IC Forum Archive

KonamiCode · Posts: 88

Tried watching the first episode, I got super annoyed by the main character almost instantly so I forwarded to the end for the SamboMaster song and to try to spot TIM ROGERS. I didn't see him and I didn't think the song was as up to par with some of their other songs. Tim, is there a longer version available or is that it?

stabo10 · Posts: 47

Ever since I first heard of this thing, it has bothered me.

Thankfully, this guy has figured out why.

"According to the story, an otaku wants to get to know a woman he encountered on the train. He solicits romantic advice from bulletin board participants and keeps them apprised of his progress. The story has a happy ending, of course. The geek gets the girl and reaps the congratulations of his online advisers.

The predictable story irritates Honda. He says the heart-warming ending is not an otaku victory, but rather a failure."

---------------------------

As a side note, if you replace 2ch with "Caltrops and Livejournal" and Otaku, well, with whatever an Otaku is if he plays FPSes instead of galgames, you get something similar to this online romance story I witnessed unfold firsthand, best summarized here by this actual written letter to the "Denpa Otoko" in question's mother:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/evilneps/295836.html

Really though, the similarities between Denpa Otoko and Jhoh are striking. Look at how both chose to visually represent themselves.

Denpa Otoko book cover

Jhoh Cable's avatar in his self profile section

Ukyo · Posts: 99

Wow, I love how it started on 7/7! haha.

This thing is a bit too drawn out, and overly dramatic, but I think that's the style they were going for. If you can't find drama in real life, where can you turn to?

I'm a bit bothered by the main character, he whines a bit too much, it's pretty refreshing that it's trying to throw in a bit of comedy, though, I can recall far too many "serious dramas" that are equivalent to soap operas.

What I like about this show is that it portrays the internet boards pretty well, how many times have you flamed or been flamed; and not only that, it reflects the personas and their reasons why they post such things by showing characters (albeit hyperbolic versions of what people consider normal.) They seem to only portray the hardcore otaku in this, which is a bit of a drag, I've yet to see an actual "gamer" so oh well...The girl has very little character so far, that or they just wanted her to seem distant as they focused on Densha Otoko's view of the matter. The way they handle events, by not actually presenting them in chronological order is nice, although the whole thing seems to have gotten into too much of a rhythm, and thus is too predictable. The musical selection says it all.

I like it though, it's "different."

Baron Patsy · Posts: 573

stabo10 wrote:

Ever since I first heard of this thing, it has bothered me.

Thankfully, this guy has figured out why.

"According to the story, an otaku wants to get to know a woman he encountered on the train. He solicits romantic advice from bulletin board participants and keeps them apprised of his progress. The story has a happy ending, of course. The geek gets the girl and reaps the congratulations of his online advisers.

The predictable story irritates Honda. He says the heart-warming ending is not an otaku victory, but rather a failure."

---------------------------

As a side note, if you replace 2ch with "Caltrops and Livejournal" and Otaku, well, with whatever an Otaku is if he plays FPSes instead of galgames, you get something similar to this online romance story I witnessed unfold firsthand, best summarized here by this actual written letter to the "Denpa Otoko" in question's mother:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/evilneps/295836.html

Really though, the similarities between Denpa Otoko and Jhoh are striking. Look at how both chose to visually represent themselves.

Denpa Otoko book cover

Jhoh Cable's avatar in his self profile section

Um. Denpa Otoko and Densha Otoko are two very different things, first of all. One is the Train-Man story, one is a book written defending otaku culture.

Also, that situation that you described bears a link to Densha Otoko that is tenuous, at best. And pictures like that are fairly common, so the link there is also rather weak.

108 · Posts: 2600

Oh, fuck. The new Sambo Master video was just on TV.

I'm in it, screaming, for like ten seconds. I look like such a fucking jerk.

YES!!

As a side note, the latest episode of Densha Otoko, episode 4, really pissed me off. The guy is being more of a fucking asshole than ever. I wanted to hit him. The scene in the rain, with the surfboard, (you'll see) made me spit up Coca-Cola, which is a damn near capital offense in this house.

The episode deals with, slightly, the increase in popularity of the densha otoko thread on 2ch. It ends with . . . well, a big development. And the next episode seems to be the one where he gets the brilliant idea to try being himself around her.

I guess the movie is less irritating, though this is clearly more . . . thoughtful. Though are these thoughts . . . important?

