Densha Otoko

Densha Otoko is Japanese movie based on true love story. The 23 years old Otoko brought to the movie when he intervened with drunken man was harassing several women in a train. Otoko start dating with Hermes who was harassed in that train. The movie was filmed in Tokyo which depicted in the movie as contemporary city full of lights and crowded with people and cars living in hectic pace.

The main point in this movie is about the people who are hiding behind their screen the internet wire is their connection with outside world and the modem is almost the only communication channel. This kind of people has developed different life style away from the people avoid interacting and grows fear feeling form outside in their self. It is difficult for them to leave this life style and starts re-discover the world again and deal with outside world.

Otoko had a group of people give him advices and guide him and tell him how to deal with his date. This group called Instant messenger support group that he chatting with them online.
Otoko from middle or less class he is living by his own in small room. Or we can say his home was a single crowded room. The movies shown the Japanese are using small space either in home or office. This is why Otoko was stunning by the way was Hermes’s home. Thought it was regular size to American home standard.

Though they are from different society class both of them are using the train in their transportation. I don’t know is it a writer mistake or the train is used by all classes in Japan. Anyway there was emphasizing on the train role on Tokyo people and considered an aspect of Tokyo life style.

I saw Apple product in the movie more than once. First one in first seen in the train Otoko was using iPod. Second, his girl friend father has a Macintosh Computer. Moreover, I remembered that one of my Japanese friends told me that iPod is popular in Japan. I don’t know how Apple could invaded this market who is full of advanced local electronic products it is like bringing corn to America from another country. Maybe because Apple products are high quality or maybe as Masotoshi said “Japanese prefers things imported from USA to Japanese”.

There are two points I would like to address about culture across. First, though the movie was romantic/comedy, we as Americans and International students understood and laugh about it. In other worlds we laugh on Japanese jokes which is something related to culture in first place. Second, one of the seen Otoko was looking at the moon and said “what a beautiful moon” then he took a picture of it. Usually the moon has special position in Middle Eastern culture. They always see the full moon as beauty symbolic and use it in their pomes, songs or even when someone flirts with his beloved one something that Americans don’t have. So, I’m wondering do Japanese have the same feeling as Middle Eastern about the moon or it was just a seen.

One of the most important massages that this movie try to convey is given a chance away is not affordable thing. This is what Otoko friends tried to convince Otoko to do and they succeed. Maybe they were see them self in him, this is why they have changed after he succeed and found the love. They start looking for their "own love" and start to see the world in whole new light as singles or couples.