Alternative TitlesEnglish: Welcome to the N.H.K. Synonyms: Welcome to the NHK Japanese: N・H・Kにようこそ！
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 24
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 10, 2006 to Dec 18, 2006
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.491 (scored by 64804 users)
Ranked: #942
Popularity: #64
Members: 112,028
Favorites: 5,291 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
comedy drama psychological romance slice of life |
SynopsisSatou Tatsuhiro, 22 years old, thinks that everything that happens around him is a conspiracy. He even figured out who is behind it all: The NHK, an evil secret company.
"When you think anime, you think otaku. When you think otaku, you think people that dislike other people. Those people become hikikomori (people who shut themselves in)". So Satou manages to uncover the plot of The NHK (stands for Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai), after three years of shutting himself in (and rapidly approaching the fourth).
In reality, he is nothing more than a NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), desperately in need of a cure from that "disease". He wants to break out from the curse, but going out and getting a job is frightening enough for him. That is until he gets selected for a "project"; it is a plan to help hikikomori like him in facing the reality of this world.
(Source: ANN) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: NHK ni Youkoso!, NHK ni Youkoso!
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Mikkie
490 of 597 people found this review helpful
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24 of 24 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
Outstanding thing. Some times it was amusing to watch, sometimes it was painfully.
"Welcome to the NHK" is a kind of collection. Collection of troubles and problems we can meet in our life. It doesn't perceive as anime. It doesn't perceive as something fictitious. It is life. Hateful everyday life gets emotional colors and draws a wide reaction with slowly walking real life on the our side of screen.
In "NHK" everyday events are not shown grotesque and mockingly as in parodies and not weightly depressed as in psychological thrillers but somehow chaotically and tragicomicly — you want to weep, smile, think ironically and philosophize simultaneously. Every joke provokes not a roar of laughter but the sad smile as you recognize yourself and your troubles in "fictional" heroes.
Even if you have a job, relatives, interests, it doesn't change anything. You aren't able to get rid of solitude if you feel your purposelessness and pettiness. If you laugh, you laughter is insincere. If you cry, you wail. Problem of self-concept and fear of the life is urgent for many people, but the feeling of hopelessness and despair appears only when there is nobody to support you. You've got tired from struggle along on your's own not at once but gradually. It happens little by little but it does. There are no N.H.K., there is no god, there are only nonchalance, loneliness and despair. You think that people around get everything easier and live merrily and sociable but you simply can not see the same as you as they also are dissociated from the world. It is impossible to meet for such humans but only they can understand each other. It is very hard and cruel. In "NHK" it is shown somehow exaggeratedly but the inner life is described entirely faithful. Psychology is described as much as possible faithfully, all the reasons are named correctly, emphases are placed where they needed.
Art and sound do for this work and don't have any serious shortcomings. All the aspects of this anime are high qualitative.
Such masterpiece anime must be a conspiracy... Conspiracy against what? read more
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shinigamidono
259 of 351 people found this review helpful
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24 of 24 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Welcome to the N.H.K. is the story of a 22-year-old hikikomori/NEET named Satou Tatsuhiro.
More than half of you are probably wondering what a hikikomori is; So that explanation should probably come now before getting into the review of the series. The dictionary definition of hikikomori is "a state or condition of acute social withdrawal". The number of people living the hikikomori or NEET (Not pursuing Employment, Education or Training) lifestyle are increasing everyday worldwide but they are predominantly concentrated in Japan among the adolescent male population. The hikikomori are basically shut-ins. They feel uncomfortable in presence of other people. They don’t leave their rooms/houses unless they absolutely have to and make just enough money through various means (parents, relatives, jobs that can be done from home, and rarely part-time jobs outside the house) to survive and continue their hikikomori lifestyles.
