Train Man!

The landscape of Tokyo is eeirly electronic. Overwhelming advertisements glow endlessly, and much of the architecture is tinted glass and futuristic looking. Natural landmarks are not commonly seen. Tokyo is completely saturated with people. Much is paved over, industrial, and commercial. Tokyo is completly developed, however, when the camera gets out of the heart of Tokyo a much different landscape emerges. Hermess home is surrounded by hills, and has actual PLANTS growing everywhere. For the most part though, Tokyo does not have a horizon; your view, it seems, is obstructed by sky scrapers and businesses until the end of the movie.

Densha has two realities. The first reality is the physical realm. He enters this world when he walks outside, talks to people or doesn't talk to people, and buys groceries. He is not doing so hot here. He doesn't have many friends, and is charecterized as a poorly dressed, akward nerd. The other reality is online, where Densha is incredible. He has a large group of eclectic friends who care about him, and value his humanity. In the rooms of one of his friends, an infinite amount of wires exit the back of his computer. Densha has basically an Iphone and can communicate at any time with his online friends. At the same time technology is depicted in an isolating way. Though a husband and wife are both friends with Densha, they don't even realize it. She cooks the meals, and he just sits in front of the computer. Both seem disinterested in each others life. Technology is also viewed as a crutch. Densha runs off during the date to a computer cafe to get new info to find another location for a date. At this point he almost kills the entire relationship. Otaku means obsessive, and he is obsessed with computers and anime. His imagination is a movie. Outside reality is depicted as a war zone where he and his friends are always inches away from obliteration.
America and Japan have united on what a nerd is. Someone who acts and dresses akwardly, and is a fanatic about computers or some other "uncool" object. In Japan an unhealthy obsession of manga or anime can get you the label of otaku. In the United States it may be chess, computers, or being a fan of Star Trek. I, unfortunetely, like to play chess, and have a closer relationship with the word nerd than most people. Playing chess can lead to the classification as a nerd. Oh well. But it seems to me that both countries have the same perspective on what a nerd is, it differs only in the object of the nerds obsession. Both countries would agree that a nerd had an unhealthy obsessive interest with something (computers or anime or Spock), have no fashion sense, and are doomed to die alone, or possibly, only in the company of other nerds.
Densha does have friends! The intstant messaging shows that there is more to Densha than can be visibily seen. Most people in this movie seem alone. Densha's friends surround the air around him, they constantly type away giving advise, encouraging him to "be a man." The instant messaging also shows how seperate people in Japan are from each other. Rampant industrialization has lead to each person, even coworkers, living completely different lives. There is not a sense of community. Instant messaging can be viewed as a new attempt at creating a community.
The end of the movie can be looked at in two different ways. One level is the societal, the other is the personal. On the personal level, the point being made that the actions of the nerd do not go unnoticed. That despite his akwardness, his positive traits (helpfulness) are seen by those around him. It is a cause to rejoice. Nerds your positive aspects can also be seen! It is a way of saying to the nerd audience, buck up, you have good that others like, now just have some courage. The other way, is it shows how interconnected everyone is. Even though you think many people in your everyday surroundings are strangers they infact are not. Whenever I meet someone for the first time, it is amazing how they start showing up randomly in other places. You run into them while buying underwear, or you catch them driving the opposite direction on dodge street. This could be one of those comments on how despite the vastness of everything we aren't seperate.