Ginga Tokkyuu Milky☆Subway

I gave this a shot after having this recommended by Tristan Gallant (Glass Reflections), largely figuring it would be a quick and fun watch, but little more. And I have to admit, even given its short runtime, my expectations were exceeded.

The animation is pretty good, especially for such a small team. You really get a feel for the ways different characters behave and move, and their models are largely pretty expressive. What Yohei Kameyama pulled off here is no small feat, and his voice acting team does a great job bringing these characters to life in both the Japanese and English dub.

Narratively, this largely is ... a vehicle for shenanigans, giving us opportunities to watch the characters handle a variety of problems that crop up after they're arrested and forced to clean a subway car that runs away with them. Things do eventually get explained, but avoiding spoilers, it does feel a little absurd (even the characters acknowledge it). That's not a huge knock against it, mainly because the series just leans into the absurdity of its premise.

Where this truly excels is in its dialogue and humor. The cast gels well and their varied personalities and archetypes play well (or poorly, as the case may be) together. They all get a chance to shine, and while we may not get to know them too much in 12 episodes, the series doesn't let any of them vanish into the background. And yes, I had more than a few moments where I was cracking up, whether due to line deliveries, absurd situations, or just where a given episode was cut.

It's roughly 45 minutes long and available for free on YouTube. Watch it. Support this team. I'd love to see what else they put out.

I initially caught this show while channel hopping back in Tokyo a few months ago. While I wasn't too interested in the show (count it as anti-3D bias), what I saw in those 3 minutes captivated me. Great direction with a sharp sense of comic timing, the show packs more of a punch in 3 minutes than most shows could pull off in 20. I was sold.

Describing how well the action, cinematography, and comedy flows would just do it a disservice. The whole thing is about 40 minutes, tops, and there isn't a dull moment in the show, whether it's hacking a robot or fixing ... some circuitry.

Milky Subway is practically a solo endeavor, and you can really feel the love and passion from Kameyama. With full creative control, you can really feel his vision shine through in every episode. Milky Highway was a very nice graduate project, but it was still a graduate project at the end of the day. Subway on the other hand is definitely more fleshed out, and you can tell he's planned something like this out for a while now.

I can only hope that we get more in the Milky series down the line. Not just because Kameyama is a capable director/writer/storyboard artist, but because I've become infatuated with the world he's created, and reading up on all the world building just makes you wanna explore the world he's created and find out what else he has in store.

Don't sleep on this. This show is the most original I've seen in years.

8/10

Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express is one unique entry this 2025 Summer Season, owing to the fact that it's in 3D. I somehow liked the director's prequel,
Milky☆Highway. How does this fare?


§ Overview

Arrested for reckless driving, Kurusu Makina and Kujou Chiharu are penalised, along with other delinquents, of doing community service by cleaning Milky☆Subway, an old interplanetary train.

It's supposed to be easy but it's anything but.

...
§ Notes

1. With how director Kameyama Youhei's well-received thesis, a new series has been commissioned. He retains creative control as he is not only the director but he is also the character designer, sound director, and producer.

2. He retains the short episode format of 3 minutes per episode. The seiyuu this time are professional seiyuu.

3. The OP — 銀河系まで飛んで行け！(Ginga-kei made Tonde Ike!) by Ran Itō, Yoshiko Tanaka, Miki Fujimura — gives this a retro sounding-song that reminds you of the 80s.

4. It's just disappointing that most of the episodes are boring or simply meandering banter between the characters. It's random. It only becomes good in the final episode.

I'm not sure if I would recommend it. It has its moments, but you have to be patient. It doesn't grab you immediately as in the prequel.


§ Conclusion

Despite being 3D, it has its charms. You just have to be patient to reach the better parts. If you haven't seen the prequel, better watch that first as that is decent.

The director must hire a writer if he wants a full-blown story that's more watcheable and engaging. But for the technical aspects, I give him props.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 4 out of 10 means I got some enjoyment out of this anime, but the issues are glaring, or simply I rank it higher than my 3's but below my 5's.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.