I’m halfway through TRAIN so I’d thought I’d share my opinion so far.

THE GOOD:

-> The premise is awesome. I love parallel dimensions and I love mysteries and this is a show about both. The show delivers on the parallel dimension very well – it’s one of them “slightly off” worlds and it makes sense how those two realities sprung from one small difference in the past. I also love the way they elaborate this aspect – with worlds glitching from one to the other and also the train as not only a mean of transportation between worlds but a metaphor for the splitting world as well.

-> The mystery is good. Serial killers are a dime a dozen in KDramaland, but I like this setup, the unanswered questions, and the way the paranormal aspect is utlized for the mystery. I’m generally curious about the solution, which I think is the main reason I watch the show.

-> I love dual roles! and the nature of the premise basically means that almost everyone in the cast gets a dual role. Some do better than others – both in the characterization department and acting department, but I never ever say no to a dual role.

THE BAD:

-> it takes FOREVER for the show to actually start. TRAIN has 12 episodes – 4 episodes less than the Kdrama standard – and a thrilling premise to live up to, yet chooses to spend it’s first two episodes splashing around as a shallow police procedural with a few “odd details” telling of what’s to come. I don’t mind slow pace, and I get that the show needed to set up the world in order to subvert it, but it’s just so BORING. I don’t particularly like anyone and there’s nothing interesting about the story on the surface, and it took them so long to get to the point without offering anything else that was interesting. I wonder if, have I not known the premise, I would be more engaged; though, honestly, I might have just dropped it. Side note – the entire beginning hinges on fridging the FL, which is never ever great, especially if you know it’s coming and just want to get this over already.

-> SOOOO many flashbacks. The show does well with presenting the mystery elements, but the emotional elements are presented like the viewer has the memory of a goldfish. A flashback to a scene that happened IN THE SAME EPISODE and not ten minutes earlier? I WAS THERE, show.

-> I don’t like the FL. Don’t know why. I suspect it’s partly the acting , partly her annoying characterization in universe A and partly the fact that the ML fawns over the idea of this day-old whitebread of a person.

THE ODD:

-> This show feels more like “LIFE ON MARS” than the ACTUAL LIFE ON MARS Kdrama adaptation. which is weird.

-> I like ALT ML better. I don’t think the narrative wants me to, but I do. Dude sucks and the plot doesn’t beat around the bush regarding his suckiness. He’s also absolutely feral and has an air of mystery to him that our ML-prime just doesn’t have. But honestly, I just like the dual performance here and the whole is greater than it’s parts.

I’m gonna continue watching TRAIN because I genuinely enjoy it, and my issues with the show are mostly gone now that we are all multiverse hopping. Also, I REALLY want to know who the killer is.

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    I quote you: “A flashback to a scene that happened IN THE SAME EPISODE and not ten minutes earlier? I WAS THERE, show”.

    That’s really annoying and it happens in lots of dramas. And they keep doing it. I mean, that’s not something from the past, it still happens in dramas released in 2023 (Call it love, to name one).

    These days I’m watching “When the weather is fine”, which is a beautiful drama, but they keep repeating scenes we have already seen in the same episode.

    About Train, my first impressions were very similar to yours. The first half of the show was so boring that I would have dropped it if the ML wasn’t Yoon Si Yoon. At least I can tell you it gets better.

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      That flashback situation is a plague upon kdramaland! I think it’s used to emphasis a point or tell you what the character is thinking about (surprisingly, they are thinking about this very impactful moment 10 minutes ago, big surprise)

      I started fast forwarding through these. Rarely do I miss important info and if I do, I either take it as a challenge to understand from context clue or just go back, flashbacking to the flashback lol.

      The show has gotten soooo much better after episode 3. It’s a rough start but now it’s full steam ahead (or any other train puns)

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        I’d love writers and directors to use different ways to show us the characters thoughts instead of repeating scenes.

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          Or just cut it and let us understand it by ourselves and enjoy the acting and the emotions of the scenes… FF became my BFF , lol

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          On very very rare occasions I have noticed only the audio from the flashback being used over the present scene. It was quite striking actually, because it made me notice the tone and emotions better, but it still switched to the flashback scene after a sentence or two, which was a shame.

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            Ooooo, this is a good one!

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            That’s what happens in When the weather is fine. In the first episodes the full scenes were repeated, but fortunately, in the central episodes the PD decided it was better to use just the audio.
            I have watched 11 episodes so far.

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    I love knowing your thoughts before you finish the drama.

    Strange thing is on my first watch I also felt all the 3 cons you have mentioned, and all 3 of them became WAY better on rewatch, which is not at all a good defence. You should not expect your audience to rewatch your show to get it better. But as a constant rewatcher, it worked for me.

    Again I love knowing your thoughts on the alt ml too. Don’t feel bad, the show doesn’t want you to hate him, he is the alt-hero, the anti-hero, the part who completes the main ml. After many many rewatches, I don’t like him better, he is now an inseparable part of the ml for me.

    I guess it is obvious how much I love this show.

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      Thank you for reading!

      I think those cons would not be as glaring on rewatch – you know you already love the show, so you have more patience to it’s issues, and also flashabacks aren’t as glaring because you are more enjoying the journey than awaiting the next plot point.

      “After many many rewatches, I don’t like him better, he is now an inseparable part of the ml for me.” that is SUCH a good point. I think that’s how I’ll look at it from now on.

      It’s very fun to talk to someone about a show they love so much!

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        You are quite correct about the advantages of rewatching.

        Every time I rewatch a show I love this much, I think about writing a short loving review on my wall after each episode. But the thought of shouting in the void (as @reply1988 so aptly calls it) for 12-16 posts is very daunting 😂 Especially that I usually love shows not particularly loved as much by others.

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          I think putting it on your wall will get better results than adding to an old post. Although both are dependent on people keeping an eye on the comments and fan wall, I think people look at the fan wall more diligently with the gif game in full swing.

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          And Mother Bean will never let any post go unanswered so please write as much as you want! We are all eager to read how much our Veans enjoy their dramas.

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