The main character of the story, Satou Tatsuhiro, is a college dropout. He is a complete conspiracy nut who believes a giant organization encompassing the whole planet called the N.H.K. (Nihon Hikikomori Kyoukai / Japan Hikikomori Association/Society) is working around the clock to ruin his life and make sure he stays a shut-in forever through any means necessary. The origin of his obsession with conspiracies seems to be an upperclassman named Kashiwa Hitomi with whom he spent a lot of time with in high school. Satou realizes that he can’t continue living as a NEET forever and wants to escape the lifestyle and overcome the conspiracies of the NHK but he is too afraid and doesn’t know how to go about it. However, everything changes when one day he meets a girl named Nakahara Misaki who claims that she will save him from his hikikomori lifestyle if he agrees to sign a contract with her and become the subject of her “project”.
The story is about a very serious subject matter but it is still full of humorous moments. The creators of the anime realize that the best way to convert such a serious subject matter into an enjoyable anime that will not only entertain the viewers but also educate them is through humor. That being said, the anime is also full serious and sometimes very sad occurrences. If you happen to be an emotional person, be prepared to shed a few tears or at least feel downright horrible watching some of the episodes of this series. The story progresses at a fair pace with a good mixture of serious episodes and some not too serious ones.
The characters are well designed and although I have never actually met a hikikomori, I would guess that the personalities and lifestyle are fairly depicted. For me, the most notable character in the series is the female lead Nakahara Misaki. She remains a mystery for almost the entire series and refuses to reveal any personal details about herself to Satou. Even when asked directly, she makes up obvious lies in order to avoid divulging anything personal. Her actions leave the viewer wondering and guessing and although that becomes somewhat annoying at times it contributes to the story coming together quite well in the end.
As for the other characters –
Satou is your “typical” conspiracy nut shut-in (or what you would imagine one would act and feel like). While his hikikomori lifestyle doesn’t seem to be as severe as some other people’s, it is bad enough to keep him from functioning as a part of society and most of his ventures to the outside world seem to end with him becoming completely scared and freaked out.
Satou’s only male friend Yamazaki Kaoru is your typical anime/hentai/game otaku. He is obsessed with all sorts of things the most notable of which happens to be echii games. He is very passionate about his obsessions and becomes easily enraged by the smallest things especially if they have any relevance to his obsessions. Needless to say, he is an amusing character to watch.
Satou’s upperclassman (senpai) Kashiwa Hitomi is a complete conspiracy nut like Satou. She seems depressed most of the time and even sees being happy as a sign that she is playing into the conspiracies. She is a supporting character in the series, but plays an important role in the development of the story.
The voice acting is nothing spectacular but the voices fit the characters well. The same can be said about the music. There is no ground-breaking piece of music in the series. There is however a somewhat catchy anime song that is played throughout pretty much the entire series. Do be careful not to get it stuck in your head.
The art and animations are at best average. You won’t find any great-looking characters and the animation can be sort of clumsy at times. I can best compare the art to ‘Great Teacher Onizuka’. However, it looks slightly better and animations are done at a higher quality. That being said, the art style does fit the series quite well. I can’t imagine the story represented with any different kind of art style.
ATTENTION: The next paragraph talks about the ending. While I will not include any specifics about what happens at the end of the series, I will talk about the style and quality of the ending. If you feel this might spoil things for you, skip over the next paragraph.
The story ends. That sounds like a weird statement, but most of you know that in many Anime series that doesn’t happen and it’s always a letdown when this occurs. So rejoice; this one actually concludes. It is the ending you will likely suspect part of the way through watching the series with a few twists and turns before it gets there.
In conclusion, Welcome to the NHK is a well-written and well-told story about a serious subject matter. It has a good pace and just enough of both humor and sadness. I enjoyed the series very much and if it is a type of anime you normally enjoy, I am sure you will love this series as well.
read more
Recommendations
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shows about being an otaku...experiences, people you meet and the trouble being part of a subculture or fitting in the "normal" world...NHK goes even further...the main protag is a NEET and not only a plain otaku. Genshiken is much more light-hearted opposed to the often very dark sarcastic humor of NHK.
its more seriusly into the Okatu thng.. its as much as funny.. not much school stuff involved but it has more emotions involved in it.. etc its awesome
It's all about otakuness and relationships between people.
