Train Man : Densha Otoko
by Shosuke Murakami
List Price:
Our Price: $15.51
You Save: $9.37 (38%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $6.24 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Miki Nakatani, Takayuki YamadaDirector: Shosuke Murakami
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language), Stereo; Japanese (Published), Stereo
Format: Anamorphic, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 102 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-06
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: YDOT01
Studio: VIZ Pictures, Inc.
Product features:
- Computer engineer Otaku (the Japanese term for ?geek?) is an average young man, dressed in unstylish clothes and dorky glasses. But as luck would have it, he encounters a pretty young woman on a commuter train and saves her from a lecherous molester, falling in love with her at first sight. A few days later he receives a thank-you message from the woman along with a set of Hermes teacups. Having n
Movie Reviews of Train Man : Densha Otoko
Movie Review: Train Man and Hermes - A Love Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Based on a true story, "Densha Otoku (literally translated as "Train Man")" is the kind of romance that could only happen in Japan. Partly due to the ubiquitous nature of 2-channel, a country-encompassing internet chat board that puts things like MySpace and YouTube to shame. Partly due to the otaku, a style of unsocial misfit that could only be cultured in the group-based society of Japan.
I should say ostensibly based on a true story. Although the real Train Man and Hermes have never been identified, the origin of the phenomenon is a fact. What is known for sure is that, a poster known as Densha Otoku started a thread on 2-channel telling about how he helped a woman on a train who was being harassed by some drunk salaryman. In gratitude, she sent him a set of teacups from Hermes department store, which would be the equivalent of Saks Fifth Avenue or Harrods in London. Thinking that the value of the gift is far greater than the service he performed, Densha Otoku sought advice from his fellow otakus on 2-channel on what to do. And the legend was born.
There have been many adaptations of the popular story, starting with a book that reproduced the 2-channel posts, then a comic book and a TV series. This movie, starring Takayuki Yamada and Miki Nakatani, presents the whole story and does an excellent job showing the fairy tale nature of the romance. Densha Otoku is not a bad guy, just socially awkward and someone who never really learned how to relate to women. His moment of bravery is nothing daring, and he is no hero, but the small gesture of protection is just what is needed at just the right moment. Miki Nakatani, a mid-level pop star in Japan, is perfect as Hermes,. She is not a great beauty, just a sweet woman who seems to have had her share of bad luck with men, and is willing to give a nice guy a chance.
Aside from the two leads, much of real charm of "Densha Otoku" are the 2-channelers themselves. Swept up completely in the story, they swarm the fashionable districts of Tokyo, studying up on English tea and fashionable places to buy suits and go to dinner, all so they can give the best advice to our wayward hero. Showing the isolated nature of modern Japan, a husband and wife are both equally involved in the internet events, all though neither one realizes that their partner is also online. Hiding under the masks of screen names, so many modern Japanese people lead secret lives on 2-channel, and it took the story of Train Man and Hermes to break them out of their shells and get them back into the living world.
I'm glad to see "Densha Otoku" get an English-language DVD release. This is a film that I had admired for some time, and it was always a shame that I couldn't share it with my non-Japanese speaking friends and family.
Summary of Train Man : Densha Otoko
TRAIN MAN:DENSHA OTOKO - DVD MovieA supposedly true combination of a romance and a Pygmalion story, Densha Otoko began as an on-line tale that captivated audiences in Japan: there's a novel, a TV show, and a manga series, in addition to this feature. The title character is a textbook otaku, an anime and video game nerd who divides his time between the electronics stores in Tokyo's Akihabara district and the computer in his cluttered room. One day on a commuter train, he prevents an obnoxious drunk from bothering a pretty girl. She sends him a set of Hermès teacups as a thank-you and a tentative romance begins. Train Man has no idea how to behave with a girl, so an on-line posse tells him how to dress and what to say. Ultimately, his example inspires them to go out into the world. Director Masanori Murakami effectively uses a split screen to create the on-line community. Takayuki Yamada makes a wonderfully maladroit Train Man: when he calls Hermès for the first time, he holds the phone as if he were about to commit seppuku. Miki Nakatami infuses Hermès with a winning mixture of gentleness and independence. This touching romance will delight Gen-Y and -Z members, whose lives are bound to the Internet. (Unrated, suitable for ages 13 and older: minor violence, alcohol and tobacco use)--Charles Solomon
Similar DVD Movies
Train Man: The Novel (Del Rey Books)by Hitori Nakano
Del Rey; Published: 2007-04-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.21
Price in other shops:
Kabei - Our MotherRelease date: 2009-09-08; DVD
Best price: $24.89
Price in other shops:
Shall We Dance? (1996)Buena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2012-01-04; DVD
Best price: $17.48
Price in other shops:
Tokyo SonataKoch International; Release date: 2010-05-04; DVD
Best price: $13.20
Price in other shops:
Hula GirlsSIMON & SCHUSTER C/O VIZ MEDIA LLC; Release date: 2007-11-06; DVD
Best price: $20.32
Price in other shops:
DeparturesKoch International; Release date: 2010-01-12; DVD
Best price: $13.44
Price in other shops:
Linda Linda LindaVIZ MEDIA; Release date: 2007-05-08; DVD
Best price: $14.60
Price in other shops:
Kamikaze GirlsVentura Distribution; Release date: 2006-01-10; DVD
Best price: $14.40
Price in other shops:
The Taste of TeaVIZ; Release date: 2007-07-03; DVD
Best price: $14.58
Price in other shops:
The Makioka Sisters (The Criterion Collection)IMG; Release date: 2011-06-14; DVD
Best price: $11.24
Price in other shops: