It's like the princess and the frog, but the frog is actually just a frog

In almost all of the scenes meant to be sympathetic with 電車男, I honestly felt cringe and even a level of disgust. All the sniveling and crying and stuttering >_< Also, is 電車男 genuinely kind, or just too weak and scared to stand up for himself? I think his devotion mostly comes from a self-awareness of his loserdom, and a lack of self-respect. He's so self-sacrificing because it's his only viable strategy in competition with an army of ikemen.
Also, his infatuation with Saori is purely based on looks, and an ideation; a mental image of her he created after their first meeting. He doesn't actually get to know who she is, because their relationship remains surface-level throughout the whole show. I learned nothing of much substance about either of them.
All that is to say that I don't think he's a saint; he's a simp, and kind of pathetic (but he doesn't have to be!).
Reminder that in real life, Ito Misaki, the actress playing Saori, married a handsome CEO.

Otherwise, the show has some merit: the way the forum discussions are presented is cool; the kaomoji master is a true artist; Shiraishi Miho and Toyohara Kosuke's characters are great - they're good actors; Ito Misaki is beautiful, and this show gives her a lot of screen time. I also really like the Jamaica pouch Otaku's raspy voice.

Overall: as a romance, it failed for me, but I thought it was a solid comedy :) Mostly due to the talents of Shiraishi Miho and Toyohara Kosuke <3

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You should watch Hitorigurashi alone in your house

This show is executed really well; directing, editing, etc. The cinematography in particular is artful and skillful. Shots feel composed and designed to complement whatever is taking place in the story.

The scenarios are realistic enough, and the acting is nicely restrained. The main actress Tokiwa Takako is super believable throughout; makes it easy to immerse in the story.

The music feels of the time the show was made; a lot of moody soprano sax - almost Kenny-G-esque. I thought it suited the show nicely, but it's a style of music that might annoy some people.

I was really satisfied by the ending - open-ended, but suspenseful. The last shot/credits roll was very cool.

Also, the running fridge ambience... the way it's used throughout the show feels intentional, but I didn't pick up on the meaning.

Overall, the show strikes a nice balance between melodrama and reality.
A sophisticated and tasteful show! Easily the best J-Drama I've seen so far (out of the 20 or so I've seen at the time of writing this) :)

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Ｉ’ｍ　ａ　ｐｒｉｓｏｎｅｒ　ｏｆ　ｌｏｖｅ

Very melodramatic, but absurd to the point of being entertaining. The intermittent clips of motocross in between very serious scenes, and scenes of domestic violence was fun. That there were like five songs in constant rotation got to be really funny too. Overall, it was nice to see topics that otherwise seem to be a bit taboo in Japan. At least from my media-based impressions of the country.

Also, Takeru is such a good guy; I don't think I could've finished the show without him. He is an angel and an agent of justice, and anyone who has a friend like that in their life should consider themselves blessed. Sousuke was a great villain and comic relief :'(

If you just want to watch a show to pass the time (or study Japanese), it's a fine choice. Easy to follow, kind of heartwarming, and strange enough to hold interest. If you want something thoughtfully put together, nicely shot, scored, etc. though, I'd say to look elsewhere.

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