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Densha Otoko - Viz vs. CMX


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Abarenbo Shogun



Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 1573
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 12:36 am Reply with quote
Viz has won, CMX can go to hell.

Since the Viz version got out first, I decided to reserve judgement on CMX's version. Boy, glad I sunk money into Viz.

To me, Viz's Densha Otoko looked very appealing. One major difference that really stood out was how Viz's version actually gave a real face to the various imageboard participants vs. the "emoticon pig" of CMX's one. Just putting real faces to anonymous gave the manga a better atmosphere and gave a personal touch of sorts on Train Mans plight over coming to terms with Hermès. Also, with CMX's version, I felt like it was a teen romance comedy vs Viz's more twenty-something Otaku finds romance.

So I strongly say go for Viz's version.
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HitokiriShadow



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:20 am Reply with quote
I've only read the CMX version at this point since I really didn't care for the artwork in the Viz version. But the emoticon thing did get confusing since it was nearly impossible to tell them apart or figure out who was who, other than the girl.
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Abarenbo Shogun



Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 1573
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 2:25 am Reply with quote
HitokiriShadow wrote:
I've only read the CMX version at this point since I really didn't care for the artwork in the Viz version. But the emoticon thing did get confusing since it was nearly impossible to tell them apart or figure out who was who, other than the girl.


*The following is not influenced by CMX bias resulting from Tenhjo Tenge. Completely different subject*

Actually, I thought the opposite, I felt the CMX version was sub-par comapred to Viz. I mean, it felt like I was reading Love Hina than a serious love story.

That and, the Viz version had more of the story printed out than CMX's one. CMX ended it spoiler[at the first date between Hermès and Train Man] while Viz stopped around spoiler[Hermès bringing a friend along to meet Train Man].

Both are 3 volumes long as well, so CMX's "thin cut" also looked like it wasn't worth the money vs. Viz's version.
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jgreen



Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 1325
Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:26 pm Reply with quote
You guys know Del Rey has one too, right? It's a shojo version, but yeah...

I'm very interested in hearing people's thoughts on these series, as I'm planning a big profile of "Train Man: Densho Otoko" for Viz's upcoming DVD and was planning on comparing/contrasting the 3 different manga versions.
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Abarenbo Shogun



Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 1573
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:51 pm Reply with quote
jgreen wrote:
You guys know Del Rey has one too, right? It's a shojo version, but yeah...


Thats the one-shot one, right?
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marie-antoinette



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 4136
Location: Ottawa, Canada
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 9:22 pm Reply with quote
Abarenbo Shogun wrote:


Thats the one-shot one, right?


There's no number on the cover, so it looks like it. Del-Rey's version is the one that personally appeals to me most, since I am a shoujo fan, though I would definitely be interested in seeing a comparision of all three (all four if there was anyone who had read the fourth version which has not been licensed as of yet).
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Richard J.



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis.
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:11 pm Reply with quote
HitokiriShadow wrote:
I've only read the CMX version at this point since I really didn't care for the artwork in the Viz version. But the emoticon thing did get confusing since it was nearly impossible to tell them apart or figure out who was who, other than the girl.
I bought the CMX version for the same reason, I liked the art style better. Oddly, I also like the emoticons since it adds to the whole "anonymous" thing that some forums have going for them. It didn't really strike me as important to be able to tell them apart or even to know who the other users were.

I almost didn't buy it at all since I have a problem with CMX's chop-shop job on Tenhjo Tenge. (I've never actually read this manga, but I've seen lists of the edits and they are long and extreme. Censorship bothers me. Even little things.)

Abarenbo Shogun: You're right that the CMX version of Densha Otoko is more of a light-hearted comedy, but that appeals to some more than others. Personally, I prefer the more comical and fluffy love stories. I may end up buying all the others just to see how they compare, but I like CMX's version so far.

