KENJI MIYAZAWA'S A NIGHT ON THE GALACTIC RAILWAY

A lonely boy and his childhood friend embark on a dreamy and philosophical train ride across the galaxy in this translated graphic novel from Japan.

This adaptation of Night on the Galactic Railroad, Miyazawa’s classic fantasy novel published posthumously in 1934, follows Giovanni, a sensitive and awkward boy in a village that evokes continental Europe, who works to support his sick mother while his father is away at sea. Too tired from work to engage, he’s isolated from classmates, who, save for Campanella, are often unkind to him. While on an errand to get milk, Giovanni contemplates going to the riverside Galactic Festival, but an encounter with class bullies sends him running to the hills. There, he’s transported onto a train that’s departing Galaxy Station; somehow, Campanella is also on board. Although they’re perplexed, the two embark on an ethereal journey across the Milky Way, encountering intriguing travelers and gradually unraveling a hidden truth. The story delicately engages with themes of death, loss, and friendship. While Kitahara faithfully adapts the original storyline, some nuances are lost between the sometimes clunky and vague language and the poor layout of text within the speech bubbles. The beautiful art can be detailed to the point of overstimulation, making it easy to miss important information. Those unfamiliar with the original may find this presentation too opaque to convey the story’s full impact; previous fans will likely appreciate elements of this version.

An uneven reimagining of a classic story.