Genshiken is an anime about otaku.
NHK is about hikkikomori.
hikkikomori and otaku share many traits,and so the animes are similar. Although NHK has a serious undertone to it because it actually looks into the disadvantages and reprocussions of being a hikkikimori.
Both are looks into the social structure of Japan, primariy of the otaku subculture. This similar thread runs throughout the series.
Genshiken is a comedy focused solely on the otaku lifestyle, while NHK is a dramatic look at the larger society and at the human condition as a whole.
Though Welcome to the NHK's Satou technically isn't an otaku, he does start producing an eroge and is a hikikomori shut-in. I would say that whoever watched whichever show might be interested in the other even though the style, narrative and humour are completely different.
Both are otaku and slice of life themed. On a personal note, Genshiken is better than NHK Ni Youkosu.
Like Genshiken, NHK deals with different geek and otaku subcultures in Japan. Both can be simultaneously comedic and uncomfortable. However, where Genshiken stays primarily focused on light and geeky themes, NHK delves into the hidden, desolate lives that many social outcasts have found themselves in.
Many people are attracted to Genshiken because they see a part of themselves in it, and personally know the unique humor of being an outcast. But at the same time, the reality can also be very lonely, and even painful. In the end, NHK ultimately centers around one question: when a person has become completely trapped in a hopeless life, do they still have the ability to turn around and come back? Genshiken, on the other hand, speaks for otaku culture as a whole: at the core of their beings, are they really as strange as they're made out to be?
Both are about people who are otaku's even though Welcome to the NHK has a more serious tone and Genshiken is comedy and everyday school life.
Genshiken deals with otaku's and Welcome to the NHK deals with a hikikamori and a otaku.They both had the same feel.
It explores the Japanese subcultres in the same way like Genshiken but goes a step further while exploring many subcultres
Both animes are about otakus or NEETs, and the main characters have poor experiences in finding jobs and try to create a game and doujinshi. Otakus themed animes are more into how to interact with people but at time they include comedy scenes or ecchi. NHK is much better for its comedy.
both are comedies at the first sight but infact have deeper meaning to peoples lifes , the otakus in genshiken are mostly bad looking and ..lame while the main character in NHK is a hikomori and might be considered lame too as he is insecure and lives a life almost like an otaku
both animes deal with oktaku-ness. i had some good laughs watching both these series
Both series concentrate on otakus. NHK takes a more serious approach and deals with hikikomoris in particular while Genshiken takes a much more comedic approach and deals with the otaku culture in general. Both however deal with a lot of similar things such as spending all your earnings on "otaku merchandise", otaku clothing, cosplay, women and the otakus...
These two shows are not similar enough to say that if you like one you will definitely like the other. However, if you find the subject matter of otakus and the otaku culture interesting, you will likely have an interest in both of these series.
(This recomendation is refered to Genshiken in general, not only the first season)
Well, both are of otaku tems and have some romance. But Welcome to the NHK! is for a more adult public, not only becouse there are more H tems, it also traets the terms in a more psycological way. Genshiken treats the topics in a more optimist point of view and all is more easy, while in Welcome to the NHK! it´s like a more real series, where not all goes well everytime and there are described the dark side of the people, like in real life.
Both are great great animes
Both animes share similar themes dealing with otakus. Genshiken's story is more broad, exploring the comings and goings of an otaku club in a university, while NHK's story is more focused on the story of an otaku hikikomori and a girl who is trying to help him
Both Anime are about the Otaku lifestyle, and the hardships Otaku's face. Everything about Otaku lifestyle are portrayed, including anime, figurines, games and more. Both anime also have very good life lessons and are actually fun to watch.
both are centered around otaku with main characters trying to make a dojinshi.
