 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | JAPANESE DD 2.0 W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 102 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | NR | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 02/06/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 02/25/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN |
Based on an allegedly true story posted on the 2ch forum in Japan in 2004, the movie TRAIN_MAN (DENSHA OTOKO) is billed on the cover as “A love story for the geek in all of us.” One hopes non-geeks will not be offended and turned off as a result, because this sweet love story will make a break for anyone looking for a date movie with a twist. Yes, it is in Japanese, but there are subtitles, and the quality of production is excellent from beginning to end.
The story revolves around Densha Otoko, an Otaku (geek) who lives for anime, manga, collects figures, and communicates in his spare time with the outside world via internet chat rooms like the 2ch forum. One day his life changes, as a result of stopping a drunk from verbally and physically harassing a woman on the subway train he is riding. Logging on that night with the handle Train_Man, he tells everyone his story. Sympathy and passive interest from others on-line soon changes to fascination, however, when the woman he saved, sends as a thank-you gift a pair of expensive teacups made by Hermes. The cry for action burns up cyberspace and our hero is compelled to contact his benefactor- nicknamed Hermess- as a result. This leads to a ‘date’…and another. One makeover later, Train Man is on his way, seeking the advice of his online advocates to help him navigate his way gracefully through the murky waters of romance. It is a case of the blind leading the blind for the most part, but the best intentions of everyone involved help Train_Man survive his first dates and move on with his life.
Now, there are some small differences in the storyline from versions of the manga. The best advice would be to view this film as a stand-alone piece, and let the story as performed work its own magic. You’ll enjoy it as much as you may have enjoyed any of the manga versions. In fact, with the production values like the lovely, non obtrusive music score, great cinematography, and comedic twists not present in the print stories, you may enjoy this film even more.
Having read and reviewed the three manga stories also inspired by this tale, it is with pleasure that this reviewer can say the movie holds up beautifully as a complement to the paper versions of the TRAIN_MAN saga. The story remains very simple, making it easily accessible to viewers not familiar to Japanese culture, especially facets of the world of the otaku- which to the uninitiated, can seem bizarre, if not a little perverted. The acting by Takayuki Yamada is a little contrived in places- too much fumbling, stumbling and stuttering after a while to be endearing, but the graceful beauty of Miki Nakatani and her measured performance acts a wonderful counterpoint and save the film from being annoying. When the pivotal climax comes, though, Takayuki Yamada’s performance is spot on and surprisingly emotional. As Train_Man, he has to carry the weight of the story at this point, and engage in behaviors that ‘men’ in the West may find un-‘man’ly. But he pulls it off with a kind of quiet power, almost as if channeling Miki Nakatani’s character Hermess, and truthfully, if the director had forced the ending any other way, the film would not have been nearly as effective as it is.
The supporting cast of BBS flyers is great, with a variety of personality types to make for a colorful backdrop as Train_Man takes his journey into love. The cinematography is fine, especially involving the complicated split screen setups involving our hero and his supporters. In another touch, cleverly integrated like captions into the film are the ASCII art symbols used by BBSers to complement the visuals, jiggling and dancing on the screen as if to emphasize the emotions of the moment for the various characters. As in some of the manga, these symbols perform an important task in telling the story, and help put us into the world of these shut-ins. Also, scenes filmed in Akihabara are handled beautifully, showing off the gaudy colors and shiny store fronts to perfection. Watching these moments brought back many fond memories for this reviewer, who spent his last night in Tokyo almost three years ago exactly walking down those very streets and across a particular bridge in Akihabara that figures so prominently in one of the key sequences.
EXTRAS:
As extra features, there are some nice touches from Viz in this production. We have a director and cast profile, Otaku culture tips with some great photos of Akihabara, an ASCII Art dictionary which translates some of those funky symbols used in the movie, Japanese original trailers for other Viz releases, TRAIN_MAN manga info for the Viz version of the story, and an Audio 'Otaku' commentary with Patrick Macias, Tomohiro Machiyama & Jay Tack.
IN SUMMARY"
TRAIN MAN is a quirky romance movie that puts a fresh face on the genre. On-line, on track, and on target from beginning to end, this movie points the way for geeks who despair for love in the cold, hard real world. Poignant and sensitive without being saccharine, this film is truly a reflection of life in the electronic age with real people finding real love in real time. You’ll be shouting at the screen right along with the actors on it cheering on Train_Man.
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