You ever get stuck at a train crossing, waiting for a train that feels like it couldn’t arrive any slower. Like hot damn guys did you really need to close the crossing a solid 2 minutes before the train even comes into view? It’s bad enough alone, but what when you’re stuck with someone else. Do you maintain uncomfortable silence? Start up an awkward conversation that could be interrupted by a train blaring past any moment? That dilemma is what Crossing Time is all about.
Each short episode tells a mini story of people stuck at a crossing together. Sometimes these are recurring characters, at other times they are one-off protagonists. For example, in one storyline a school girl gets stuck waiting alongside her socially-inept teacher. A man who rambles a little too openly about his problems and can’t take a hint to save his life. In another episode, two girls invent a game where they will scream the name of their crush when the train races past. What could possibly go wrong there?
Crossing Time is cute and creative, while also never outstaying its welcome. Already halfway through the episodes I started checking to see if the manga was available anywhere. I wanted to see more of these silly stories and find out what would happen to the recurring characters next.
If you’re into slice-of-life yourself, then absolutely give it a chance. You can watch the whole thing in the time it takes to watch a single episode of a regular anime.
