How others see the Tube

Having just got back from Bangkok, I spent some time travelling on the BTS (Skytrain) and Bangkok's Metro system looking at the whole system as an outsider. There'll be a post on my thoughts soon.  This reminded me that Jon Justice had recently seen a Japanese animation with some surprisingly accurate renditions of the London Underground.

"K-ON!" is a Japanese animation about a group of teenage girls who form a band in after-school hours. Recently I was watching the film version where the girls visit London and I was really rather amazed at how accurately they depicted the Tube. I was rather expecting something more along the lines of the fantasy London that most Japanese imagine (do you realise that, according to her official biography, Hello Kitty was born and still lives in London?). 
 

But no, this was the Tube looking pretty much as the Tube actually does. The accompanying "making of" DVD shows members of the animation staff visiting London and taking lots of photographs.

I was quite astonished. Even in pictures where the station name isn't visible, I still recognised them" (ie Earl's Court is shown above).

I agree with Jon on this and there's a lovely feel to the illustrations, particularly this last one which is incredibly detailed with the level of signage & signals.  Thanks Jon for sending this on.

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