I know I am harping on about a fad that is well over eight months old, but if you haven’t seen either the TV drama or the movie I seriously suggest that you check it out.
Densha Otoko is the modern day Cinderella story of a 23 year old geek that finds true love with a beautiful woman after saving her from a drunken pervert on a train. From there he consults the internet forum 2ch and receives advice on how to pull himself up to her level. While doing this, he realizes that he only needs to be himself in order to win her heart.
Is this really based on a true story or is it pure fiction? There is no doubt that the actual 2ch chat logs are still there. And the book that was written is taken from those logs. If it is a work of fiction it’s a hell of a good one. I’d like to believe that it is somewhere between truth and fantasy, though I do have to admit that I would be a little disappointed if this turns out to be a big hoax.
The mythical elements in the story are legendary. You have a main character that is a low as they go on the Japanese social scale and low in self esteem. Then there is a chance encounter on a train, a date with destiny, a woman that has far more than average beauty, and the anonymous but sincere outpouring of support for him from millions people on the Internet. There are elements that are so epic here, if you threw in a plague and a few wars, you might just be able to call this Bible v2.0.
Perhaps that is why I’d be more than a little upset if none of this were true. Densha truly brings out the best in us, and gives us all a little hope that someday if we stay true to who we are, we’ll also find that special someone to love and cherish.
For the sake of all of those who have been touched by this phenomenon, perhaps it is better that the truth stays hidden. At least then, all of those who were inspired by the legend of Densha can keep their candles buring. I think we all need a candle to keep burning during these difficult times.
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