Train Man (Densha Otoko)

Yatta!

Everyone knows that I'm not a huge otaku (the Japanese word for nerd). Most anime are more or less passe for me, and I don't read manga or fantasize about catgirls. That being said, I have a movie recommendation for you that I'm putting out there with my absolute stamp of approval. It's been a long time since I saw a movie that wasn't recommended to me by anyone (unless you count Netflix) and truly enjoyed it, but this one really grabbed my heart and held it tightly in its two little hands. In a good way.

The movie's premise is that a complete otaku is smitten with a beautiful woman on the train. When a drunk starts bothering her, our hero stands up for her (although very awkwardly) and she asks for his address. Having gone his entire 22 years without having a girlfriend (and, one can only assume, hardly talking to girls at all), our hero turns to the best source of information he can get: 2chan (yes, although it's not named in the movie, the special features explain that it was indeed 2chan, the famous Japanese mega-internet forum). A colorful gang of internet misfits start giving him advice, including a married couple who have grown apart, a teenage shut-in, a nurse holding on to a long-lost love, and (most importantly) a scene-stealing trio of uber-otaku who practically live in a manga cafe. Guided by this questionable bunch of love 'experts,' can our young hero pursue the love of his life? Or is she out of his reach?

This movie's characters are endearing, the story is fun yet poignant, and ... well, I really can't gush about it enough. As a super-nerd, I couldn't help but pull for our awkward young hero as he takes his brave steps into the world of love. It's in Japanese with English subtitles, of course, although those of you with an allergy to reading while watching a movie should still bear through it, because this movie is a treat!

What are you waiting for? Here I am, your friendly blogging geek, telling you to go out there and get a movie about a geek! So go do it!

There's also a commentary track by an American and two Japanese experts on otaku culture. I haven't listened to it, but I look forward to doing so soon!

*****POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW*****
You have been warned. You may return to reading after the sirens stop.

Final word: The last scene of the movie might confuse some viewers, because it seems to suggest (or did to me) that the whole movie might have just been a fantasy. Don't worry; if you watch to the end of the credits, you'll see another scene which makes it clear that the movie did happen; the last scene was just a flashback showing you that the two characters were always closer than they thought.

And don't worry; I'll be back to writing other things than just film reviews soon. This movie really fit in so well with my themes and interests that I just had to share it with you!