JaJ Speaks VII- Japanese Drama!

Are you fade up of Glorified Sas Bahu Sops, which continues year after another, and inevitably fails to keep you involved…..Then here is option for you-Japanese Drama. If it is of any interest to you, do carry on..otherwise its going to be too OFFBIT for you.

Unlike Indian Sops Japanese Drama last just 10-12 Episodes which surely keep one much more involved and keep the Momentum going. I believe that TV serials are reflection of Society; it’s litmus of Social Taste, Genre. Being in Individualistic society it’s but obvious to have Self centric people at the center of Japanese Drama.
My recent views were – Densha Ototko and Hotaru no Hikari.

Before having review of Densha Otoko, let me share few facts about Japanese Lifestyle. As most of us knows these people are damn hardworking. Boys or Gals have virtually no difference at work places. No wonders after working for 13-14 hours there is no PERSONL LIFE for Japanese youngsters, neither the time to establish the social circleｓ. So these people immerse them self in Pachincos-Gaming stations, Managa-Japanese Cartoon comics, Animation. Having separated from parents since Highschool days, most of them don’t have anybody to share their thoughts, their feeling. So few of them gets crazy, about Fantasy of Comic world/Animation-and those people called as Otaku. Otakus form dark side of Capsule generation of Japan; Who are in anxious, shy and live in their own world, as if no body else exists in the universe; nerdy looking men who hang out at Akihabara (the famous electronics area in Tokyo) all the day, who are obsessed with video games and computers.

Densha Otoko is story of an Otaku, who fell in love with a Composed and Rich girl. This drama was big hit all across Japan. Supposedly True story was being aired in 2005, which happens in Tokyo backdrop.


So hero of the story is an Otaku 23 year old. Yamada (Atsushi Ito), who helps Saori (Misaki Ito) from a drunken person, harassing her. Saori sends him Pair of Hermes cup as gesture of being thankful, and this lays plot for the love story.

Saori has lived overseas and has great sense of sophistication and an appealing personality. On the way back home, in a train, Saori gets harassed by a heavily drunken man. When the drunk was about to touch her face, Yamada stands up for the lady, and gets in a quarrel. Saori gets deeply impressed at what the man did for her.
It’s her presence, which has inspired him to fight, which he never knew in his life.
Being an Otaku, he was always a receiver of hate and if at all he received, it was humiliation. But this time Saori had sent him Pair of Hermes cups. This incident stirs his mind about how to repay? And he joins an Internet Discussion board to seek help. He gets overwhelming response; so many people supporting this virtual friend who is referred as Train Man-Densha Otoko and Saori as Hermes. With suggestions from all members of discussion board, Love story passes steps after another- calling a girl, mobile phone messages, buying clothes, going on a date, holding her hand, walking her home, visiting her bedroom and its of great interest for everyone on discussion board.　Yamada does all his might to hide he being Otaku, with only motto "Have Saori to like me."
Saori equally moved by his efforts and What matters her is not money not looks but honesty, thanks to bad memories of dishonest boy friend.

Yamada, despite of being an Otaku, on back of advice of a Virtual friend group on a website, gathers courage and successfully changes himself to confess his love to Saori. His struggle to overcome his Otaku personality is too touchy. There have been various Ups and downs in the love story getting unfolded in every episode, which director uses to express intricacies of minds of Japanese youngsters. It’s needless to mention Beautiful Women finally ties a knot with Beautiful mind.

Director Takeuchi Hideki converts the ordinary love story into an extra ordinary Sop, with Dream sequences and solid acting performance by Atsushi Ito and Misaki. Eyes behind camera have been very agile, to enhance the feeling of every frame.
If you have little appetite for change this Drama is perfect bet for you!