Densha Otoko (drama)

Densha Otoko (電車男) is a Japanese television drama that aired on Fuji Television. It is based on the Densha Otoko story, which has also been portrayed in other media.

The drama's 11 episodes were aired on Fuji TV from July 7 to September 22, 2005 (with a special episode on October 6, 2005). A two hour long TV special, Densha Otoko Deluxe, aired on September 23, 2006, featured a visit to Tahiti. Pony Canyon released the series on a DVD box set on December 22, 2005. It also aired in Taiwan's Videoland Japan from January 24, 2006 (with a special episode on December 28, 2006), and in Hong Kong's TVB Jade from April 15, 2006 (with a special episode on January 27, 2007).

Overview
The plot follows the life of Yamada after a chance encounter with Saori, when he rescues her from a drunken man on the train. Saori sends him a set of Hermès tea cups as a thank you. Relying on advice from users on a website he is able to find the courage to change and eventually confess his feelings to Saori. The drama is filled with various dream sequences in which the characters use to portray their fantasies.

Main characters

 * Tsuyoshi Yamada
 * The lead protagonist of this drama. Yamada is a typical "otaku" who consults a local website for advice on how to win over Saori. He is very shy at the beginning of the series, often stuttering to the opposite sex and his superiors. In the beginning he is willing to try to do away with his "otaku" side, however through the series he is able to admit being an "otaku" to Saori and take pride in who he is.

Saori sends Yamada teacups as a thank you for rescuing her from a drunken man in the train. Through the series she slowly develops feelings for Yamada. In this drama, she has a fondness for Benoist tea. After her father lied to her mother in the past, and recently coming out of a deceiving relationship, Saori cannot stand being lied to.
 * Saori Aoyama

Other characters

 * Misuzu Jinkama
 * A client of Yamada, she often bullies him and makes him pay for her meals. At the end of the series she is able to convince Saori to give Yamada another chance. She dates Saori's younger brother for a while. She is portrayed as a heart breaker leaving a lot of men in her wake.


 * Kazuya Sakurai
 * Although he's a rival for Saori's affections, he often unknowingly assists Yamada. He plans elaborate settings in an attempt to woo Saori but is never able to show her, often getting interrupted in the last minute. At the end of the series he falls for Jinkama. However their relationship is ended in the TV special when he confesses to Jinkama that he has lost his money.


 * Kaho Sawazaki
 * Friend and co-worker of Saori's.


 * Keisuke Aoyama
 * Saori's younger brother who dates Jinkama for a while. He accidentally discovers the website where Yamada discusses his relationship with Saori and informs her.


 * Ushijima
 * A regular to the same messageboard Densha frequents and a die-hard Hanshin Tigers fan. Has a very minor role in the drama but is expanded in the specials.

Cast and roles
(Japanese names are listed in western order: first-name last-name)
 * Misaki Ito – Saori Aoyama (沙織 青山) aka. "Hermes"
 * Atsushi Itō – Tsuyoshi Yamada (剛司 山田) aka. "Train_Man"/"Densha Otoko" (電車男)
 * Miho Shiraishi – Misuzu Jinkama (美鈴 陣釜)
 * Eriko Sato – Kaho Sawazaki (果歩 沢崎)
 * Risa Sudo – Yūko Mizuki (裕子 観月)
 * Mokomichi Hayami – Keisuke Aoyama (啓介 青山) (Saori's younger brother)
 * Maki Horikita – Aoi Yamada (葵 山田) (Tsuyoshi's younger sister)
 * Shirou Kishibe – Tsuneo Yamada (Tsuyoshi's father)
 * Gekidan Hitori – Yuusaku Matsunaga
 * Eiji Sugawara – Shinji Kawamoto
 * Saori Koide – Karin Takeda (花梨 武田)
 * Shun Oguri – Munetaka Minamoto
 * Kosuke Toyohara – Kazuya Sakurai (和哉 桜井)
 * Kumiko Akiyoshi – Yuki Aoyama (由紀 青山) (Saori's mother)
 * Chizu Sakurai – Ryoko Hashizume
 * Seiji Rokkaku – Sadao Ushijima
 * Youichi Nukumizu – Susumu Ichisaka
 * Tatsuya Gashuin – Tominaga
 * Iori Nomizu – Moe Kagami (Meganekko / posting board member)