It's a capsulization of otaku, is what it is. It's otaku in a box. When they call him an otaku, it's all about his looks, and his social retardation; it tells us he's a freak, it doesn't show us.

I was telling my friend that they need to make a movie about an otaku man whose life is changed when a new character introduced in his favorite fighting game (you see the otaku lined up, all waiting in line, at the arcade, whenever a new character is introduced; only a small percentage of them will ever make that character THEIR character) and he decides to make that character his new character.

Or something.

Or a movie about manga-writing which isn't totally fucking wacky and bizarre.

Anyway. My next most-looked-forward to piece of Japanese pop-culture is the "NANA" movie opening on September 3rd.

So!!

stabo10 · Posts: 47

Baron Patsy wrote:

Um.

Sorry, but you're incorrect.

Kazu · Posts: 894

Ukyo wrote:

I'm a bit bothered by the main character, he whines a bit too much, it's pretty refreshing that it's trying to throw in a bit of comedy, though, I can recall far too many "serious dramas" that are equivalent to soap operas.

Well, yeah - Densha called her up several times but then he's whining around "but i CAN'T call her, really!" ... gosh, he did call her five times or so and NOW he can't anymore?!
We~eell, maybe that will improve after ep.5

Ukyo wrote:

What I like about this show is that it portrays the internet boards pretty well, how many times have you flamed or been flamed; and not only that, it reflects the personas and their reasons why they post such things by showing characters (albeit hyperbolic versions of what people consider normal.) They seem to only portray the hardcore otaku in this, which is a bit of a drag, I've yet to see an actual "gamer" so oh well

One of them has a Mushihime-Sama-poster over his TV screen (ep.4) ... it's that guy which had that a Sakura-Taisen-figurine in the first three episodes.

I like that little gimmicks like the five little figurines (with the ANA-uniforms) the aircraft-nerd has ... except Denshas room, it's kind of ... mainstream?
Densha says he is a "normal" otaku-person, but he has way too much Gundams and Rei/Asuka figurines ... the other posters (like the one with the glasses who get's nervous all the time) have some thing they're after and collect huge amounts of that stuff, but densha isn't into anything at all. His room looks like he's an otaku just for being an otaku, not for anythings sake (trains, games, hentai, whatever).
But maybe i'm wrong and seeing things a wrong way...

Ukyo wrote:

...The girl has very little character so far, that or they just wanted her to seem distant as they focused on Densha Otoko's view of the matter.

She very much looks like a doll, sitting there in her room, pretending to read a book - and then she is called by densha, finally, now she can do anything except looking like a dumbass. Her room is also too impersonal to be true.

So i would say the setup of the two main characters rooms lacks something which makes them believable. I wonder why, though ...

Ukyo · Posts: 99

Yes but if you notice, when all the other Otaku fans are going crazy about the voice actress, he has his pathetic disposable Kodak camera, and looks almost confused as to the way the others are reacting. I think he is in fact more of an Otaku because of the ideology and not the actual fandom. How he rants over Mina it seems like he was made to enjoy the details of the anime, as much as the anime itself...

That or they decided to go with very mainstream animes that would seem recognizable for the non-anime inclined, and so it would seem "extreme" when in fact it is not so. Kind of like alleged "gamers" who talk about Halo and add in Metroid, because Samus is so totally hot.

They both seem to be people who are not exactly fit for the places they are in, this could be on purpose, and very well be quite genius on the part of the director, or it could be stilted acting, and I could be appreciating something that isn't there...Which is probably more likely...

yellowlightman · Posts: 359

Valkyrie wrote:

I like that little gimmicks like the five little figurines (with the ANA-uniforms) the aircraft-nerd has ... except Denshas room, it's kind of ... mainstream?
Densha says he is a "normal" otaku-person, but he has way too much Gundams and Rei/Asuka figurines ... the other posters (like the one with the glasses who get's nervous all the time) have some thing they're after and collect huge amounts of that stuff, but densha isn't into anything at all. His room looks like he's an otaku just for being an otaku, not for anythings sake (trains, games, hentai, whatever).
But maybe i'm wrong and seeing things a wrong way...

There's nothing normal or mainstread about having that many friggin' Gunpla kits. Admirable maybe, but not "normal." Regardless, there's enough Gundam material to be a Gundam-specific otaku, really

Sub · Posts: 696

He's just a robot dork; specifically for Gundam.

