Oct 5, 2005
I was on a plane going over some movie selections when I chanced upon a really nice movie. It is a Japanese movie called TrainMan, and some of my friends who know about it says that it is quite a popular movie that was just recently released. They say this story come from a web board, then a book, then a play then a movie. So it was a popular story that hit a lot of fans, especially the Japanese.
The movie stars Takayuki Yamada and Miki Nakatni. Why am I talking about a movie?
Basically because the movie is about Information technology, and it highlights the changes in the ways we work and live because of technology, but at the end, it shows that with all the changes, we are still basically the same.
The movie revolves around a 22 year old single male, who is what you would call a computer geek. He has never dated anybody in his life, and he was content to spend his job as a computer engineer. He would only have 2 hobbies – going to Akahibara ( Japan’s famous electronic and computer stores district) to look up computers and parts, and to spend his time in the internet, either browsing, or chatting. He thought that would be his life.
Then one day, he saved a young woman from a drunk on the train on his way home, and he became attracted to her. Not knowing what to do, he went to a chat board site, and started telling his story – basically, it was his outlet, and it was also a cry for help. What should he do? How can he develop a friendship with the girl.
From his post, he was able to tell his story, and he was able to make friends with about 9 people who come from different walks of life – a housewife, a househusband, a female professional, some single geeks, a businessman and others. These group of people became his advisers, even though they did not know one another. TrainMan is basically the call name that the actor put on when he sign to the web site.
So the story starts. These informal group of advisers share their expertise and their advice, and of course, their advice basically stems from where they come from. For instance, when TrainMan dated the girl, there were different interpretations on why the girl would insist that each pay his own during meals. When the girl gave Trainman a gift of tea cups, there were different versions on what it meant.
So this group advises TrainMan, and help give him suggestions – on where to bring the girl for dates, on what kind of wine to order, on what to wear and others.
TrainMan also, as his relationship progresses found out what he has been missing – that while computers were great, and going to chat sites, and internet surfing and watching movies alone was enjoyable before, he began to find out that a meaningful friendship was actually something that was much much more.
At any rate, I think you basically can guess what happens at the end of the movie ( it is after all, a movie, right?), but it is quite an informative and entertaining romantic comedy, as well as a good glean on life that is now shaped by texting, and chatting.
At the end, with the successful relationship, his advisers started to think – if they were able, through giving Trainman courage, and advice, enable Trainman to make his life for the better, was there something else also for them? Shouldn’t they also get out of their world, and start to forming relationships, instead of a life just chatting, and playing video games.
So some of his advisers started to gain courage. Some started to sport new clothes, and new hairstyles. Knowing the happiness that the success gave to RainMan, 3 sworn bachelors started to look at girls with new meaning.
At the end, it was both an entertaining and refreshing look on life.
Wilson Ng
I may be a learned scholar, a successful business, or a good father/husband, but until I am all three, I have not succeeded.
Visit my blog at www.bizdrivenlife.net