In both series we find a critique of social phenomena. If Genshiken shows us the depths of Otaku phenomenon, by people who assume who they are; NHK shows a figure exceeded by that, living in hikikomori (young adults who live isolated from the world and others, cloistered at home, the more often in their rooms for months ... or more). Both anime then you will discover these aspects of society, these sub-cultures in many situations sometimes completely offset and others incredibly dramatic. (Sorry for my english)
For starters, both series focuses on the theme of otakus. Yes, otakus who are obsessed with anime, manga, and video games. Both series takes the otaku theme and transform in into a cultural product, based on many Japan references. It is realistic and reflects on the typical "nerd-culture".
Both series follows a slice of life style that has strange humor, comedy, and occasionally some emotions.
Both series contains a small cast of characters but are highly likeable with the way they portray themselves, their dialogues, and their every day interactions.
Both series focus rather, "Down to Earth" issues in dealing with the everyday lives of young geeks, otakus, shut-ins, and outcasts as they attempt to find their place in society.
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they're both dark and hilarious.
they're my top 2 anime from 2006.
Theyre both about a main character that seems to think there are mass evil organizations in their lives. both of them also have a young girl trying to cure them of this
theyre both funny as hell too
Both of the male main characters are depressed and think their lives are worthless, and they both meet cheerful optimistic girls who could help them with their depression.
It has a similar mood and has the same black comedy style to it
both wacky, crazy, and amazing!
They are equally by the two are on qestões emotional, and the two are comedies ...
Both are dark comedies that make fun of social problems and vices in a very cynical and twisted way, with over the top situations and very, very crazy characters. However, SZS is much more random (actually it has no plot, it's just sketches) and NHK has a lot of (melo)drama and serious situations.
Both are dealing with social issues. Also, in both main hero is introduced to a mysterious cheerful girl who's playing an important role in his life.
A young man struggles with his own issues and is forced to deal with the strange and overbearing supporting cast, mostly female, he attracts. Both series take an over-the-top approach to humour that can get quite dark at times; they're quick-paced, cynical, and rife with anime references, and the parallels between Satou's intense paranoia and Itoshiki-sensei's perpetual despair, both played for laughs, are hard to deny.
Both are dark anime that makes fun of social problems. Both makes references to other anime. The protagonist is introduced to a happy, cheerful person to try to cure their problems but the protagonist denies her help.
A similar type of dark comedy.
While NHK explores the hikikomori/otaku culture more,Zetsubo-sensei touch a lot more topics and is much more cartoonish in art style.
There is a lot of "despair" in both shows. The main character in both is eccentric, and downright strange. Zetsubou Sensei is definitely a comedy which puns different aspects of life while NHK is a very deep and sad story about an individual who doesn't know the meaning of his life. The difference is whether you are in the mood to laugh or cry.
Both have dark comedy themes such as: suicide, depression, and hikkomori/neets.
The randomness of each story adds somthing that keeps bringing you back for more. I'm sure one of the only diffrences between the two is Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei doesn't really follow a story line.
Both series employs the usage of absurd humor and other similar themes. The humor presented to the viewers in both series are considered black comedy where the main male protagonist gets himself into situations that are often peculiar.
Both series are unique and deals with phobias and social issues.
Both series literally takes Japanese culture and transforms it into a modern day phenomenon.
Both series has appealing characters that have peculiar personalities.
Both series also gives off a psychological vibe.
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Opening Theme#1: "Puzzle" by ROUND TABLE feat. Nino (eps 1-12)
#2: "Puzzle -extra hot mix-" by ROUND TABLE feat. Nino (eps 13-23)
Ending Theme#1: "Odoru Akachan Ningen" by Kenji Ohtsuki and Fumihiko Kitsutaka (eps 1-12)
#2: "Modokashii Sekai no Ue de" by Yui Makino (eps 13-22,24)
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