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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
To put it simply, the
2005 romantic comedy Train Man is a fairy tale
for geeks. As derisive as that comment may sound,
it's not really meant as a criticism, just a factual
description. Supposedly based on a true story, Train
Man (a.k.a. Densha Otoko) centers on a
twenty-two year old manga enthusiast known only by
the online handle "Train Man" (Takayuki
Yamada). Unlucky in love for his entire life, Train
Man has consoled himself to the fact that he probably
won't be getting a girlfriend anytime this millennium,
so he decides to embrace his nerdy fate and spend
his free time prowling for toys in Akihabara.
One evening, our hero's
prospects for romance begin to change when he spots
a lovely woman (Miki Nakatani) being harassed by a
drunken commuter. In a moment of awkward heroism,
Train Man intervenes on her behalf. Although he's
certainly no Superman, he does delay the drunkard
long enough for security to show up. Later, to Train
Man's complete surprise, the woman asks for his address
so she can properly thank him for his good deed. So
energized by this encounter is Train Man that he posts
his story on a message board, an act which eventually
earns him a faithful, albeit anonymous readership.
Little does he know, however, that his story has only
just begun.
Things pick up quickly
when Train Man receives a set of expensive Hermes
teacups in the mail. The sender? You guessed it -
the woman on the train. Both ecstatic and highly confused
by this surprising turn of events, Train Man turns
to his online pals for help, who post back bits of
advice on what his next move should be. After much
debate, he finally summons up the courage to call
her, and amazingly, she agrees to meet him for dinner.
But in preparing for his first ever real date with
a woman, Train Man smartly makes a few cosmetic adjustments
on the advisement of his online peers. It isn't long
before he gets a stylish haircut, purchases some designer
threads, and doffs his glasses in favor of some contact
lenses. The transformation from geek to chic is surprisingly
fast, but no matter what he looks like, it's clear
that Train Man is still a socially-inept otaku, as
his jitteriness and all-around dorkiness in the presence
of the woman he dubs "Hermes" is strikingly
apparent. Still, Train Man begins to make progress
with Hermes, but unfortunately, his deep-seated insecurities
just might mess the whole thing up. It's clearly time
for Train Man to grow up, but will he do it in time?
On its premise alone,
Train Man is essentially a G-rated version
of The 40-Year-Old-Virgin culturally suited
to fit Japanese tastes. While both films maintain
an underlying message that love is more important
than lust, the main character in Train Man
seems to operate in a world where sex isn't even something
that would cross his mind, a factor which greatly
contributes to the fairytale quality of the film.
And while technology, particularly computers, is crucial
to the plot, Train Man is, at its core, an
old-fashioned romance about finding one's true love.
Some may balk at the simplicity of the story, but
in some ways, that's part of the charm.
As far as performances
go, Takayuki Yamada makes for a fine Train Man, particularly
once the She's All That-style makeover takes
place. It's easy to act nerdy when the character is
dressed to the nines in Akihabara geek wear, but once
he makes the transformation into a more presentable
stud, it would be easy for an actor to slip out of
the required geekiness necessary for his performance.
However, that's not the case with Yamada; the incongruity
between what Train Man looks like post-makeover versus
his actual behavior helps give this geek fantasy some
semblance of realism. No matter how polished Train
Man looks, he's still an otaku at heart.
Also carrying the film
along with Yamada is Miki Nakatani, who has the unenviable
task of making her character's interest in Train Man
seem believable. As likeable as Train Man is as a
character is, his appeal seems somewhat elusive. Yes,
he's a nice guy, but he's also annoyingly skittish,
and as the finale proves, a bit of a crybaby to boot.
However, the "crying" scene does make for
a funny reversal of expectations as Hermes must console
the weeping Train Man with several comical "there,
there" reassurances. And while the believability
of a relationship between Hermes and Train Man is
precarious at best, it would be completely unbelievable
if not for Nakatani's performance. She is able to
project an inner life, if not an entire past history
with men for her character that is not in the script,
which gives some indication of why she values Train
Man so much.
One of the more interesting
aspects of the film is how it focuses not only on
Train Man's mission, but also on his ability to touch
the lives of his readership. Among his online supporters,
there's a young shut-in, a nurse who seems to be recovering
from a failed relationship, three overgrown otakus
who've had worse luck in life than Train Man, and
a husband and wife who don't realize they're posting
on the same board. As each of these characters participate
in Train Man's strange coming-of-age story, his amazing
strides with Hermes opens their eyes to what's missing
in their own lives, showing them that if he can get
a girlfriend, then just about anything is possible.
Although, these "sidestories" could probably
be developed even better in a television drama, the
small glimmers of their lives given in Train Man
are a welcome presence and enhance the main storyline
immensely.
After all is said and
done, Train Man is more or less just a fun
little underdog story, thanks in large part to the
likeable performances from its cast members. Sure,
things are a bit too chaste and simplistic considering
the situation, but in some ways, that's part of the
appeal. Unlike the protagonist, the film Train
Man may not dramatically change your life, but
in its all-too-true rendering of the anxieties of
dating, on some level it's sure to speak to everyone's
inner geek. (Calvin McMillin, 2006)
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