"A what?"
"Otaku," Mitsuko said carefully in Japanese. The translation burped
its clumsy word string again.
"Oh," Chia said, "we have those, We even use the same word."
"I think that in America they are not the same," Mitsuko said.
- Idoru, by William Gibson.
Densha Otoko was a Japanese phenomenon a couple years back. Supposedly
based on a true story, it started as a book and went onto become a film,
at least four different manga, and the subject of this review, a live
action TV series (although, somewhat strangely, not an anime... ).
The story starts when the socially-misfitted otaku Tsuyoshi Yamada
stops a drunk from pestering an attractive young woman on a train. She
asks for his address and sends him some tea-cups as a thank-you present.
Completely stunned at this interaction with an actual 1/1 scale female,
Yamada does what anyone of us would do in his situation and runs to the
internet for help and advice.
Enlisting the aid of a singles forum, he refers to the woman online as
"Hermes", after the manufacturer of the cups, and to himself as "Densha
Otoko" (The Train Man).
The members of the forum encourage him to call her back, and an
unlikely love begins to blossom between the beauty and the geek...
What we have here, then, is a Japanese re-telling of Pretty Woman, only
approached from the other direction. The similarity is made even clearer
when Yamada goes on an otaku-transforming shopping spree in Shibuya, and
Roy Orbison plays over it.
I read the book of Densha Otoko [1] a little while ago and I did wonder
how the relatively slim story, one that also relied heavily on
transcripts of internet conversations, could be stretched out over an
eleven part TV series.
One answer is by filling out the cast. The Train Man acquires a family
- a father, younger sister who detests him and, in one of the series
best running jokes, a seemingly always absent mother. "Hermes" gets a
mother going through a hurtful separation and a couple of
desperately-seeking-the-right-expense-account work colleagues. Adding
still further to the roster are Yamadas work mates and possibly the
series outstanding supporting character, the man-eating office lady
Misuzu Jinkama [2], whose appearances are accompanied by a very fitting
blast of the Imperial March from Star Wars.
The next answer is provided by Denshas Otokos neatest trick - given a
face to the faceless. The forum Yamada posts to is populated with a
rotating roster of fellow users, each depicted with a sort of visual
shorthand. We get the muscle bound fitness fanatic, fellow otaku, a
train-obsessive, a housewife, a cos-player, and many others, including
that perennial Japanese running joke - the Hanshin Tigers fan [3]. Some
of them get little mini-stories of their own, such as the housewife
suffering domestic abuse.
The only slight fly in an otherwise smooth ointment application is the
repeated appearance of a beret-wearing, mono-browed Japanese comedian
whose "international" (i.e. blue-screen backgrounds of Easter Island)
wanderings unnecessarily cheapen an otherwise well made series. One can
only imagine that his agent had nothing else to do that week.
The final answer is simple - they make it up. Whilst the opening
episodes stick reasonably closely to the book, more and more of the
later episodes add various sub-plots and rivals for Hermes affection,
such as handsome restaurant owner Saori, and his numerous remote
controlled attempts to thwart Yamada, which always end in disaster.
Another addition, a seemingly implausible stalking plot, actually
results in one of the series most memorable scenes [4].
On the surface, this may look like a reasonably run of the mill
romantic comedy with added "Internet!" for the modern age. Give it some
time, though, and you find an engaging, witty series packed with
incident, brilliantly conceived long-fused humour explosions (one of the
best, right at the end, concerns a shoe-obsessed salary man from the
singles forum) and with a very likable cast (Yamada is played by
Atusushi Ito, who I can only describe as a Japanese Lee Evans).
The series is also technically well done; asides from the tricky issue
of depicting the ethereal exchange of bits on T.V, and Yamadas rather
excellent mecha collection [5], Densha Otoko has a wonderful opening
sequence based on the legendary Daicon 3 film (they even use the same
music) and an eclectic but well used soundtrack. Bonnie Tyler fans, in
particular, are in a for a real treat mid-way [6].
Train Man does have a few flaws. It could be argued that it is guilty
of over-egging the pudding a bit - in the book, Hermes comes across as a
classy girl from a privileged background, but otherwise attainable. In
the T.V. series, she is basically perfect [7], and this slightly spoils
the illusion that our hero ever stood a chance.
Yamada himself tends to burst into tears at the slightest provocation,
and it could be said to be overly sentimental, especially in the last
couple of episodes (though this might be concentrated by watching the
show in a short period, rather than spread out over a typical broadcast
run).
Also, the story relies on a number of coincidences which become
increasingly unlikely as the show progresses, though it has to be said
some of these are used to excellent comic effect (such as why the little
boy Yamada gives PSP tips to keeps reciting train station names).
Overall, though, Densha Otoko is well worth a look if you're looking
for a place to start in Japanese live action drama that isn't Power
Rangers or Sailor Moon, at an insight into "real" Japanese life, or if
you're just looking for a break from anime.
One last thing, though - Gundam or Girl?
Do I get more than one go?
[1] My preference is to use "Train Man", but a certain someone has
promised the finest violence on me if I don't use the Japanese title.
[2] It could be argued that the idea of a young female office worker who
sleeps around is sexist. For balance, I would point out that just about
every other male in Densha Otoko is a self-obsessed idiot led around by
the trousers. So unlike anime then.
[3] For those without a passing familiarity with Japanese baseball:
there are the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Giants, and then everyone else. The
Hanshin Tigers play City to the Giants Manchester United.
[4]One that also proves that you can get away with *anything* in Japan
if one apologises hard enough.
[5]A certain someone argues Yamadas possession of some carrot-bummed
magical girl figure does not a mecha fan make, but I know someone with
excellent taste when I see one.
[6]I am admitting to *nothing*. However:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtK4QWD9TVo
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Mnrjv02dk
[7] Hermes even reads books in English, which would be a sign of extreme
intelligence if her chosen matter wasn't written by Dan Brown.
With thanks to the YakYak forum for the Idoru quote and a certain
someone for the discs. He knows who he is.
--
* "You don't even have self-esteem?!" * justin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
*
* "I gave that all away after * *
* becoming old!" * *
* - Kaho and Yuko, Densha Otoko * growing older, but not up *
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