ReNe: densha otoko (電車男)

I've heard of this manga before -- made quite a stir on the Japanese forums, it seems, and there was a hot debate as to whether or not the love story was even true -- and recently came across the manga adaption of it. (There are quite a few manga adaptions, even a drama serial.) It's called Densha Otoko (電車男), and chronicles the experiences of a self-confessed otaku (something like an obsessive Japanese geek of a particular kind) as he struck up a romance with a woman he saved from a drunk guy on the train. He was 23 years old and had never dated before. Understandably, he was a wreck.

Along the way, he posted his thoughts and situation updates on the Japanese '2channel' forum, asking for advice on dating from restaurant choice and clothing to his relationship insecurities. Eventually, 'Densha Otoko' and 'Hermes' (after the set of teacups she sent as thank-you for what he did on the train) became a couple.

It sounds like an incredibly sappy love story, but it's done well and is funny and touching. I also think it's an insightful exemplar of otaku behavior and also of how the internet (in this case, a forum) created a different love story. And yet, in a way, it's not very novel for many otakus are shy and single; the success of Densha Otoko showed that it struck a deep chord with otakus. It's a love story that also has very uniquely Japanese elements and I quite enjoyed it.