#85: Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka

Source Material, Volume 8

Sep 02, 2022

There’s an old saying out there that goes:

The movie was good, but the book was better!

I think we can all agree that the book is usually better than the movie.

Usually.

There are those rare occasions when the movie (or TV show) exceeds the book in quality, memorability, cultural resonance, etc. I’ve thought of some examples, let me know if you agree:

Holes - This is a near perfect movie. Shia LaBeouf. Eartha Kitt. Henry Winkler, Sigourney Weaver, and Jon Voight stealing their scenes. The book is good, but doesn’t stick the way the movie does.
Die Hard - This is where you say “I didn’t know that was a book!” to which I respond: “Exactly.” I read it a few years ago and when I try to remember it, I can only picture Bruce Willis.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - The book has no singing, no dancing, no Dick Van Dyke!

I’ve listed only a few, but leave a comment if you have examples of your own!

The Setting

High-speed, 10-car Shinkansen, or bullet train, traveling from Tokyo to Morioka.

The Structure

Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the characters and has a helpful graphic showing where he or she is located in the train during that chapter.

The Book

On this Shinkansen speeding its way across Japan are 5 hitmen, each with his own mission. Isaka clearly sets up what each character wants and then proceeds to dismantle their plans. None of the hitmen know about the others nor how their missions overlap. Each has to improvise and formulate new plans. It is a ton of fun to read.

These aren’t “The Gray Man” level of assassins. These hitmen have distinct quirks that give the book its levity. Nanao aka Ladybug considers himself the unluckiest person in the world, yet is also highly competent. While he’s not bumbling around trying and failing to get off the train, he’s thinking on his feet and staying a step ahead of the others. Lemon has an affinity for Thomas the Tank Engine, reading people, and looking for clues. Kimura is possessed by self doubt that he’ll never live up to his parent’s legacy or expectations. The Prince is a sociopathic schoolboy who considers himself the luckiest person in the world and relishes disrupting the lives of others. Putting them all together in a train is a cocktail for action, comedy, and drama.

This is a book to read for the pure entertainment and enjoyment of it.

The Movie

Watching the movie was like going to a fun party, but making the mistake of bringing your one somewhat crazy friend along. You tell yourself he’s fun and will add some excitement and sure, things start out that way. But then he starts to embarrass you with jokes that run on a little too long. His zany ideas go a little too far in their execution. You’re exhausted by the end of the night because, while he did make things interesting, you were on edge the whole time and couldn’t relax.

That’s how I felt watching Bullet Train. I laughed a lot, it was entertaining, and I get what the filmmakers were going for, but it felt like nobody at no point raised their hand and said “Should we perhaps show some restraint here?”

The bones of the story and connective tissue of the characters are all present. There are some fun surprises and I heard a few gasps in the theater. I give it plenty of credit for being made at all; turning any novel into a Hollywood movie headlined by big stars is no small feat. I just hope it will raise awareness for the novel and that people decide to read it.

Because while the movie was good, the book was clearly better.

What did you think of Bullet Train? Do you have any recommendations for other tight thrillers on a moving vehicle? I’d love to hear about them!

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