The main non-Gundam thing I noticed was this Scopedog

The little green dude on his keychain and on his wall is Sgt. Keroro (manga being released in the States as Sgt. Frog), who's kind of become a mascot character for Gundam otaku, seeing as the character is himself one.

Kazu · Posts: 894

Ukyo wrote:

Yes but if you notice, when all the other Otaku fans are going crazy about the voice actress, he has his pathetic disposable Kodak camera, and looks almost confused as to the way the others are reacting. I think he is in fact more of an Otaku because of the ideology and not the actual fandom. How he rants over Mina it seems like he was made to enjoy the details of the anime, as much as the anime itself...

Maybe he's in the otaku-ness that much since his friends are ... he can be easily influenced (i.e. at the beginning of episode 1) and maybe his friends did make him an otaku along the way.
Or maybe i rant about things that nobody would care about ...

However, i like how he is into "Keroro Gunso", is Keroro that well known in Japan? There are some Gundam-jokes as well ( i remember an episode where Keroro wanted to get a certain gundam-kit), so is he into Keroro because of Keroro being so famous or just because Keroro tends to match his interests as well?
Maybe someone from japan can help there a little bit, if so thanks in advance!

Ukyo · Posts: 99

Subs for Episode 4. If any of you care to be reminded.

Edit: Perhaps the overly dramatic music and facial expressions/mannerisms are suppose to mimic those found in many anime cartoons? It's ironic because it seems so out of place when real people are doing it, but it people cry foul when it isn't in animes. Or something...

Double Edit:
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/
The music video is on there. To watch the high quality one, don't have pop-up blocked on. This is the normal Sambo Master one, not really an extended version of the Densha Otoko one, just one for the song. But yeah, still pretty good. Not as good as the ending, I think, though.

Kazu · Posts: 894

watched eipsode 4 (subbed) now and yeah, it leaves me wondering ....

Minute 26:27
Saori sitting in her room ... look, i haven't seen a person reading like THAT in my whole life. that's so ... i don't know, but it looks like she is reading a picture book there, look at her facial expression, it's like "wooow!"

Well, despite the fact that Minute 35:13 features perfect Ikaruga-engrish, i liked that episode a bit more than episode 3, maybe it's because Saori seems to have feelings after all, we get to know her a bit better.

And i start to like her girlfriend as well although she gives Densha a hard time in episode 4. she's .... so different, it's nice to see a normal person all along, i think.

uhm, i'm still thinking about Denshas words "I will make this lie a reality" .... is it okay for someone to do this?

I mean, a lie is a lie, you can't fix it up afterwards, it's not like you didn't do anything at all. Technicalls, it's not a lie anymore if you managed to do so, but ... well, i don't know...
it would be ... different if you told your girlfriend you lied to her, because i would consider trying to make your lie come true worse than telling the truth. it's nice if someone is trying to change himself because he likes the other person that much that he puts so much effort into changing the reality, but .... it's not the same, i suppose ....
(well, i don't know if you get the idea, but i have been confused all day long and nothing seems to make sense, but ... well, maybe you understand.)

thanks @sub for the gunso-stuff:
Remember Rollergirls and Rollerball? Why not trying Roller-Gundam then...

LW Joestar · Posts: 1358

Valkyrie wrote:

uhm, i'm still thinking about Denshas words "I will make this lie a reality" .... is it okay for someone to do this?

This is actually a common theme in anime!

Love Hina is based upon this reasoning!

108 · Posts: 2600

yeah, just noting that i sent the theme song (sambo master -- sekai wa sore wo ai to yobun daze!!) to the insertcredit gmail list last night.

so if you've . . . given up checking on that list, do go check it now. it's a good song.

i'm listening to it right now.

108 · Posts: 2600

episode 5 live updates here!!

the boy's got balls!! he's making us proud!!

. . .

or, well, the show's getting markedly better.

Showtime · Posts: 49

I watch through every episode just to see the Sambo video at the credit roll. The rest of the show is just for context.

Itoh Misaki's pretty face is another one of its saving graces.

And then Tim Roger's.

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

Showtime, I miss your Dr. Slump avatar.
Also, I'm now downloading the first episode of this via torrents! Wish me luck!

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

I just watched the first episode!

Jesus Christ, did you see the list of sponsors they had at the end? That's friggin amazing. No wonder it seemed so high in its production value.