It all depends on what you're expecting out of a series. Based on the art style and what I'd read about the three licensed versions, CMX's sounded like a lighter take on it and that was what I wanted at the time. If I do pickup the other versions, I'll probably get Del-Rey's version next since I've been thinking about branching out into shoujo and I want to support Del-Rey. (They've earned my support with their awesome release of Negima! A few mistakes made here and there but compared to what some companies would have done with it they have done a fantastic job.)
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SnowStar_7*



Joined: 03 Dec 2004
Posts: 87
PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:52 am Reply with quote
I plan on getting all three versions. I had already read a little of the Viz one a while back, and at first I was not to sure about the art since it's more on the old-school type of style. I ended up liking it though and I thought the Densha was cute. I actually missed his old hairstyle when he cut his hair. spoiler[ Although, once he did get the style he looked like Lupin the third. Wink ]

I leafed thru the CMX version and when I spotted the emoticons I went "oh no". But, it only happens occasionaly because I did also see the avctually people at first. I also did not like how think it was. Usually CMX books are I've noticed. i colllect Land of the Blindfolded, and sometimes it's thiness makes me not want to keep on collecting it (as well as the language type used). They happen to get thin titles, and then make it worse with the thin paper they use. Here's to a good Del Rey version.
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JoshuaStChristopher



Joined: 20 Jan 2006
Posts: 351
PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:42 am Reply with quote
I'd like to see a Dark Horse version drawn by Kentarou Miura. Anyone else? VVery HappyV
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jgreen



Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 1325
Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:43 pm Reply with quote
SnowStar_7* wrote:
I also did not like how think it was. Usually CMX books are I've noticed.


Yeah, I noticed the same thing with Tower of the Future, the only CMX book I've tried out so far. It seems pretty scrawny on my shelf compared to others...

And yes, Del Rey's Train Man manga is only one volume.
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darkhunter



Joined: 13 May 2004
Posts: 2992
Location: Los Angelas
PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:52 pm Reply with quote
JoshuaStChristopher wrote:
I'd like to see a Dark Horse version drawn by Kentarou Miura. Anyone else? VVery HappyV


That's probably the dumbest idea yet.
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HellKorn



Joined: 03 Oct 2006
Posts: 1669
Location: Columbus, OH
PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:48 pm Reply with quote
I'm slightly interested to pick up one of the versions, but which Train Man would the rest of you advise that I go with? Unless the art is on the level of detail like, say, Jiro Taniguchi, I'm not too particular on the art quality as characterization and story flow. Any help would be appreciated.

darkhunter wrote:
JoshuaStChristopher wrote:
I'd like to see a Dark Horse version drawn by Kentarou Miura. Anyone else? VVery HappyV


That's probably the dumbest idea yet.


It's not going to happen, but it does make one wonder... I honestly have no idea how Miura would work with a short story aside from Berserk Prototype, which isn't that fair of a judgment considering he did that back in his college years and he has matured a lot as a manga-ka since then. One can't certainly refer to Japan or King of Wolves, either, since those testosterone-filled stories were created by Buronson while Miura just did the art.
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Malintex Terek
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 11:46 pm Reply with quote
What *exactly* is going on, here? Are three companies translating the exact same manga? How in the nine naraku did that happen?
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frentymon
Forums Superstar


Joined: 27 Nov 2005
Posts: 2362
Location: San Francisco
PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:00 am Reply with quote
Malintex Terek wrote:
What *exactly* is going on, here? Are three companies translating the exact same manga?


...Sort of. There are I believe 4 different Densha Otoko manga, all based upon one very popular live-action drama series about an otaku who falls in love with a girl on a train. They are all drawn by different artists, and have a different "feel" to them, art and plot wise. The one CMX licensed is more chibi-ish and...cutesy? than the other two, I think.

[EDIT] Nevermind, it was based off of a novel that was based off of a bunch of posts over at Futaba.


Last edited by frentymon on Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:22 am; edited 1 time in total
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HitokiriShadow



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:14 am Reply with quote
The manga and the TV show and the movie are all based off of a novel, I believe. But I could be wrong. Supposedly it is all based off of a true story based on posts in 2chan or something.

Try here for more information
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