BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

crossbow0106 This film is apparently based on a true story about a nerdy computer/anime geek who is very shy who saves a young lady from a drunk on the train. Their relationship slowly develops from there. As the train man, Takayuki Yamada does a very good job being angst ridden as he goes out with the very pretty Miki Nakatani. He has a support network of computer geeks who give him dating advice, root for him and sometimes envy him. Its this element that makes the movie a lot of fun. The film is quintessentially Japanese, as Tokyo comes alive, full of bright lights and ultra modern. You want to fast forward to see what happens, but don't. Just enjoy it, its a nice story well filmed and with good acting. I recommend it to any fan of romantic comedy.

sum_fui_futurus I love this movie. I loved it before I'd even seen it, just by reading what it was about, but now I love it because it IS good. The character I can relate to, of course, is Densha Otoko, the main character. I feel just as hopeless as he does at times, and I have the same thoughts as him, "am I destined to be alone like this forever?" and such. The moment when he's standing before the girl and the end, and he sees himself on the TV-screen, freaking because he's ashamed of the person he sees - THAT I can relate to. The final, when the people say "Now is our time to find happiness", it's kinda, at least for me, a wake-up-call, to not just sit around watching other people change and become happy, but to get a grip on ourselves for once, if we haven't already. Sad, funny and inspiring all at once!

sirkevinho1 The story behind this film was really interesting. Apparently it was based on a true story. The story goes like this: A 22 year old Japanese guy, called an otoku (it describes a video game and computer fanatic) saved a pretty young woman in her 20s from a drunkard on the train. She got his address, and send him a gift to thank him. The otoku, who thought the encounter was just a mirage, could not believe it and wanted to ask her out. But there's a problem: He is a nerd! He had never been out on a date and did not know what to do. Therefore, he turned to his only source of help: his computer, and using the name "Train Man", he asked for help on the largest site in Japan: 2channel. Interestingly enough, a bunch of helpful people came to his aid and in the end, he was able to be in a relationship with the girl of his dreams. This story was told by millions on 2channel before it was drawn to a manga, and then written in a book, then a play, and finally, into a screenplay for both a movie and a television series. The story became a hit, and everything telling this story became a hot item. The book and manga became best sellers, the movie became one of the highest grossing films, and the television series had a very decent percentage of viewers.Truthfully, because I am not Japanese, I have not watched many Japanese films. Still, I tried to keep up with Japanese entertainment and in recent years, the trend tends to be romance film. There does not seem to be much romantic comedies being produced, but this is one of the better romantic comedies I have ever seen, including Chinese, Korean or Hollywood movies. What I like about this film is that first of all there is a sense of realism to this film; this movie feels real and could happen to anybody. The main character feels so real and has such a resonance to young desperate nerds that I could relate him to other desperate nerds that I know. Secondly, the comedy is not forced. Unlike Hollywood romantic comedies, which relies either toilet humor or physical comedy to keep the movie going, or Chinese romantic comedies, which uses crude sexual humor and play on words to keep the movie alive, this film uses realistic situations and realistic responses. What the desperate guy would do in those situations is understandable and the mistakes he makes, which are what makes the movie funny, seemed to be the just right and not unrealistic. The comedy seemed natural and the funny things that happens in the movie seemed to be the funny things of everyday life. Thridly, as the movie progresses, you see character development and the character becomes a more rounded person without sacrificing who he is. You want to root for the character and you feel his highs and lows. Fourthly, the formula for the movie, of a guy asking for date advice, is hilarious. I found it really funny that a guy would actually ask for date advice on the internet. You never know who you will get, as you might get your double to give you advice, and the movie proved it. All sorts of different people gave him advice, from singles, those who just broke up and those who are married, and it is kind of unthinkable that they are able to give the advice that they gave. Finally, the main reason why I like this film is that this movie truly personifies love in the new millennium. This is what happens to young people nowadays. Young people nowadays are so caught up in computers and video games that when there is a chance for love, they do not know how to respond and turn to the only thing they know: the computer. Luckily for the main character, many of the people are helpful and do not tried to sabotage his chance to have a relationship with the girl of his dreams.Still, I feel that the movie tried to do too much. In the movie, the story of "train man" influenced all those around him. Those who helped him were so touched by his story that their lives were better. Other nerds went outside of their virtual world and tried to get in touch with reality; people who just broke up were able to move on; and a husband and wife had their romantic fire rekindled. You see how "train man" influenced them and you want to ask: Is that possible? Did he really help those people? Is it that great of a story that everyone is touched by it and have their lives improved? It feels like the movie makers are trying to promote this story as a life-changer. All this guy did was to have the courage to ask for advice and tried to get a date. I admit, it was brave, but it is far from a world changing experience.I applaud the actor who took on the titled character. He gave a very real performance and captured me. He did not tried to force anything. Everything he did feel natural. You really feel that you are indeed watching the story of a nerd.Other than the movie trying to do too much, the movie is great. It has an inspiring story and leaves plenty for people to imagine at the end. Plus, it is one of the funniest romantic comedies I have ever seen without using toilet humor and everything is clean. A great film for all ages.8/10

Harry T. Yung Whether it was 40 years or 4 months ago, those who remember their first date will most certainty bath in the glow of empathy with this sweet little movie. It'll be an added bonus for those who are watching it with still the same person.But there's more. To the still uninitiated, this little gem is an eye-opener to the culture of Internet chat room. Through skillful interplay between split-screen and full screen, a group of our hero's best chat mates is shown to be his council of courtship advisors. This comprises a passionate young nurse, a young man (student, presumably) who locks himself up in his room with the computer most of the time, a man and a woman at their late twenties or early thirties (an office worker and a housewife respectively) and a group of three young chaps, the official clowns of the movie. We soon see how they are emotionally very involved with our hero's joys and woes, hopes and fears, which have become very much part of their own lives. There's also one nice little spoiler that is unveiled quite early in the movie.Our hero is a young "otaku", a term (neutral rather than derogatory) used to describe people who are so indulged in the virtual world of comics, animation and computer games that they have lost touch with real human beings, manifested in their acute shyness and inability to communicate with others. All these change when he, with a sudden surge of impulse, helps a lovely lassie that is molested by a drunken passenger on a train. The courtship is innocent and sweet, completely opposite to the other genre where the protagonists jump right into bed an hour after they first met. It's also funny, in a nice, gentle sort of way.One IMDb comment mentions that the character of the girl "Hermes" (nicknamed so because she sent him a set of Hermes cups to thank him) has not been as developed as even the supporting characters, and adds that this is perhaps intentional. I think so. The focus of the movie is on our hero the "Train man" and, to a lesser extent, the supporting characters. Hermes is an idolized figure and her sweet, composed charm contrasts perfectly with his nervous, tantalizing uncertainty. Incidentally, in the stage version of this true story, she doesn't even appear in person but is only a voice off- stage.Starting as a true story, "Train man" has taken Japan by storm, in every media conceivable – Internet story, comic, book, movie, stage play and, last but not least, hugely popular TV drama starring gorgeous Ito Misaki.