Miracle Train

I can't believe more people haven't fallen in love with this wonderful series. Yes, it's unusual--this is not your stereotypical bishie anime, and I personally prefer this to the standard fare. At first glance it may seem to bear more resemblance to an American sitcom, but trust me, there's plenty of Japanese depth and complexity to this thing, and it definitely rewards multiple viewings. Although it wouldn't garner more than a PG rating, it's got a decidedly adult sensibility that I think would even appeal to those who don't normally watch anime. While it may have been advertised as a bishie romance, this show focuses much more on the relationships between/among the main (male) characters than on their interactions with the women who walk in and out of their lives. IMO that focus is what gives the show its richness and unique charm and allows for a MUCH higher level of character development than you'd think it could get away with. But don't get me wrong--there's plenty of real-life (not fantasy) romance to be found here, almost invariably with a touching or tragic twist. Without giving too much away, the situation of the stations, their limitations, and their purpose for existence all lend a note of genuine pathos to this remarkable series, and I get the feeling that subtext would have been exploited more in a second season. (I'm still hoping against hope that there'll be one!!)

Overall, this is a truly heartwarming and endearing grown-up comedy with real depth. If you approach it with an open mind, I guarantee you'll be rewarded. The animation isn't the greatest thing you'll ever see, but it's plenty good enough for a low(er)-budget series like this one--I'm just grateful it got made at all! Both the opening and closing songs will be stuck in your head for days, and in addition to being addictive in their own right, they actually complement the series well. You will fall in love with the characters and keep rooting for them through all their trials, mishaps and neuroses...and yes, they make great eye candy as well. :)

Will you fall in love with a train station?

In the words of Tokugawa: "Give it a try!"

Ok, to be completely honest... at first when I watched a few episodes, I thought this anime was sorta boring and thought "oh, its just another anime with hot guys in it with the same storyline throughout" and whenever the story was introduced, it always started off with the intro of "this is a miracle train......", but after a couple of episodes it got better, much better! I loved how they drew the characters. Not only were they handsome, but their personalities fit them quite well too. The story was very interesting, and funny, and in one of the episodes... towards the end, i was brawling my eyes out in tears, because it was that good, and extremely touching to the core!! I also loved how they incorporated Japan's history and such in this anime... i learned a lot... about trains lol and about life (with their quotes). The scenery was drawn beautifully too. Instead of thinking this whole anime revolved around their job of just solving problems... well, let's just say the story was cleverly written with a surprising twist!! Unfortunately they didn't explain a certain part (you'll know what I mean if you watch it). Nonetheless, still good.

Overall, I really really really enjoyed watching this anime, it absolutely made my day I would definitely recommend this anime to everyone, so please, if you have the time, please watch it ^^

At first when you watch this anime, you think, "Oh, it's too boring!", or 'It's just one of those anime's that a boy falls in love with a girl again", or "It's all about guys who fall in love with each other!" That's definitely wrong, sorry if I sound criticizing, but I've heard people say that before. But, just keep watching, just you wait, it's a good anime, honestly! I know all you other people think you want more than a simple plot line, but this is a good anime. It makes you feel relaxed, and it calms your nerves for my opinion. :)
--But, it is too bad it only had 13 episodes....I wish it had more than that, though....=w=

*This is in my honest opinion and is written solely by me and no one else.

This anime, when I first saw it, I thought, "Ugh, this is going to be boring." but it wasn't so bad. I really like how they incorporated semi-real life situations with a magical twist. It's nice how they have the different guys represent different train lines. It gives the anime's foreign audience a chance to learn a bit about Japan's train lines since these lines are in fact, real. I also really liked how they had the guys act as 'counselors' to the various people who came on the Miracle Train. It made me feel like, "Oh, so if this happens to me, this is what I can do."
I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this anime, but I also thought it not a very good anime. There are a lot more animes with better plot lines, but this ones was pretty decent. I don't hate this anime, but I do believe it could be a bit better.

so i was attracted to this anime because of its simple story line (mainly because i was looking for animation that isnt too long nor too complicated), the history and such was pretty easy to understand.

at first i found it kind of slow and boring at most part but it eventually build up towards the end, there wasn't much action (though i wasn't really expecting much) however there's a lot of humour to make up for it. i hesitated watching at first because i thought it would be those story about all the boys fall in love with one girl which i wasn't much fond of, but i guess i was satisfied with it (i refuse to say anything further, i might spoil it otherwise) and i very much enjoyed it :)

plus i manage to learn some things about trains which i never really looked or considered before. the guys are cute no doubt about that, both guys and gals are treated equally. you just cant help but fall in love with the characters... i found tokugawa (the dog), akari, roppongi and shinjuku as my favourites. And as usual it was sad to see it end. but i truly enjoyed watching this anime.

i would recommend this anime if your looking for a simple story line, funny and cute characters.

I've always loved animes full of boys I think this anime is best out of a hundred! The storyline was very flawless and you can understand the main plot. The voice actors fits the animes and the ending was rather disappointing but showed some meaning. The charas were also drawn good and I think my overall rating is 100%!!! Complete epicness! I recommend this to all who are fans of bishies and romance, and comedy! I would also add this, the songs were pretty good and the saying "Will you fall inlove with a station" or something caught my attention to right a review about the anime. I would want them to keep going for a new series but I guess that's really the ending. The romance between Akari and Roppongi was epic. They do both fit with each other!

Miracle Train is a surprisingly enjoyable series. At first glance it seems boring and generic: good-looking men help beautiful women with their problems, eye-candy and emotional release is enjoyed by all. Each episode deals with another passenger on the Miracle Train. However, this series holds surprising variety within its thirteen episodes. There is a lot that can be done with the format, the passengers are varied and the problems that need to be solved range from ordinary and relatable to tearjerking. There's romance, family drama, even police action! The series is also somewhat educational, as it includes facts about the stations on the Oedo line and the surrounding areas. This can make the show feel like an advertisement at times.

Even with such a short series some episodes feel like filler. The first episode in particular is wear as it seems to exist mainly to set up the premise of the show. However it does get better towards the middle and end. There's little character development between episodes, as each of the train stations have a different type of man they stick to. The character designs are simple and generic, as is the sound and music. The animation, too, is nothing special with very little movement in most scenes.

If the concept of anthropomorphized train stations helping women with their problems doesn't immediately turn you off, Miracle Train is definitely worth a try. It's a pleasant diversion that might make you laugh, cry, and smile.