After watching this I again wonder to myself if this message board could ever support such a phenomenon. I mean, the closest we got to helping each other out was that one Waffen topic where we helped him get back with his girlfriend.

Waffen is our densha otoko!

(Also, I totally did not see Tim anywhere in the ending song.)

Rud13 · Posts: 3277

he's on the right side of the crowd.

Ukyo · Posts: 99

Christ, the camera lens makes your arm look like it belongs to that Twelve guy from Street Fighter III. :o Did they use some kind of really subtle fisheye lens or something?

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

That is Tim's KOF Real Fight secret weapon!

Jeez, they only show that shot for like less than a second. I wonder if you could put that on a resume though.

"I appeared for less than a second in a Sambo Master music video. Several times, even."

Rud13 · Posts: 3277

no there are more shots.

Find them here.

He appears a good portion of it, I find it hard that you missed it.

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

I was looking for that side shot of him in the video. I guess it was moving too fast for me to really notice though. That and the editors saturated the film so that everyone was pale and green-tinted, making it harder to differentiate. Matrix-itize me!

It'd be neat to see Tim in all the Sambo Master music videos. He'd be their Waldo!
(DId anyone ever watch the "Where's Waldo?" animated series? He totally had like an evil brother who killed people with a knife or something. He also had an evil dog that fought Waldo's dog.
Waldo's parents must've really sucked.)

108 · Posts: 2600

Persona-sama wrote:

It'd be neat to see Tim in all the Sambo Master music videos. He'd be their Waldo!

I'm going to be in the next one, too!!

It might (or might not be) a bigger part.

And I'm also going to be in the first (FIRST!!) Kama Boiler music video.

Also, I think I might be in the first Large Prime Numbers music video, too.

I'm going to meet Sambo Master again Sunday night. They produce Kama Boiler, you see, and I'd like them to produce me. If only some people would realize the weight of the situation and at least put new fucking STRINGS on their guitar and help me record a demo tape.

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

I just saw Episode 3!
Let us begin the "What do I think about Densha Otoko?" meeting!

I like how in every recent episode, Densha, through his example, convinces a member of the forum to go and fufill something in their life they couldn't do before. For example, in this episode Densha somehow convinces a thread-flaming ex-national basketball player with a broken leg to go into rehabilitation. It's like Power Rangers where a monster attacks and dies in every episode! (Although, I really did like that guy who got back together with his girl in episode 2. I hope he comes back. He and the Hanshin Tigers guy were my favorite 2ch posters. Wait, is it 2ch or 2chan? One's an image board and the other is discussion, right? Well, in any case, those two fellows were like the loveable, wise, and experienced elders to Densha's case.)

Watching the series makes me cringe a lot.
I think to myself, "damn! I totally had a friend who does that!" or "god, this is such a stretch!" Like those parts where they really emphasize how much Densha's life sucks (which is, like Aderack says, completely Piro-esque) are just so embellished that it's hard to swallow. I guess it's like anime in that sense. For example, that whole train of events in episode one where Densha helps a little girl get a balloon caught in a tree>yelled at for peeping>falls off tree>little girl takes his papers and dumps them into the river is somewhat believeable at least (assuming that little girls in Japan can be nearly as bitchy as that. God, I wanted to rip her head off after she threw Densha's papers into the river. That little bitch, children like that don't deserve to live!). The river flooding>taxi cab>girl's beating>birthday cake>suicide events afterwards were just overkill though. I mean, yeah, I get it: Densha's life sucks.

This makes me think of American television and how it seems to just talk down to the audience. I can't really think of precise example but American shows always seem to make really obvious things even more obvious to the audience (I'm thinking CSA shows or something where clues are like shown over and over to the audience in case they don't get it). At least with this drama they're only making Densha's life more ridiculous for sake of entertainment value. I think that says something.

But anyway, I'm enjoying the show.
I wonder how they got the licence to use the Star Wars Empire's theme song. Then again, this show does seem to be pretty high budget; look at that giant sponsor list in the credits! I mean, they have all this ASCI animation, visual editting, and some scenes with CG! Big time stuff for a drama.

And now, a question:
Which is YOUR favorite ridiculous 2ch poster?

