Tetsuko no Tabi: A thorough review of the inspiring journeys that railway fans must see

The appeal and reviews of Tetsuko's Journey

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

June 24, 2007 - September 23, 2007 Family Theater June 24, 2007 - September 23, 2007 (1st - 13th episodes) Every Sunday 10:00 - 10:30

■Broadcasting station

Family Theatre

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■Original Story

Naoe Kikuchi, travel guide Hirohiko Yokomi

■ Director

Akinori Nagaoka

■ Production

Produced by: "Tetsuko no Tabi" Production Committee (Toei Video, Shogakukan, Tohokushinsha, Attic Arcade, Group TAC, Shogakukan Productions)
・Animation Production: Group Tac

■Works

©Naoe Kikuchi, Hirohiko Yokomi/Shogakukan/"Tetsuko no Tabi" Production Committee

■ Story

Kikuchi, an unsuccessful manga artist, is approached by an editor at a publishing company with a proposal to create a manga about traveling with a travel writer. All expenses are covered by the editorial department. Furthermore, the travel writer (Yokomi Hirohiko) will plan the trip for him, so he is told there will be no hassle involved and readily agrees. Kikuchi was excited and looking forward to the day of the interview, where he would be able to immerse himself in gourmet food and hot springs all over the country, but what awaited him was an astonishing journey beyond his imagination...

■Explanation

Train nerd vs. female manga artistThe original is a popular true-life railway manga (now published irregularly) that was serialized in the monthly magazine "IKKI" (Shogakukan) until the December 2006 issue. Yokomi Hirohiko, an ultimate train enthusiast who has gotten off at all 9,843 stations in Japan, drags Kikuchi, a female manga artist who only thinks of trains as a means of transportation, around the country. Starting with getting on and off at every station on the Kururi Line in one day, a 130 yen trip around one metropolitan area and six prefectures, an impressive (?) tour of abandoned railway tracks, and more, this is a true-life railway journey that has nothing to do with sightseeing, gourmet food, or steam, and is all about riding trains.

■Cast

・Hirohiko Yokomi, Nobuyuki Hiyama, Kikuchi, Akira Tomisaka, Ishikawa, Tokuei Kawashima, Kamimura, Tetsuji Ota, Chief Editor, Toshio Furukawa, Kinako, Masumi Toyooka, Opening narration, Yoshio Harada

■ Main staff

・Original story: Naoe Kikuchi・Director: Akinori Nagaoka・Series composition, script: Kazuhiko Soma・Character design: Yuka Kudo・Design works: Yoshiko Baba・Art director: Shinji Kawai・Color setting: Junko Arakaki・Director of photography: Shinichiro Tate・Editor: Yuji Oka・Music: SUPER BELL"Z, Cher Watanabe・Sound director: Nobuhiro Ogawa・Railway advisor: Takahiro Nozuki・Producers: Takehiko Shimazu, Hiroyuki Yamane, Airi Yamazaki, Chie Obara, Hiroshi Sakurai, Ken Ogawa・Animation producer: Chikara Onishi・Animation production: Group TAC・Production cooperation: Toei Animation・Production: "Tetsuko no Tabi" Production Committee (Toei Video, Shogakukan, Tohokushinsha, Attic Arcade, Group TAC, Shogakukan Productions)

■ Main Characters

・Hirohiko Yokomi is the ultimate train enthusiast who has gotten off at every station in the country. He calls himself a train nerd.
・Kikuchi is a manga artist. He has never been particularly interested in trains. He likes ekiben.
・Ishikawa, the first editor. It all started with this person. He is actually a train lover.
・Kamimura is the second editor. Like Kikuchi, he has no interest in trains. He's a bit of a fool.

■Subtitle

・First trip: Getting on and off at all stations on the Kururi Line (2007/06/24)
・2nd trip／130 yen・Long tour of Tokyo and 6 prefectures (2007/07/01)
・Third trip/Togo・Yuhizo…Tetsuko-style date course (2007/07/08)
・4th Trip/Southern Tohoku/Yokomi Special (2007/07/15)
・5th trip: A trip to enjoy the nature of Iwate Prefecture (2007/07/22)
・6th trip: Watarase Valley Railway and the abandoned railway line (2007/07/29)
・7th Journey / Undersea Station and First Landing in Hokkaido (2007/08/05)
・8th trip / Iida Line, visiting hidden stations (2007/08/12)
・The 9th Journey: It's not too late! (2007/08/26)
・10th trip / Congratulations on the first arrival of the train girl group in Shikoku (2007/09/02)
・11th Trip: Experience the charm of Nagano Electric Railway (2007/09/09)
・12th trip / Full of sights, Hisatsu Line (2007/09/16)
・13th Trip/This is Hokkaido! (2007/09/23)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Something's okay・Lyrics: Takahiro Nozuki & Motoi Tsuchiya・Music: Takahiro Nozuki・Arrangement: Takahiro Nozuki・Singer: SUPER BELL"Z

