DENSHA OTOKO- TRAIN MAN, the true love story that launched three manga adaptations, one feature film, a television series, and now from Del Rey, a novel, is perfect fare for anyone looking for a spring fling of the reading kind.  This novel, the basis for the whole phenomenon, according to the press info from Del Rey, is by far the most intriguing entry of the lot, being composed entirely of the postings that described the relationship formed between our hero and his love.  As a writer of sorts, this reviewer finds the format fun to follow, as it gives not one first person narrative structure to the piece, but first person narratives from everyone who posted on the 2ch forum where the story unfolded. 
 
To review the story for anyone who has not heard of it before, TRAIN MAN is about an Akihabara (Electronics City) denizen whose geeky lifestyle is disrupted one day when he he becomes a hero for stopping a drunk from harassing a beautiful woman sitting next to him on a train.  Attaining a kind of celebrity status among his fellow web posters for his actions, he achieves a whole new status when the woman he saved thanks him for his trouble by sending him a pair of expensive teacups made by Hermes.  The cry for action burns up cyberspace and Train Man is compelled to contact her.  This leads to a ‘date’…and another.  Train Man changes his look and his life at the same time, with the advice of his online community cheering him on.  Of course, there are many complications along the way in his amorous adventure.  However, this is the stuff that makes for a good romance, and TRAIN MAN delivers this to the station by the car full.  

This novel is great fun to read, and because of its innovative construction, it lends itself to all sorts of fun analysis on the part of the reader.  The use of the screen format, and ASCII images, and the cyber-spelling that dominates the web world are all reproduced with faithful detail in the text, putting you as the reader into the story as the forum users would have seen it unfold- thread by thread.  Having people help Train Man as he figures out where to eat by going online to check out restaurants, and then posting their findings to aid him in his decision making is but one of the many ways in which we see the online community banding together to do something constructive, instead of indulging in activities that make for more salacious reading in the press. 

Another aspect to this novel that makes it so appealing is the way in which some characters become identified through their use of key phrases, vocabulary, or particular points of interest.  Some of the strands in the various postings also become plot points of their own.  When Train is confronted with the reality of actually bringing Miss Hermes back to his place at some point, he must ponder what to do with his figurine collection, anime posters and adult magazines.  How much, if any of it, should she see?  It is interesting to note he always seems to eventually come clean about everything- managing a little clean up operation in his room or his grooming while still confessing the greater nature of his passions to his love.  (He actually shows her the complete postings at one point in the story.) 

Of course, as shown in the manga and film versions, Miss Hermes has a few quirks of her own, too.  The difference here in the novel, though, is that we never actually meet her, and our only reference material to build a picture of her in our minds is based on the information given us by Train in his postings.  This is a very interesting narrative device to use in fiction, and one that has a few potential problems, if it is poorly utilized by the author.  We learn much about her from this technique, though, including how she may have actually been posting her side of the story online in a different forum for women.  This raises the potential for an interesting parallel narrative to be developed at some point, giving some “She said” to the “He said” that has up to now dominated the various incarnations of this wonderful tale.

So, being in the unique position as a reviewer to have looked at virtually everything TRAIN MAN published or filmed so far, it is a pleasure to see the ‘source’ material and reflect on how it relates to the various other versions out there.  Truly, however, this is the best place to start.  Del Rey’s novel is the perfect foundation for anyone wishing to board the TRAIN MAN express.  It is long- 400 pages- but it is worth the effort. 
 
IN SUMMARY:
Inspiring movies and manga galore, TRAIN MAN is a warm yet realistic romance that speaks to people looking for comfort and love in the electronic age.  Inspired by actual postings on the internet, this novel chronicles the birth and growth of a tender relationship that has captured the imagination of millions since it was first posted in cyberspace in 2004.