I'm fond of the train otaku, the little cosplay girl, and the Hanshin Tigers otaku. That one visual-k guy that does the ASCI art with Skynet running behind him is a bit of a stretch though. He's like the seemingly weak, quiet one who's actually a kung fu master. I mean, whenever he posts, HE SUMMONS THE OPENING SONG.

Damn, I wish I could do that.
That's one damn catchy song too. I'm downloading that theme song torrent right now.

I also wonder if they're going to make an anime based on the fictional one they pimp out in the drama. I bet it would sell!

aderack · Posts: 5018

I like the woman whose husband beats her.

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

Ah, that's right!
She was the monster who was defeated in the first episode!

She gets replaced with another lady though.
I wonder if by the end of the series if everyone will be defeated.

Flackon · Posts: 163

That anime design is completely anti-attractive.
I mean, in the opening, the CG of the trains twirling and all that is cool, but the main character...

Hell, she has two giant carrots stuck to her ass!

As for my favorite posters, I like the otaku with glasses that is always nervous, the Hanshin Tigers guy, the ASCII guy, the one with all the shoes in the background...

Um. I guess most of them have this quirks that make them likeable. Like characters of a fighting game.

The one who posts form diffeent parts of the world is creepy, though.

Also, have you noticed how in Japan everyone seems to have a flat screen or a laptop?

108 · Posts: 2600

aderack wrote:

I like the woman whose husband beats her.

So do I. She's a good ride. And she bakes good cookies.

. . .

We're . . . not talking about the same person, though, are we?

Rud13 · Posts: 3277

I just watched it and..

I AM the ASCII guy.

Kazu · Posts: 894

Persona-sama wrote:

I just saw Episode 3!
Let us begin the "What do I think about Densha Otoko?" meeting!

I like how in every recent episode, Densha, through his example, convinces a member of the forum to go and fufill something in their life they couldn't do before. For example, in this episode Densha somehow convinces a thread-flaming ex-national basketball player with a broken leg to go into rehabilitation. It's like Power Rangers where a monster attacks and dies in every episode!

Well, sometimes it's quite hard to believe how they can change their lives so easily, at least regarding that famous Women whose Husband beats her (and i like her as well, did she do any other J-dramas?)
I mean, did she get divorced? Just shouting "don't beat me anymore!" won't make him stop, or maybe i'm just thinking too bad of her husband?
But you can see very well why they decide to change at one point.

EndlessChris · Posts: 431

I agree that the anime character from the opening with the carrots on her ass is unlikable. I've grown to accept her though.

My favorite 2Ch poster is the generic skinny otaku kid with gray sweater and the glasses. The train conductor I love, because in some scenes he appears comical and in some is just plain evil looking.

But yeah - I don't get Densha Otoko's message. It's like it's saying "It's ok to lie about who you really are." I agree with the earlier poster that said Genkishen's message seems more likable.

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

I just saw Episode 4!
Let us beginning the discussion anew!!

So it turns out the messageboard he's writing on ISN'T 2ch at all but rather something called Aladdin. Maybe Aladdin channel? Eh, who knows?

But damn, in Japan even homeless guys who live in their cars have internet access! That's pretty awesome. Although that character confuses me - his wristband implies that he's the one who cheated (or lied) to Hermes, but isn't he also the "older brother" of Hermes? In episode 2, he was introduced as a Shanghai restaurant owner that went back to Japan to open up a new restaurant, no? Am I confusing the Cheating Husband for Restaurant Brother? (Hence forth are their new names!) In any case, I'm assuming that the monster defeated in this episode was Cheating Husband.

The Densha kill-list so far:
Episode 1: the woman whose husband beats her
Episode 2: Laid-off Lover
Episode 3: Basketball Flamer
Episode 4: Cheating Husband

Also, did you check out that girl (the one Densha is like the personel manager for) pulling off a Freakazoid typing spree? She randomly types letters and somehow manages to pull up Densha's thread. That's some skill she's got there!
Did you also notice how progressively she gets closer to Densha?
In the first episode she didn't even want to see him. In the third episode, she makes him buy her lunch. Now, they're going to lunch like it's nothing! At the rate this is going, she's going to end up in bed with him by the tenth episode! I can see it now:
Densha: "That was so exciting...!"
Girl who Gets Around: "Eh, the Vice-President was better."
Densha: "It was so intense...!"
GWGA: "You didn't even last that long!"
Densha: "I can't believe Mina killed that guy this episode!!"
GWGA: "Hu-wha? Hey! How long has that TV been on?!"

