Let me preface this by saying that I highly encourage you to watch the prequel short Milky☆Highway before starting the show or even reading this review—it's only 3.5 minutes in length and should give you a pretty good idea of what this series is like, even if distinct by virtue of being more akin to a music video.

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Milky☆Subway follows a cast of hardened criminals as they involuntarily embark on a journey across the galaxy as part of their sentence. Since the outcome of the odyssey is revealed in advance, the series has a strong emphasis on comedy, though there are a few mysteries and even emotional scenes throughout as the characters struggle to understand their situation and one another. The cast could hardly be more diverse, but all of its members are characterized by an incredible wit and readiness to blurt out the most inappropriate & unexpected things. No character embodies this better than Officer Ryouko, who at times empathizes with her subjects just to remember her duties and tie together the story in the very next moment. The plot might be rather straightforward but filled to the brim with exaggerated scenes whose absurdity the show fully leans into with both its humor and expressive (character) animations.

What truly makes the comedy come together is the stellar delivery by the Japanese voice actors and the rapid editing of their lines. Dialogue in anime often suffers from a rather jarring delay between spoken words and their audiovisual responses, but Milky☆Subway improves on this not only by drastically cutting the downtime between them but also by having characters constantly talk over each other. Furthermore, characters talk unusually quickly at times to the point that they stumble over their words while also being comically slow to react or even deliberately silent at others. The result is chaotic and almost hyperorganic dialogue, conversations so natural and intimate that they almost feel like the characters can read each other’s minds. It’s an incredibly refreshing take on animation dubbing that both plays into the idea that the duos have been best friends for years and enhances the fast-paced comedy by keeping the viewers on their toes. It’s worth mentioning that the series has actually received official dubs and subtitles in 12 different languages—which is phenomenal for accessibility and definitely a smart marketing choice—but I urge you to give the Japanese audio a try before going with any of the dubs because it truly is a one-of-a-kind experience.

The unconventional dialogue writing actually reveals something very exceptional about this production: there’s only really one of them in creative control, and he doesn’t even have a traditional background in filmmaking. Kameyama Yohei is an independent 3D animator who started Milky☆Highway as a passion project, but Milky☆Subway represents an improved continuation rather than a commercialized release of the original concept despite the fact that it has been made for television. His love and dedication for this universe shine through not only in every one of the 12 episodes but also in quite a few bonus videos, including a brilliant 1-hour-long music video—if you know, you know :p

Overall, I’m incredibly happy that this exceptional animator got the chance to follow his dream and share his vision with such a wide audience, and I hope we’ll get to see what part of the galaxy our beloved crooks will end up in next!