https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1182958584368201838/Screenshot20231209at00.46.52.png?ex=65869708is=65742208hm=69a2cda868e3811779ec11498b1e64a60fafd2b0f130fabeef295669ac92a5de YKNOW 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 flicks 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 andwhat is this? THEMING? Bollocks So I read another manga in a huff and came out the other side humming an awe That manga as youve surely guessed is Train Man https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1182958585655857202/Screenshot20231209at00.38.40.png?ex=65869709is=65742209hm=ede4a81503633721b7e3cec47f1611cd62a79fdda4773c9d16719456df4758e6 Train Man follows the story of a nerdtype dude on a train who stops a drunken man from harassing other passengers. Its a simple deed he thinks until one of the girls he saved decides to thank him with expensive mugs and they exchange telephone numbersBaboom. Its a tale as old as time Eeeexcept the guy has no courage. Theres 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 couldve looked these things up yourself but its 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. Its a touching tale of selftransformation through the tentative pursuit of another and hell something I can relate to one hell of a ton See Train Man and I weve got a kinship going on. Once we met our respective women our lives seemed to flip on their heads Though Im sure as hell never selling my otaku merchandise its all these little ways that your love affects you you start paying attention to yourself more how you look keeping things tidy because she cant see it like this. Its 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 THEYD say in such a situation Ive done countless times to greater or lesser effect getting impulsive haircuts wondering when to call first what to say when to make a moveIts real and Ive done it Must be an otaku thing. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1182958586482151444/Screenshot20231209at00.35.39.png?ex=65869709is=65742209hm=2dba864a4b79eaed598dd843374cf0626141fc15e8821761a7bbb5f8e8e9ab36 Theres been a myriad of Train Man adaptations including but not limited to: a manga a shoujo manga a readapted manga a spinoff manga a light novel and a Japanese drama movie Those are just the ones I could scrounge up I even remember seeing the JDrama version on clearance for five bucks at my work and course now Im kicking myself for not getting it But supposedly this is based off a real story that happened on 2chan Japans 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 persons like just by giving them a glance in this story and thats 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 Thats something Ive 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. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1182958587211939881/Screenshot20231209at00.45.53.png?ex=65869709is=65742209hm=50b4f08ddfa91a9064f996ddc0fd092aa28591681b24128b1830277dc07431e6 What else to say? Train Man is short slim lean and packs one hell of a sweet shot. If youre hurting for some good romance this is a way to get your dosage in real quick And hey it might even hit home if youre even tangentially like me.