Yessir.

Also, at this point in the series, I've grown used to the absurdities of the show and am now accepting it for what it is. The episode feels shorter now that I'm not questioning it as much. I think it's because this episode featured more of Herme's backstory and character instead of Densha and his message board. And plus this episode featured surfing which totally made me think of sports manga. I really was sort of expecting to see Densha get up on that board and totally ride a wave by the end of it. I suppose it's better that he didn't though.

Another thought that's been bugging me: Densha totally looks like Chris Kattan (or whoever that SNL fellow is) with his non-afro hair.

Final thoughts:
In the opening anime sequence, Mina rides trains that shoots missles at a giant planet in the shape of a cabbage. After blowing it up with carrot missiles, the trains fly across the landscape, miraculously converting the charred planet into beautiful forests.

Trains will destroy civilization and convert it into lush wilderness.

Or worse yet, trains with bunny girls riding on top of them.
I think the trains are also special types of rail cars that train otaku love or something. Otaku otaku otaku.

Final final thoughts:
The previews for the next episodes are editted in ways to be absolutely deceitful!
That's genius.

Baron Patsy · Posts: 573

I just finished watching episode five, and it seemed noticably different, in tone and pacing, from the other episodes. It was handled much differently. It seemed almost like it was directed by a different person.

I didn't like it as much as the previous four episodes, which I loved more than is healthy. And the whole stalker portion was a little too drawn out. I mean, it was an interesting little segment, but did it have to last for like six minutes? It was just six minutes of two guys sitting on a stairwell crying and comparing themselves to each other and whining about their lives.

I predict that the ASCII guy is going to end up with Jinnkawa-san. You heard it here first!

fuck yeah, bitches.

Ukyo · Posts: 99

Rud13 · Posts: 3277

Persona-sama wrote:

Episode 3: Basketball Flamer

We've got one of those here!

108 · Posts: 2600

I think the next episode might be good. Do the episodes you download include the commercials for the next episode?

The next episode airs on the eve of Comiket in Tokyo Big Sight, and . . . it takes place AT Comiket in Tokyo Big Sight!! Meaning the show is still, well, keeping up with its "real time" thing. I mean, the first episode aired on July 7th, and it took place on July 7th. The producer told me that one of the themes of the story is "this sort of stuff could be happening RIGHT NOW." The real-time airing of the episodes is subtle and kind of clever.

So yeah, Densha goes to Comiket, after telling Aoyama he has to go to Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba on Saturday. Thinking she'll pleasantly surprise him, she sets out to find him -- and find him she does, acting like a fucking dork with his friends, and . . . wearing this fucking ridiculous hat and giggling like a schoolgirl.

So yeah, it's coming up to something. Sooner or later, the secret is going to break out, and, well, LOVE WILL BLOOM ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

And the stairwell scene was great. The dialogue was wonderful.

And then . . . it got too long and made me feel sick.

Kazu · Posts: 894

Persona-sama wrote:

But damn, in Japan even homeless guys who live in their cars have internet access! That's pretty awesome. Although that character confuses me - his wristband implies that he's the one who cheated (or lied) to Hermes, but isn't he also the "older brother" of Hermes? In episode 2, he was introduced as a Shanghai restaurant owner that went back to Japan to open up a new restaurant, no? Am I confusing the Cheating Husband for Restaurant Brother? (Hence forth are their new names!) In any case, I'm assuming that the monster defeated in this episode was Cheating Husband.

Yup, i wondered too why the "big brother"-character looks like the restaurant owner. that doesn't make any sense at all, maybe they are twins?! No, i suppose that would be too far-fetched, but i'm keen on knowing who is who, anyway.

episode 5-monster:
that quiet girl in hospital, because she said "good night" to the nurse. incredible! (that was a pretty weak one, but since densha made the stalker go to the country-side (i wonder if he did, though ...) there's no one left then...)

Psiga · Posts: 3990

Hi! Tomorrow I am supposed to get broadband installed in my home. This should mean a roughly 152X improvement in speed compared to the broadband that I am currently shackled to.

Either Persona or Rud13 or whomever will surely be willing to hook me up to this series, yes?

-Psiga

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

On the first page there's a few links to torrents. They're usually seeders available for them so you'll be in luck!

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of my Planetarian and NHK ni Youkoso torrents. I sob.