Atsushi Itō and Misaki Ito have a cameo appearance after the end credits in the movie. In turn, Takayuki Yamada who portrays Densha Otoko in the movie, appears in a brief cameo in the first episode of the TV series, as well as in a special episode. Miho Shiraishi had also a brief role in the movie, but as a different character. The Japanese Rock Band that played the ending credits, Sambomaster, also made a cameo in episode 11 where Densha had to go to the hospital where he believed that Saori has collapsed (a lie by Kazuya-San)

Crew

 * Directors – Takeuchi Hideki, Nishiura Masaki and Kobayashi Kazuhiro
 * Producers – Wakamatsu Jisashiki and Kawanishi Migaku
 * Original Story – Nakano Hitori
 * Screenwriters – Mutou Susumuware and Tokunaga Tomokazu

Special 1 - Another Ending
The first special has contains a few story arcs which chronicles the lives of the other 2channel users. Many scenes from the original series were parodied. e.g. Kazuya confessing to Jinkama like how Yamada confessed to Saori.

Ushijima's Story
Ushijima believes the love of his life has run off with his money. He finds her but discovers that she did not steal his money but got scammed herself. They reunite happily.

Matsunaga's (Guitar Otoko) Story
Matsunaga, one of Yamada's friends is tricked into buying a guitar. He attempts to woo Yuko, one of Saori's friends by singing live at the Tokyo Dome.

Opening sequence
The television series makes numerous references and homages to otaku culture. The opening animation is a homage to the legendary Daicon IV "Twilight" anime short, which was created by the founders of Gainax, and the space ship in the first opening is similar to the logo of the band "ELO", that composed Twilight. Though rival anime studio Gonzo produced the Densha Otoko opening and is referenced several times in the series, the producers acknowledged Gainax's work by putting their name in the credits before that of Gonzo. The opening sequence is also a homage of the opening for the cult-anime Galaxy Express 999 (1978-81, Toei Animation), in which a poor boy meets the very beautiful Maetel and travels through space on the train Galaxy Express 999, which embarks them into adventures.

The series also makes use of Shift JIS art, or Japanese ASCII art during screen transitions and within the story itself.

Music
Introductory music from the first episode is "Mr. Roboto" by Styx. Subsequent openings play the song "Twilight" by the 1970s Birmingham rock group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was also the background music in the Daicon IV anime short. The end theme is Sambomaster's "Sekai wa Sore wo Ai to Yobundaze" (世界はそれを愛と呼ぶんだぜ).

Getsumento Heiki Mina
The animation sequences for both the opening and series shots of the metafictional anime series Getsumento Heiki Mina (月面 兎 兵器 ミーナ) were produced by Gonzo. Both Gonzo and the producers of the Densha Otoko TV series put a concerted effort into creating the appearance of a long-standing franchise, from hiring seiyū Saori Koide (to play both the voice of Mina as well as Karin Takeda, Mina's voice actress) to recording an opening theme for the Mina series, "START ME @ STARTING LOVE" by Missing Link.

Several toys, "video games", custom figurines and other "merchandise" were made specifically for use by otaku in the series. One of the figures, valued at $4000, was inadvertently broken by actor Atsushi Itō during filming. Replicas of the original figure were later sold at the Winter 2005 Comiket.

On January 13, 2007, the real world version of Getsumento Heiki Mina began airing in Japan. Gonzo mentioned back in December 16, 2005 that and that all existing sequences and properties from Densha Otoko would be used. However, the narrative of the real-world adaptation of Mina is different from the version written for the drama series.

Reception
On October 25, 2005, Densha Otoko was awarded six prizes at the 46th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Drama, Best Supporting Actor (Atsushi Itō), Best Supporting Actress (Miho Shiraishi), Best Director (Takeuchi Hideki), Best Musical Arrangement and Best Opening.