Densha Otoko (The Train Man) TV
Synopsis
Tanabata, the Star Festival, July 7th, commemorates the day when, according to legend, two lovers Princess Orihime and Hikoboshi who are normally separated from each other by the milky way are able to meet at long last. On the eve of Tanabata, a man and woman worlds apart make a similar wish for love. On their way home, fate finds them both on the same subway car. When an old drunkard causes a ruckus and starts harassing Aoyama-san, Yamada is the only person to gather up enough courage to confront him. This simple act of bravery becomes the foundation of a relationship between Yamada and Aoyama-san.
Review
In the synopsis I meant ‘worlds apart’ in a figurative sense. Aoyama Saori belongs to a rich family and can easily pass off as a supermodel. Yamada Tsuyoshi is middle class and doesn’t have much of a social life other than playing video games, surfing the internet, and watching anime. He is the typical Japanese otaku with a geeky exterior. When he gets home that night, Yamada posts the highlights of the subway incident at a message board. From that day forth, his online buddies give him the nick ‘Densha Otoko’ which translates to ‘The Train Man.’ Densha Otoko is based on a true story of a message thread at the infamous 2chan and was made into a manga, a summer movie, and now a popular daytime drama series.
The official Japanese site can be found at http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/denshaotoko/index.html.
The Breakdown
The story that can be generalized to encompass the millions of Anime Otakus around the world whose dream it is to find true love.