Director Kameyama Youhei‘s Ginga Tokkyuu Milky☆Subway is currently captivating audiences every Thursday at 9:54 PM on TOKYO MX, and it’s also available for streaming in 11 languages on the official YouTube channel.
This engaging series is a much-anticipated sequel to Milky☆Highway, a short anime that Director Kameyama produced almost entirely by himself and released independently in 2022. Despite being an indie production, Milky☆Highway garnered significant attention on YouTube for its unique worldview, steeped in retro-futuristic charm, and its distinctive, pathos-filled dialogue. Its widespread popularity led to the decision to produce it as a full-fledged series.
Not stopping there, the new series has also inspired an exciting exhibition, offering a rare opportunity to directly experience the unique universe of Milky☆Subway firsthand. This report will take you through the highlights of the exhibition and share insights from an exclusive interview with Director Kameyama.
Feeling Like You’ve Boarded the Milky☆Subway?! Exhibition Report
The exhibition is located on the 7th floor of Ikebukuro PARCO Main Building. As soon as you step in, life-sized Makina models greet you, their faces displaying dynamic digital expressions, just like in the show, transitioning between different visuals.
There are also life-sized character mugshot displays. Here, you can even write your own name and take a commemorative photo alongside your favorite characters.
The characters’ outfits are meticulously recreated, showcasing incredible attention to detail.
A fascinating part of the exhibit is the comparison footage, allowing visitors to see the video storyboards voiced by the director himself, alongside the final animated scenes featuring the professional voice cast. This offers a unique glimpse into the production process and is a must-see for anyone curious about how the series comes to life.
The exhibition itself is designed to evoke the `Ginga Tokkyuu`, the galactic express that Chiharu and Makina traverse in the series. The recreation of the station interior is remarkably faithful to the anime, pulling you deeper into its world.
One of the most eye-catching displays is the life-sized figure of O.T.A.M.-chan, the conductor robot who makes an appearance in Episode 2. While she’s described as a rather old model in the series, the exquisite weathering on the figure perfectly captures that sense of age, making her look genuinely vintage.
Even the retro vending machines seen in the show are recreated, adding to the immersive experience. Being in this exhibition space truly gives you the delightful sensation of having wandered into a distinct retro-futuristic realm.
Voice recording scripts are also on display, featuring the authentic handwritten signatures of the talented voice actors: Terasawa Momoka, Nagase Anna, and Uchiyama Kouki.
A wide variety of official merchandise is available, including trendy T-shirts, practical tote bags, and charming acrylic keychains, allowing fans to take a piece of the Milky☆Subway world home with them.
The exhibition masterfully brings the world of the series to life, creating an atmosphere that feels truly immersive, almost like stumbling into a peculiar alternate reality. Seeing Makina and Chiharu’s life-sized forms makes you feel as though you’ve personally boarded their train and are journeying alongside them.
For those who’ve fallen in love with the series’ unique worldview, it’s worth noting that this exhibition will be touring to Sendai PARCO starting September 5th. Be sure to visit if you have the chance!
Director Kameyama Youhei Interview: “I Love the Atmosphere of the Era When Blade Runner Was Born”
――Could you tell us about the circumstances that led to the production of this series?
Kameyama: After I released Milky☆Highway in 2022, I received a lot of feedback from various places. Among those, Shin-Ei Douga approached me with an offer to create a series. Considering what was possible with my technical skills at the time, we decided to proceed with the current production format.
――Ginga Tokkyuu Milky☆Subway is positioned as a sequel to the previous work, Milky☆Highway. Did you always have the idea of continuing the story within the same universe?
Kameyama: No, initially, I didn’t have a detailed story at all. However, many people really liked the characters that appeared in the previous work, and that’s what sparked the idea that I could develop the story further with these characters as the protagonists. We first decided on the format of “one episode, three and a half minutes, a total of 12 episodes,” and then I worked backward to create a story that would fit that structure.
――The characters are truly captivating. How were their designs and settings created?
Kameyama: The characters’ visuals and broad settings were somewhat in my head even before I started drawing storyboards. These fragmented ideas had been stocked within me for a long time, and when it came to creating the story, I gradually refined and applied them to fit the narrative. I had a vague image for each character, and then I concretized them to weave them into the story.
――You handle everything from design to modeling all by yourself, don’t you?
Kameyama: Yes, regarding character production, I’m still doing it alone, just like when it was a self-produced work.
――The somewhat nostalgic worldview is also wonderful. How did you construct it?
