I've known about the Densha Otoko story for awhile now. About this Otaku guy (Geek) who came across a really hot girl on the train and this geek didn't know how to ask her out and what to do and all taht coz he's a geek. So he goes on this BBS board (forum thingy) to seek advice from all the Otaku ppl who hang out there... And these people end up encouraging him, giving him tips, and advicing him on how to get this girl.
ANYWAY...
I ended up buying the book (fifty bucks!) coz it looked really interesting actually!! The book is like this direct translation from the BBS posts! So it's in the forum format!!!
IT'S A DAMNNNNNNNNNNNN FUNNY BOOK!!!!
Actually ok, Densha Otoko is quite funny himself especially when he's being in his loser mode!! But I think the highlight of the whole book and the story, really, is actually the reaction of the otakus on the BBS board!!! How they get like ALLLLLLLL OVERLY EXCITED and SOOOOOOOOOOO ENTHUSIASTIC and into Densha's Otoko's situation it's Hillarious!!!!!! Also, their use of those Shift JIS art/emoticons are just PRICELESS!!!!
I love the parts where they gear up and prepare for "battle" when Densha Otoko comes to the board to update them on the "date" and "progress" with the girl nicknamed Hermes. DAMN FUNNY!!!!!!!!
Can u see all the defeated persons? looks like this ＿￣○ <---- it's like a man on his hands and knees hahahaha. it's definitely a "book" i recommend, although, hahaha, it's not much of a book, it's actually like reading some forum. hahaha.
NEWAYS... some deeper thoughts into this light-hearted and touching story:
1) Actually I liked this book coz it showed a glimps into the Japanese BBS culture... It's nice to like really get a glimps into these "real" people's behavior, thoughts, feelings and culture.
That said... I think it's of course, WAYYYYYYYYYY better if we could read it in Japanese itself... I think TONS have been LOST IN TRANSLATION!!!
2) Actually, while i understand abit about the otaku culture/stigma in Japan, I think the book would be much appreciated by Japanese the most. Because, the book dealt alot with the otakus in the board cheering Train Man like a god, one of them, the otaku, actually managing to climb out from their dark corners of society and actually succeed and shine so magnificently. It's like, I guess, i couldn't relate how this guy's one success was like this magnificent victory for the otakus over the forces of "evil".
3) The book also let me to think about the whole, "if you want to score a girl/guy, you must frist change yourself.".... I never liked that concept coz, I think, if you want someone to love you, it should be for who you really are, not who you're trying to be.... I dunno... But like, the whole fact that once the otakus on the board got Train man to call the girl and he scores a date, they tell him how to change his dressing and how he looks and everything... I guess that IS quite essential since if he DOES look TOTALLY like a geek, that can't be good either.... But he does go through this transformation.... But it's quite obvious that the girl did like him the way he was.... Although, yes, to foster a feeling of "liking", I think the girl would not have fell for him if he looked like an Otaku... I suppose to get the princess, you can't keep looking like the frog u know!
4) Webculture:....... Lately I've been reading alot of these stuff about the internet being part of the storyline, ESSENTIAL part... I guess the trend is changing alot... And, I think.... Well....... while sitting in front of the PC ain't all taht great, I think it does offer some help and support to all the otakus out there in the world haha.
5)....................... Jarod told me that the Train Man in the movie was unbearable damn loser... But reading the book, actually I think the Densha Otoko guy is quite not a damn loser geek. He actually doesn't post much on the board even when like the others are DYINNNNNNGG and waiting for him to post. Also, only at the begining was he a real nervous wreck, which was undertandable, actually.... But it was only for that one night/one chapter... After that, he was damn suave if you ask me!!!
OVER ALL... I think this is a damn funny book to read.... A great insight into the minds and reactions and the thoughts of losers in the world, or seemingly losers in the world... It's damn wonderful to look at their reactions, all the battle scenes were priceless... and also some jealousy among them... hahaha
It's a really really touching story... Not just about the guy and the girl.... which REALLY reads like a fairy tale, actually, but also about the friendships and bond formed among these "annoymous" posters on the BBS board.
It's always nice to feel like you belong somewhere and you're part of something bigger than yourself =)
Here's a link to the original posts in Japanese:
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milkyway-Aquarius/7075/trainman.html
This website was mentioned in the "book" itself... Well duh... Someone in the forum complied all the threads dealing with Densha Otoko and put it into this website... The flash the dude made in the geocities page was also mentioned in the book....
It's all in Japanese.
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