・ED1
・Great Journey・Lyrics by Kei Ogura・Music by Takeo Watanabe・Arrangement by Takahiro Nozuki & Sugiyama!
・Song: SUPER BELL"Z

The appeal and reviews of "Tetsukonotabi"

"Tetsuko no Tabi" is a 13-episode TV anime series that aired in 2007, and is based on a manga by Naoe Kikuchi and Hirohiko Yokomi. The story has a unique premise in which Hirohiko Yokomi, a train enthusiast (commonly known as a "train nerd"), drags Kikuchi, a female manga artist who has no interest in trains, around the country on trains. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Tetsuko no Tabi" begins when Kikuchi, an unsuccessful manga artist, is approached by an editor at a publishing company to plan a trip with travel writer Yokomi Hirohiko. Kikuchi was hoping to take a trip to enjoy gourmet food and hot springs around the country, but what awaited him was a tough journey focused on trains. This contrast makes the story interesting.

Each episode depicts the journey of a train enthusiast, including getting on and off at every station on the Kururi Line, taking a 130 yen trip around Tokyo and six prefectures, and touring abandoned railway tracks. The interplay between Kikuchi's reactions and Yokomi's passion brings laughter and emotion to viewers. Also, don't miss the process in which Kikuchi gradually becomes aware of the charm of trains throughout the journey.

Character Appeal

The main character, Yokomi Hirohiko, is an ultimate train enthusiast who has gotten off at every station in the country and calls himself a train nerd. His passion and knowledge about trains plays an important role in conveying the appeal of trains to the audience. Meanwhile, Kikuchi is a manga artist who has no interest in trains, but her love of ekiben (train-ben lunchboxes) brings out the best in her character. Her reactions and growth add depth to the story.

Ishikawa, the first editor, and Kamimura, the second editor, are also important characters. Ishikawa is a train enthusiast and is the person who inspired Kikuchi to embark on his journey. On the other hand, Kamimura is a goofy character who has no interest in trains, and the contrast with Kikuchi makes the story more interesting.

Animation and performance

The animation for "Tetsuko no Tabi" was produced by Group TAC. Character design is by Yuka Kudo, design work is by Yoshiko Baba, and art direction is by Shinji Kawai. The animation is meticulously drawn down to the smallest details of the trains, making the viewer feel as if they are actually on the journey.

Director Akinori Nagaoka directs each episode to bring out the charm of trains to the fullest. In particular, the train running scenes and station scenery are beautifully drawn, which are important elements in conveying the charm of trains to viewers. Kazuhiko Souma, who was in charge of the series composition and scriptwriting, also skillfully depicts the development of the story and the growth of the characters.

Music and theme song

The music for "Tetsuko no Tabi" was provided by SUPER BELL"Z and Watanabe Cher. The opening theme, "Nanka Ari Kamo ne," was written by Nozuki Takahiro and Tsuchiya Motoi, composed and arranged by Nozuki Takahiro, and sung by SUPER BELL"Z. This light-hearted song expresses the joy of traveling and the charm of trains, and is sure to lift the spirits of viewers.

The ending theme "The Great Journey" is written by Kei Ogura, composed by Takeo Watanabe, arranged by Takahiro Nozuki and Sugiyama!, and sung by SUPER BELL"Z. This grand song expresses the excitement and sense of accomplishment of the journey, leaving a deep impression on viewers.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Tetsuko no Tabi" is a work that can be enjoyed not only by train enthusiasts, but also by general viewers. While conveying the charm of trains, you can also enjoy Kikuchi's growth and the comedy elements between the characters. Another highlight is the Japanese scenery and culture depicted in each episode.

This work is recommended for people who are interested in trains, as well as those who like travel and comedies. In particular, the animation, which carefully depicts the details of the trains, and the story that depicts the growth of the characters will deeply move the viewer. In addition, the music and theme song also enhance the charm of the work and lift the viewer's spirits.

"Tetsuko no Tabi" is a wonderful work that depicts the charm of trains and the excitement of traveling. Please watch it and experience its charm.