Train to the End of the World – Episode 02

Episode Synopsis:

The girls discuss the logistics of their trip to Ikebukuro. Due to leaving in a hurry, and the unknown distance they must traverse, there’s food inventory and clean underwear to concern themselves with. In the midst of all that, the train suddenly lurches forward and barrels around a bunch of curved tracks. The girls then meet a strange man floating by in a boat and trade with him for a map to Ikebukuro. As the train settles, the girls find themselves unable to go backwards due to flooding.

Review:

So quick note before we proceed with the review. I work with Radio Frequency (RF) equipment in my job, and I am front facing to customers. I have genuinely been called by people who believe 5G is causing them headaches at best, and cancer at worst. It entertained me to no end that the cause of this twisted up world is freaking 7G. Absolutely incredible how tongue in cheek the writers were with this plot point.

I enjoyed Episode 01 of this show and I’m excited for whatever wacky nonsense the lead girls get themselves into on this adventure, but I am also…apprehensive. I didn’t enjoy Kino’s Journey, mostly because Kino herself is about as interesting as watching paint dry. It is my hope that these girls are more interesting as characters in their own right and they can shine amidst the backdrop of this surreal setting. I’m also always concerned that an anime’s reach eludes its grasp when it chooses to take the path of the wild and fantastical, and wants to do it in 12 episodes.

This episode starts off as oddly…pragmatic. I didn’t expect the girls to care about food and clean panties to be honest. It was refreshing the way three of the girls slowly wore down the girl driving the train into admitting she hadn’t thought this trip out enough.

Okay I lied…one more tangent. I don’t care to learn the names of these girls right now because I’m late writing this episode so we are going to commit the most heinous of crimes in Brendan’s world. It’s time for…*dramatic stare

NICKNAMES

So from left to right we have: Gorgeous, Kung Fu, Sweet, and Professor. One hundred points to Ravenclaw if you know the reference.

Overall this episode is a massive setup. Some exposition tells us that the distance to Ikebukuro is way farther than one would expect, and we are reminded that the journey will be insanely dangerous. Weird stuff happens to solidify the fact that the girls aren’t going to get any do-overs here. Despite deciding that it’d be prudent to turn around and restock before proceeding out properly, the girls are pushed forward by a tsunami (no I’m serious), and that’s the end of that.

To be honest, I’m not sure why we needed a talk session about food and clothing stock if we were going to force the girls forward anyway. I guess we now understand that our quad is in a dire situation. I understood that from the bloody handprints on the supply caravan in Episode 01 though. I am hopeful that Gorgeous and Professor learn to cooperate for the greater good, and I’m banking on Sweet going crazy at some point (it’s always the quiet ones…). I guess Kung Fu is my favorite for now, just because she was my favorite in [reference redacted because no clues for you!]. Dream big girlfriend!

I think the most important part of this episode is this moment, because this story is obviously going to rival an LSD trip, and test our heroines’ sense of reality.

I love the art direction and wild ideas on display. I also enjoy the little clues scattered in the dialogue and visuals that I hope are going to come back latter. For one, there’s this random line, which sounds quite ominous. Is there more going on here than just the world being bent into a ethereal nightmare-scape?

Also, upon watching this episode for a second time to do this write-up my husband noticed the map is definitely going to play a part. It looks like nonsense for the split second it’s on-screen, until you see the end of this episode and reanalyze it.

It helps that the fierce foursome we’re following are so used to the bizarre that few things faze them. I admire their pluck but I am curious if they are going to have the depth of the crew of A Place Farther than the Universe or if they are just a vehicle for this bizarre story. I just hope the show can actually deliver on the crazy premise, and I’m curious how these girls will deal with the dangers ahead.

It’s going to be an interesting ride for sure.

Summary:

This show has some far reaching ideas and is obviously going to be surreal. I hope it has a strong idea of what it ultimately wants to impart on the audience because otherwise this is going to just be a series of crazy train stops. I am unclear why we even needed a discussion about provision logistics, but I guess it upped the stakes in terms of the girls needing to be resourceful on this journey. I wish them luck!

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