Kameyama: I’ve always had a fondness for nostalgic designs, so I expanded my ideas from a retro-futuristic aesthetic. The setting is that “humanity succeeded in space development in the 1960s, and a portion of humanity built a society in space without Earth people knowing.” Supplies and information arrive regularly from Earth, but because it’s so far away, there’s a 20-year time lag. So, in their world, Earth’s culture from 20 years ago is cutting-edge. Of course, I’ve made it enjoyable even if you don’t know any of these background settings.
――Were there any specific works that influenced this worldview?
Kameyama: No particular work had a massive influence. However, I really like the atmosphere of the 80s, an era when the cyberpunk genre, epitomized by films like Blade Runner, became established. Furthermore, I feel that modern culture might have exhausted itself. Since the 2000s, with the spread of the internet and smartphones, information is constantly updated, and it’s become harder for a “style symbolizing that era” to take root, unlike before. In such a context, I might unconsciously pick up retro elements that I naturally gravitate towards.
――Is there a specific reason why you chose a “train (subway)” as the setting this time?
Kameyama: Many video works set on trains are really interesting, and I always thought it was an excellent match for visuals. Since it’s constantly moving, there’s a sense of tension and excitement, and the changing backgrounds keep the audience engaged. Yet, unlike other vehicles, you can walk around inside the train, allowing for action within the space. I felt that the combination of “thrill as a vehicle” and “story development as a room” made it a very appealing stage for the series.
Pursuing Realism Through Familiar Dialogue
――The uniquely laid-back dialogue exchanges are captivating. Do you also write all the lines yourself, Director Kameyama?
Kameyama: That’s right. There are almost no ad-libs from the voice actors. When creating the video storyboards, I would speak all the lines myself to establish the timing and then hand that over to the actors. This was necessary because within the strict time limit of three and a half minutes, I needed to verify whether the conversations would sound interesting when actually spoken aloud.
――How did you hone that distinctive sense for dialogue?
Kameyama: I constantly consider, “If I were in this situation with my friends, what kind of conversation would we have, what words would we choose?” Especially in a work with a surreal worldview like this, if the dialogue doesn’t have a sense of reality, viewers won’t be able to relate to themselves and won’t be able to get immersed in the story. Maintaining the right balance between realism and unreality is something I always keep in mind.
――We’ve heard that dubbed versions will also be produced in 10 languages.
Kameyama: That’s right! I was surprised when I heard that the dubbed versions would be produced. I watched the English version, and while there were some parts that differed slightly from my intended nuance, there were also parts where I felt, “This has a new charm of its own,” and it was very well done. In particular, the English script used natural, everyday language, not textbook-like expressions. I think the overseas production team really understood the atmosphere of everyday conversation that I had originally focused on.
Expanding the Scope of What Can Be Done Individually
――Not only has an anime series been realized, but also a physical exhibition. What were your thoughts when you heard about this?
Kameyama: I honestly couldn’t imagine what they would display if they were going to do something on such a large scale. When they told me they would “recreate the settings from the show” and even make costumes and props, I was truly astonished. When I actually saw the venue, I was incredibly moved by how accurately everything had been built.
――What was particularly impressive to you after seeing the exhibition?
Kameyama: It’s being able to physically feel the scale of things I’d only seen in the animation. For example, seeing the life-sized character panels, I thought, “Wow, his face is surprisingly big!” (laughs). There were so many discoveries that you can only experience firsthand at the venue. Also, my own comments explaining the behind-the-scenes and my particular artistic choices are on display. There’s even comparison footage between the completed animation and the video storyboards. It’s a little embarrassing to hear my own voice constantly echoing through the venue, but I think it’s an interesting exhibit that shows how the animation was made.
――Could you tell us about your future goals and vision?
Kameyama: It truly makes me happy when people enjoy what I create, and I hope to be able to continue doing this indefinitely. If possible, I’d like to gradually increase the scale of production. Of course, it would be ideal if I could just increase the amount of work produced with the current system, but I want to challenge myself to see how far I can expand the scope of what I can do as an individual.
――Finally, do you have a message for your fans?
Kameyama: This exhibition recreates the settings up to Episode 4, but please look forward to Episode 4 and beyond in the anime series. Because we’re a small team making this within our reach, I think you’ll have absolutely no idea what kind of final episode awaits you. Please enjoy it until the very end!
© Kameyama Youhei / Titan Kougyou
© 2022 Milky☆Highway
By Sugimoto Hodaka
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