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Title:  Train*Train Vol 1

Author:  Eiki Eiki

Publisher: Doki Doki

ISBN: 9781569700969

May Contain Spoilers

Asahi wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a train operator.  He’s worked hard to make his dreams come true, and now he’s one step closer.  He’s just been assigned to Minami-Kitazawa Station, where he’ll learn about the workings of a train station from the ground up.  He’s excited to begin his new assignment, until he learns that MK Station has some really weird employees.  Will he be able to get along with his new co-workers?

Train*Train is the first release from DMP’s new imprint, Doki Doki Books. I was instantly smitten with its smaller trim size and super glossy cover.  The pages are constructed of fairly sturdy paper stock, and flipping through the book is a pleasant experience.  So, now that I’m satisfied with the package, what did I think of the contents?

This is a silly comedy about a hapless young man whose only saving grace is that he’s cute.  He can’t do anything other than cook and clean, and when he’s assigned to the MK Station to learn all about ticketing, customer service skills, and ensuring that the station runs smoothly, he is hopelessly inept.  His co-workers are an odd bunch of characters, and the only reason any of them are working at the station is because they are all drop-dead gorgeous. 

Asahi is cute and sweet, and you can’t help but like him right away.  He’s all alone in the world, and he works tirelessly to realize his dreams.  He only has Pure, a destructive prairie dog, to call family, and he really struggles to make ends meet.  He doesn’t have an assertive bone in his body, so when he meets his new co-workers, there is the worry that these more confident personalities will tromp all over him.  The clash of these unique individuals and the ridiculous situations that they are placed in gives the book most of  its humor.

Eiki Eiki’s art is very attractive, and I found it easy to believe that this group of station workers would cause hordes of young women to gather on the platform just to catch a glimpse of them.  There is a lot of humor in the illustrations, too, as Asahi blunders through each new day.  This slice of life look at a train station is light-hearted and enjoyable, but I worry – does Eiki Eiki know something that the rest of us don’t?  I hope there’s no real life model for these characters – the Japanese train industry would soon fall off its carefully greased tracks.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by Doki Doki