Y’KNOW, I WAS going to write a piece on that new Miyazaki movie, The Boy And The Heron, but I came out of it feeling so befuddled and “bleh”! That flick’s for the smart people and, as you can well surmise by now, this is not a smartie publication - I am a train that runs on the firey coals of emotion, a train that leaves the inner mechanics of my operation to the repairmen! I know not of Hegalian undertones and…what is this? THEMING?! Bollocks! So I read another manga in a huff, and came out the other side humming an ‘awe…’
That manga, as you’ve surely guessed, is Train Man!
Train Man follows the story of a nerd-type dude on a train who stops a drunken man from harassing other passengers. It’s a simple deed, he thinks, until one of the girls he “saved” decides to thank him with expensive mugs, and they exchange telephone numbers…Ba-boom. It’s a tale as old as time! …Eeeexcept, the guy has no courage. There’s no way he can call this girl, let alone ask her out! So, he goes to the only he knows - the message board, 2ch. Here, people all around Japan cheer with all their might for the Train Man and his burgeoning romance! He gets fashion advice, good places to eat, and the right things to say. Sure, even in the early age of the internet, you could’ve looked these things up yourself, but it’s better to get the answers straight from the source! What the hell do machines know about romance, anyway?! Throughout this sweet little ditty, we see Train Man evolve, thanks to not only his romance, but his connection with the people on the forums. He starts to settle into a better fashion sense, care for himself, and care for others, all while pursuing the girl dubbed ‘Hermes’ (after the very teacups she gifted him). It’s a touching tale of self-transformation through the tentative pursuit of another, and hell - something I can relate to one hell of a ton!
See, Train Man and I, we’ve got a kinship going on. Once we met our respective women, our lives seemed to flip on their heads! Though I’m sure as hell never selling my otaku merchandise, it’s all these little ways that your love affects you - you start paying attention to yourself more, how you look, keeping things tidy because “she can’t see it like this!”. It’s the thing Train Man nails down above all else: the indescribable, intrinsic motivation of love. Little intricacies like calling your homies up to ask THEM what THEY’D say in such a situation I’ve done countless times (to greater or lesser effect), getting impulsive haircuts, wondering when to call first, what to say, when to make a move…It’s real, and I’ve done it! Must be an otaku thing.
There’s been a myriad of Train Man adaptations, including, but not limited to: a manga, a shoujo manga, a re-adapted manga, a spin-off manga, a “light” novel, and a Japanese drama movie!! Those are just the ones I could scrounge up - I even remember seeing the J-Drama version on clearance for five bucks at my work, and course, now I’m kicking myself for not getting it! But supposedly, this is based off a real story that happened on 2chan, Japan’s most popular messaging board around the time it was penned (2005), so no wonder it hits so close to home, and feels so damn human! The art style reflects this perfectly, too, I think, with soft edges, lanky figures, and goofy expressions which lend themselves well to the wacky narrative that is Train Man, an utterly unbelievable story with utterly unbelievable results! You can really tell what a person’s like just by giving them a glance in this story, and that’s not only a mark of great character work, but good art, too. Train Man holds such a nice, positive insight to humanity despite the reason for its inception, and not only wishes to perpetuate the dreamy hopes of pure romances like these, but the goodness of humanity! That’s something I’ve personally come to appreciate, and though it takes more of a goofy approach to it all, Train Man is tactful and emotional exactly when it needs to be.
What else to say? Train Man is short, slim, lean, and packs one hell of a sweet shot. If you’re hurting for some good romance, this is a way to get your dosage in real quick! And hey, it might even hit home, if you're even tangentially like me.