Ah, trashekai. A genre I often wish could take on a tangible form so I could chuck it into a trash can, douse it in low-grade oil, and set it on fire. But surprisingly, I didn't feel that urge with Trainsekai. In fact, I kinda enjoyed it.
So, what sets Trainsekai apart from trashekai?
If there's one area where Kempell deserves immediate praise, it's the prose. The way she brings the desert world to life is actually incredible. Like I'm genuinely impressed by how Kempell finds new and creative ways to describe something as monotonous as sand, yet somehow every scene feels like a breath of fresh air. And it's not just the setting either. The way Kempell describes people is incredible as well. Every new character feels visually distinct, with appearances that hint at backstories or personalities. Overall, trainsekai is just a whole feast of good writing from start to end.
That said, the story isn't without its flaws. My main gripe is actually the characters, esp our protag, Chiyo. She's interesting on paper. She's into photography and trains and whatnot. But her voice lacks the enthusiasm you'd expect from someone with such specific interests, making our protag come across as more of a passive character than she should. Take the moment she first summons a train. Given that Chiyo is a self-proclaimed train nerd, I expected her to completely geek out. Instead, we get a few names of contraptions she doesn't recognize and... that's it. There are a few glimpses like when she considers naming the train, or when she's gushing about trains to explain a fake death scenario (ugh long story), but they're fleeting. Imo the writing itself (ironically, the very thing I was praising earlier) might be the culprit here. Too much attention is invested into the surrounding details and to Chiyoi's observation of them rather than Chiyo's own voice. We get rich settings and cool fight scenes from Chiyo's POV, but only breadcrumbs when it comes to Chiyo's actual personality. In that sense, the story might've worked better in third person.
The side characters ended up being a mixed bag. Medina had the most distinct personality and the most potential, but without spoiling, something major happens to her that's meant to fuel Chiyo's motivation in the second half of Trainsekai. Unfortunately, due to Medina's limited screen (page?) time, that event ends up feeling emotionally shallow, and Chiyo's motive suffers as a result. Dragon twink was fine, but again, kinda passive. Given his backstory (slave, demon kin, etc.), I expected a lot more bitterness in his conversations with Chiyo. Instead, he's mostly introspective. As for the merchants, they kinda felt like carbon copies of each other: the morally good, helpful types that eventually faded into the background.
In the end, don't let my critim distract you from what Trainsekai does exceptionally well. The worldbuilding, the prose, the quality - they all shine above most entries. Sure, Trainsekai isn't perfect, but it is, without a doubt, leagues better than any trashekai.
