TV Party Tonight

As I noted earlier, good Japanese film is nearly impossible to find these days.

Surprisingly, TV dramas are better.

Exhibit A: Densha Otoko ("The Guy on the Train," or "Train Man"). The narrative goes like this:
A computer nerd meets the girl of his dreams on the commuter train. Having no romantic experience, he asks for dating advice on an internet bulletin board. Thanks to ongoing tips and encouragement from anonymous helpers, he gets the girl.

What's the difference between film and TV? Take the title character (photos above). On TV, he fills the romantic emptiness of his nerd life with cartoon girls and plastic action figures, his self-disgust drivin him to the brink of suicide. The audience sympathizes with him, but understands why women who catch him with his guard down are repulsed. In the movie, though, all darker aspects of the protagonist are gone; he is a naif just waiting for the right girl.
Basically, then, the TV show is edgier and takes more risks. It's more complex and more compelling. Cultured Americans can abandon what little interest they retain in Japanese film and embrace television without guilt.