In 2nd class the seats themselves are fine and streets ahead in comfort and space of their equivalents in the West, no argument there.

There's no way of saying this without sounding snobbish but I just find the 2nd class experience grim. Luggage and limbs sprawled everywhere, never ending stench of convenient noodles and stinky tofu from 100 personal picnics, constant stream of people passing through the carriage (1st carriages as far as I know are located by the drivers cab so are dead ends), people with standing tickets hovering over your seat and of course some dubious personal hygiene.

Then of course you have the toilets, but they apply to all standards of class