Ohoshi-sama no Rail

I'm not sure how I feel about the 1993 movie Ohoshi-sama no Rail (Rail of Stars). Based on a 1983 autobiographical novel by Kobayashi Chitose, it tells the story of a Japanese family's escape from Russian-occupied Korea after the end of World War II. It doesn't overdo the perils the Japanese faced, and it gives some exposure to the plight of the Koreans under Japanese occupation. It's a good movie, well made, but it still seems like an apologia, glossing over the oppression of Japanese rule by focusing on a likeable Japanese family and, in particular, its children.

The story focuses on the Kobayashi family, who live in a city near the Yalu River in what is now North Korea. The father, Kazuhiko, runs a coal business. The mother, Masako, tends to the family - daughters Chitose (Chiko) and Michiyo (Miko) - with the help of a Korean nursemaid, Ohana. They lead a privileged life until the Pacific War breaks out; their affairs go downhill rapidly after that. The father is drafted, his business closes, and the family must move in with Masako's parents. Baby sister Miko contracts typhoid and dies. Ohana is let go following an accident that was actually Chiko's fault. Chiko's Korean acquaintances become surly, and some of the boys leave to join the resistance.

As the war winds down, Kazuhiko is invalided out after a long illness. Following the Japanese surrender, the Russians occupy the northern half of Korea, and the oppressed Koreans take control. The Kobayashis are turned out of their house and lodged in one room of an apartment building. They want to return to Japan, but the prospects for repatriation are poor and get worse. They decide to escape to the American zone of occupation, where there will be greater opportunities for getting to Japan. They must traverse several hundred kilometers of hostile and harsh terrain to reach safety, with only the stars to guide them.

The main story is framed by a stage performance; the lead actress is, apparently, Chiko as an adult.

As I said, the Korean side of the story is given some airtime. One of Chiko's schoolmates is a Korean boy, Yong-il, who is bullied for refusing to take a Japanese name and to speak Japanese instead of Korean. The Koreans who seize the Kobayashi house bitterly recount how the Japanese occupiers stole Korean property, buildings, and businesses. A village chief that the family meets during its flight tells how the Japanese rounded up the young men (presumably for forced labor) who haven't been heard from since. However, the story is slanted to keep the viewer's sympathy with the Kobayashis, who are front and center, rather than the far more numerous, nameless Korean victims..

A note on geography. The movie uses the geographic names from the time of the story. The modern equivalents are:

• Ouryokukou River - the Yalu River.
• Andong (city in Manchuria) - Dandong.
• Shin Gishu - Sinuiji.
• Heijou - Pyongyang.
• Sarin - Sariwon.
  
• Kaishu - Haeju.
• Kaijou - Seoul.
  

The bridge connecting Dandong and Sinuiji was built in 1911 and partially destroyed during the Korean War. Four spans on the Chinese side survived and are now a tourist attraction. The bridge was built for railway traffic, so the carriage ride across it shown in the movie is probably imaginary.

Because Orphan has done so many shows from the 1980s and 1990s, it's not surprising that the voice cast has appeared in many of the group's releases:

• Takamori Yoshino (Chiko) played the arch oujo-sama Sayaka in Yawara! and the twin roles of Juliet Douglas and Sloth in Full Metal Alchemist. She also appeared as the romantic rival Shouko in POPS, Princess Lichia in Amon Saga, and in Yousei Ou and the What's Michael? OVAs, all Orphan releases.
• Sakamoto Chika (Miko) played Campanella in Night on the Galactic Railway, the title role in Tsuruhime, Nonoko in Tobira wo Akete, Tendonman in the Soreike! Anpanman franchise, and Agumon in the Digimon franchise. She appeared as Yasuda Yumiki in Nine and Suzume's erstwhile love interest, Katagiri-kun, in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, both Orphan releases.
• Tanaka Hideyuki (Kazuhiko, Chiko's father) played Terryman in the Kinnikuman franchise and Rayearth in Magic Knight Rayearth. He also played Harmer in Al Caral no Isan, Sammy in Bavi Stock, Sawamura in Nozomi Witches, Ronron in Greed, Aoto in Oedo ga Nemurenai!, Katze in Ai no Kusabi, Minowa Takanari in Karuizawa Syndrome, and Ma Su, Fengji's lover, in Sangokushi movie 3, all Orphan releases.
• Han Keiko (Masuko, Chiko's mother) starred in numerous World Masterpiece Theater adaptations, playing Becky in Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Annette in Alps Story: My Annette, Meg in Little Women, and Nancy in Pollyanna. She played Queen Promethium in Queen Millennia and its numerous spinoffs and sequels, as well as Luna in the Sailor Moon franchise. She appeared as Eiko in Kuroi Ame no Atarete and Lihua in the Sangokushi specials, all Orphan releases.
• Maruo Tomoko (Ohana) played Anita in Hi-Speed Jecy and Kumi Aoike in Sei Michaela. She also appeared in What's Michael? OVA 2. All are Orphan releases.
• Ogata Kenichi (Takeshi, Chiko's grandfather) played the put-upon father in Gosenzosama Banbanzai and Maroko, Suzuki in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance call, as well as Smee in Peter Pan no Bouken, the crooked casino boss in Okane ga Nai! (an Orphan release), the Hong Kong chef in Yuukan Club (also an Orphan release), and, most recently, Gran Torino in Boku no Hero Academia. However, he's best known to me as the voice of Ranma 1/2's Sataome Gemna, whose alter ego - the grumpy panda - is my avatar on most anime forums.
• Suzuki Reiko (Shigeko, Chiko's grandmother) usually played elderly women. She appeared as Matsuda's mother in Yawara!, Megabaa in Dennou Coil, Jakotsu-baba in the 2007 version of GeGeGe no Kitarou, Kyousuke's grandmother in the Kimagure Orange Road franchise, and old lady Honke in My Neighbor Totoro. She also appeared in Tsuki ga Noboru made ni and Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoko Narudesho!, both Orphan releases.
• Chafurin (village chief) played title role in Barbapapa Around the World, Inspector Megure in the Detective Conan franchise, Scotch Jii-san in the Hello Kitty franchise, Isono in Sazae-san (since 2014), and Kamoda in Yawara! He also appeared in Coluboccoro (2019), Jikuu Bouken Nuumamonjaa, Yamato 2520 and Izumo (1991), all Orphan releases.
• Miyazaki Issei (Yong-il) made his debut as Gen in the Barefoot Gen movies. He starred as Uchida in Rescue Wings and had featured roles in Azuki-chan, Bomber Man & Bidaman Bakugaiden, and X the Movie. He also played Takeshi in POPS, an Orphan release.
  

The director, Hirata Toshio, was an anime pioneer. He joined Toei Douga in 1960 as an "in between" animator, graduated to key animation at Mushi Productions with Senya Ichiya Monogatari (an Orphan release), and took his first directing job on Tanpen Unico. Other directing credits include Chiisana Koi no Monogatari, Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori (both Orphan releases), and Barefoot Gen II. Sakata Kouichi composed the score; he also did the music for Oshin, Tottoi, and the Animated Classics of Japanese Literature anthology series.

The original subtitles are from ADV's R1 VHS release. They were checked and extensively revised by Iri and new staff member TougeWolf. Yogicat timed. I edited and typeset. BeeBee, TougeWolf, and Uchuu QCed. Intrepid encoded from an uncompressed VHS capture. The raw has some flaws, including interlacing artifacts and one broken frame, but the movie has never been released on digital media or even on laserdisc.

So here's a new and improved version of Ohoshi-sama no Rail. You can get it from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.