never see her.

Context Literature / NightOnTheGalacticRailroad