Nanao, nicknamed Lady Bird - the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world” - boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase - and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard. Satoshi, “the Prince,” with the looks of an innocent schoolboy and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others. Risk fuels him as does a good philosophical debate... like, is killing really wrong? Chasing the Prince is another assassin with a score to settle for the time the Prince casually pushed a young boy off of a roof, leaving him comatose.
When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear ... Who will make it off the train alive, and what awaits them at the last stop?
My Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆
Dates Read:
First Read: December 5-9 2021
Reread: August 17-24 2022
Initial Publication Date: September 2010
Translation Published: August 2021
Author Origin: Japan (Chiba)
Tone (via NovelistPlus): Darkly Humorous, Suspenseful, Violent
Writing Style (via NovelistPlus): Compelling
Major Characters:
Nanao (Ladybug)
Lemon & Tangerine
The Prince (Satoshi)
Yuichi Kimura, son Wataru, & elder Kimuras
"Often the case with people who don't read fiction. Hollow inside, monochrome, so they can switch gears no problem. They swallow something and forget about it as soon as it goes down their throat. Constitutionally incapable of empathy. These are people who most need to read, but in most cases it's already too late."
This book is so ridiculously implausible, but in a good way. Super fun and fast-paced; I read it twice within a year! Definitely one of my favorite novels. Lemon and Tangerine were the absolute best, with Nanao right behind them when it comes to favorite characters in the book.
Funnily enough, the second time I read this novel was during August 2022, after reading the translation of Isaka's Three Assassins, which had just released, at the same time Ghost's 'Mary on a Cross' was trending on TikTok - which I subsequently listened to on repeat while reading both books. Now when I hear the song, my mind goes right to Bullet Train and Three Assassins!
I remember being disappointed to hear that it was going to be made into a movie by American studios, and purposefully didn't watch it for months after it was released, but I did eventually watch it. Turns out it was actually adapted quite well!
It was just such an absurdly good read, though. Very much looking forward to the latest translation of Isaka's work, The Mantis, to be released later this year!