A scenic Hankyu Line train ride setting with a slow-burn emotional drama told in a series of vignettes following the POVs of its five main passengers in their two journeys—outward and return with 6 months apart—in their slice-of-life encounters, dilemmas and life transformations. So uplifting with calm and reflective tone, loved the characterization and how the premise gets me hooked on its tense and charming interconnected tales; of the new found friendship and love story, on fear, loneliness, heartbreak and one’s realisation of regret, empathy and self-worth.

Liked how the author intertwining their scenes with just minimal interactions yet enticing and interesting much to see how each plotlines fit and carried the whole plot in their own mini arc. A heartwarming and cute tales for both Masashi and Tokie (loved her character!) and fairly favoured both Shoko and Misa’s chapters for their broken and toxic relationship tales— of self-resilience and how both overcome their emotional conflicts and relationship trauma. I was a little anxious for Misa’s plot but loving the final execution as well those glimpses of Etsuko and Yasué’s stories in between.

The backdrop itself was like a moving stage; a train ride and platforms to go further or exit metaphoring a transition and the pace of one’s life. It was a healing and meaningful journeys for these characters, comforting much on the closure and how it was relatable, thoughtful and quietly wise overall. Was a bit curious too on how the final look on this published edition will turn out as I am reading the ARC edition and getting both the ‘illustration to come’ and ‘map to come’ with FPO marks on few of its pages— do I need to get the published edition(?)