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

Episode 5!
Meeting Commence!!

There's one thing that the ending sequence keeps reminding me:
In like episode 2 or three, Saori (aka Hermes! I finally remember her name!) says that she doesn't remember what Densha looked like during their first meeting because she wasn't wearing her glasses at the time. However, on the train in their first meeting, she's reading a BOOK. She can read a book but not see someone's face clearly?
(This is assuming she's not near-sighted or something logical like that.)

In any case, going back to the episode:
Wow! Action packed! Densha grew a backbone! The camera pans and zooms! The Aladdin Channel message board team is slowly getting lost admist the action! This is intense action, people!

I'm glad Densha is finally taking some steps to actually get to know Hermes better. I mean, normal people usually have conversations in their first few meetings and get to know each other better, right? When Densha and Hermes had their first few dinners, they just seemed to have polite chit-chat without ever really getting to know each other. Now, I don't know the specifics of the culture and whether it's possible to have such thralling polite subject-less discussions over and over... but yeah, that Saori girl is really very polite to stand such boring dinner meetings more than once. She's also either very patient or very bored+lonely. I think Densha's entering her life is almost a blessing to her seemingly boring life of hanging around her men-obsessed friends and listless OL work.

For further analysis, let's take a look at her family status:
Her family seems to be finacially upper middle class, judging from her big Western styled house. Her mother and father are seemingly all but officially seperated and her delinquent brother left home due to clashing egos. At a young age, approximately sometime during jr. high and beyond, Saori and her brother were raised in America (specifically in LA! Ha! As if there are phone booths in LA!) and were later taken care of by the Restaurant Brother. Now for some guessing: Saori is also the oldest child and thus had the responsibilities to maintain a stable job and all that, which allowed her younger brother to go and be wild. Most likely her brother, Keisuke, is the mother's favorite child judging from how easily she accepted him back into the house. (I'm factoring in the traditional views of how male children are favored and spoiled over the females in Asian cultures.) In any case, I'm guessing this made Saori grow up as the responsible one, which also results in a boring lifestyle.

So in conclusion, befriending anime otaku if your life is boring might be pretty interesting.
CONJECTURE!!

So anyway, returning to Densha:
CURRENT DENSHA KILL LIST:
Episode 1: the woman whose husband beats her
Episode 2: Laid-off Lover
Episode 3: Basketball Flamer
Episode 4: Cheating Husband
Episode 5: Bratty Patient Girl

It seems that the trend for killing off a poster is to introduce him/her in the episode prior so the audience has some exposure to the character and can feel some loss. The exception was the Basketball Flamer but his villain character was developed enough in one episode for the audience to feel some connection to him when he felt remorse and turned to good side (AKA exploded after the Megazord cut him down).

It could also be argued that this episode's defeated monster was the Hick Stalker but since he's not a poster on the Aladdin channel, he's disqualified.

Now about the episode:
Things were really paced up! The dreaded group meeting between Densha's friends and Herme's friends that the last episode's preview seemed to build so much upon was immediately dismissed in the first ten minutes of the episode! Then the episode ramped up to this grand tale of Saori's stalking and Densha's stepping up to the plate and using the scenario to his advantage and talking to Saori more. It's a nice change of pace from the last episodes of "Let's all see how miserable or ridiculous Densha can be!"
Densha's becoming more NORMAL.
He's even keeping his contacts on during work and dressing better in general - he's really leveled up! (Of course, the preview seems to indicate that he will return to his otakudom full blast at Comiket. I suppose the nature of the event just demands plaid collared shirts, thick glasses, fannypacks, and jeans!)
Besides just his fashion sense, the side characters are also seemingly giving Densha less shit than normal. His surfing mentor willingly agreed to the match-making dinner and The Girl who Gets Around didn't really aggravate him much. Of course, this could just be because the editors needed to cut them out so that the main plot would have more screen time. This is a good thing of course because now the future episodes will actually have content that's full of important context and not just "You can do it, Densha!" filler with CG sequences of the harpooning laces of the interweb piercing Japan and chrome plated exclamations ejaculating out of Japan.

It's kind of sad though because now that Densha is leveling up, the Aladdin channel message board is sort of left to themselves. I mean, the ASCII Bishounen was reduced to summoning the theme song for all the fellow posters this time! If this keeps up and Densha goes on and finds a social life, everyone will be left with nothing... except for each other.

