Densha Otoko

Densha Otoko (Episode 1, Fansub)
The screenshot to the right is actually a little deceptive. It is not from an anime, but rather from the animated opening credits to the popular Japanese Drama, "Densha Otoko", or "Train Man."

At times corny, frequently funny, surprisingly touching, Densha Otoko is the story of a 23 year old Japanese anime otaku (geek) named Yamada who saves a beautiful woman from a drunken old man while riding the train home. She gets his address and promises to send him a thankyou gift.

When Yamada gets home, he tells of his experiences on a internet board, and finds he has an almost instant advice gallery and cheering section amongst the various otaku and other people on the boards. When a gift from the woman does arrive, with their help he picks up the phone to call ...

Densha Otoko takes a humorous look at the world of Japanese otaku, but also looks more seriously at the difficulties and confidence problems geeks around the world encounter. The series, at least for a little while, actually made otaku the new "cool" in Japan.

There are several inside references and winks for people familiar with any of the various otaku cultures, but even knowing nothing about it, the show presents an entertaining variation on the love comedy.

Finally, any show that begins by showing a montage of Akihabara (geek mecca in Tokyo) while playing "Mr. Roboto" by Styx has to have something going for it ...

Content Ratings (out of 5)
Comedy: 5 - I found myself laughing quite a bit. There was a lot of silliness going on as well.
Otaku: 5 - Lots of otaku references, as one might guess - anime, ascii artist, military, figure, comic, etc., all types seem to be represented.