Spoiler room.
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Anybody here familiar with the movie Train Man (Densha otoko), a Japanese movie released in 2005? It’s about a shy 23 year-old man who’s never been on a date and his breaking out of his shell to find true love. It’s been reproduced as a novel, manga, TV series and movie. It’s all started as a series of posts on Japan’s popular chat site 2channel and there are different opinions of its veracity but my question is, did the events happen in the context of the movie?
The movie starts with “Train_Man” riding a train home after buying some items in Akihabara. A little girl is dozing next to him, leaning on him in her sleep. A wallet containing a train pass (?) falls to the floor and he slowly leans down to pick it up and put back in the lap of the girl. This wakes her, a bit startled, and as he gets up to leave at his stop she thanks him.
He’s seen at home pecking on a computer, telling a half dozen or so regulars about himself. He’s seen on the train again with no one beside him as a drunken salaryman harasses two woman sitting together then a third, younger, woman who was reading a book alone. When the harassment continues, full of fear, he gets up to confront the salaryman. Things aren’t going too well when the train’s crew arrives to take the drunk in charge and ask the women and him to make statements to the police. The young woman gets his address and sends an expensive Hermes tea set as a thank you. (She’s dubbed Hermess by the regulars.)
Terrified at this contact he asks the regulars what to do and with their encouragement, breaks through his shyness and the two of them by movie’s end declare their feeling toward each other (Which is a Big Deal in Japanese pop culture).
The regulars are seen as expanding their emotional horizons as well but then the same beginning scene (with the little girl) is shown. This time the person on the girl’s other side is revealed as Hermess and the girl hands her the wallet as Train_Man leaves the train. The last thing seen before the credits is him walking down the platform as the train departs behind him. After the credits roll, the drunken scene is seen again, but with a different actor and actress in TM’s and Hermess’ roles. This time, before the young man can intervene, another salaryman, the drunks friend perhaps, leads the drunk away with placating words.
So, did the whole thing happen or was this another Owl Creek Bridge gambit?