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Train Man Masculinity

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The 2005 film Train Man (Densha Otoku) tells the story of romance that almost feels too good to be true. The love story begins with the protagonist, known by his pseudonym Train Man, standing up to a drunk man harassing women on the train, one of which happens to be the female protagonist and love interest. However, Train Man exemplifies a different type of masculinity in this unlikely romance, as he is far from the popular “macho man saves the girl” trope in the romance genre.What is noteworthy about the film is how it reconstructs gender expectations and identities. The male protagonist is seemingly hopeless at times, and yet by the end of the film, it becomes clear that there is something about him that makes viewers want to cheer him on. …show more content…

The audience is shown Train Man’s personality and mannerisms in two ways, in personal interactions and the anonymous online interactions. In both portrayals his speech comes off as anxious and unsure, through stuttering words and pauses and self-conscious speech patterns in his typing. Train Man is a classic example of what society calls “nerdy” or “geeky”, at least in a Western sense. He is shown as having interests that strangers deem odd or unconventional and reminds viewers familiar with Japanese society of otaku culture. On top of this, his social anxiety makes it almost impossible to mesh with the rest of society. He finds solace on an online chat room, where other anonymous people cheer him on as he struggles to further his budding relationship with the girl, known on the online board as Hermes.Despite all these traits, the film makes one thing abundantly clear: Train Man still had the bravery to push past his social anxiety and fear to stand up to the drunk on the train. It is this bravery that is the heart of his masculinity. It may show in small ways, but it is this ability to still be brave despite crippling fear that gives Train Man his protagonist

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Similar to Sapolsky, Katz argues that the media teaches men from a young age to be tough, aggressive, and not to show emotional vulnerability. This is what he calls the “tough guise” or the artificial definition of manhood that forces men to conform to society’s expectations by being “tough” and powerful and hiding their emotions. In the beginning of the film Katz shows interviews with various young males where he asks what it means to be a man, and all of them provide an answer referring to strength, such as “powerful,” “intimidating,” “strong,” and of course, “tough.” When asked what a male is called when they fail to live up to these expectations, the young men replied, “wuss,” “fag,” or “sissy.” Katz points out that this just one of numerous methods that society uses to contain young men in this “tough guise” box, using insults to drive them to perform the way they believe a man should.

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