Also, as Aderack said, the stairway scene did go on a bit long. It should have stopped after Densha received the photo from the Hick Stalker, but it seemed they had to milk it to somehow include the little people that helped Densha win the Academy Award. I really did like that scene though; it's like what happens when two bank robbers end up trying to rob the bank at the same time. That and Densha's conversation with the stalker really got to me (though his including details about buying new clothes every time he saw Hermes seemed more like bragging than equal confession). I liked how Densha proposed to resolve the situation too: by taking it to Saori and apologizing. It really seemed far more of a mature solution than something I could come up with.

Also, thanks to Densha Otoko, I now know that the only solution to stalkers with bad teeth is to exile them to the countryside where they can be accepted and their photographic talents can be praised. Afterall, bad stalker otakus with no message board friends MUST be sent away while the ones with backup can totally be allowed to hit up the girls. Yessir.

So in conclusion, this episode was pretty damn good.
I really liked that second-to-last shot they ended the episode with where the camera zooms out and the Hanshin Tigers otaku stands up shouting, "DOES THIS MEAN.. DENSHA CONFESSED TO HER??" It felt really epic. I thought the various zooms and pans they used in this episode really helped to keep that fast paced action. Altogether, the series is coming along pretty well.

You know, this whole series has some pretty good cinematography. The shots they use are interesting and photogenic (with the exception of the single shots of Saori. Those are just uninspired). It's just that something about the way the editors string them all together comes off entirely un..cinematic. Still, for a drama this is pretty damn good.

Now a question to you all:
Which character of Densha Otoko can you relate with most? (Be it a random message board poster or one of the side characters to Hermes and Densha.)

aderack · Posts: 5018

The battered wife?

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

Does Agnes beat you?

aderack · Posts: 5018

Only when I'm bad.

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

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Wow, phpBBS totally fucks with that ASCII!

108 · Posts: 2600

Persona-sama wrote:

There's one thing that the ending sequence keeps reminding me:
In like episode 2 or three, Saori (aka Hermes! I finally remember her name!) says that she doesn't remember what Densha looked like during their first meeting because she wasn't wearing her glasses at the time. However, on the train in their first meeting, she's reading a BOOK. She can read a book but not see someone's face clearly?
(This is assuming she's not near-sighted or something logical like that.)

First of all, she's AOYAMA-SAN!! This is most fitting because she works in Aoyama.

WOOHAH

Second of all, regarding the glasses thing:

0. i gave her that book.
1. she might be near-sighted, yeah.
2. she . . . well. do you remember who she was talking to when she said that? her stupid shallow friend. perhaps she was lying? perhaps she knew her friend would tell her to forget the guy if she said what he really looked like? aoyama-san is the kind of person to, you know, follow her instincts, and not what fashion magazines and japanese hip-hop videos tell her.

young persona has never been in a situation where this kind of lie is strategic!

i pity you!

and envy you!!

and then i finish my pasta while eating the rest of your post and drinking red wine . . . i mean fanta grape.

and i mean READING the rest of your post.

yes!! if there are no problems, i will not post again in here until tomorrow night, with REAL TIME updates on the show!!

Persona-sama · Posts: 1145

But then Aoyama san then admits to Densha during their first dinner together that she couldn't see him very well on their first meeting too!

Of course this could be a polite lie as well.

And I think I sort of get how to do the ASCI art now. A lot of it is in overriding the space-limitation (as in blank space).

Rud13 · Posts: 3277

use the code command to do ascii on php.

108 · Posts: 2600

Persona-sama wrote:

then Aoyama san then admits to Densha during their first dinner together that she couldn't see him very well on their first meeting too!

Of course this could be a polite lie as well.

That it is!

I mean, you SAW how different he looked on their date. He had OBVIOUSLY cleaned himself up a hell of a lot. She didn't want to draw attention to that.

Part-time liars, like any old fiction writers, like to reuse lies. In the case of Aoyama-san, well -- she's a part-time liar being managed by a fiction-writer, so it goes double (and thusly, quadruple) for her!

Just twenty-five hours until the next episode! I already bought my donuts!!

(. . . actually, i . . . care less than i'm pretending. still, it's something to do on thursday night.)

oh, and the "aladdin channel" thing is a fake name. for some reason the producers didn't want to glorify the use 2ch so much that more people started actually reading it.