Those who have a profound knowledge on the functioning of the human psyche including the process of dissonance reduction probably understand the importance of the NHK to exist. Ultimately, that what constitutes the NHK and other conspiracies (in the case of Satou and Kashiwa) as well as god (in the case of Misaki) is nothing else than the need to externalize the guilt people feel when confronted with their misery, and to consequently appease their minds in order to keep going.
Basically this is one possible interpretation of the message that NHK ni Youkoso! tries to convey. Despite its comedic appearance, this show deals with one of the most significant topics on social behavior in Japan that even consistently gains in popularity among western societies, and delivers nothing else than mind-blowingly deep engagement with the psyche of four very different characters and the extent of their mutual influence on an emotional and cognitive level.
NHK ni Youkoso! is the only anime I know that manages to get a good grasp of how it is really like to suffer solitude and the inability to escape this mental condition by the means of one's own actions. However dramatic this subject may be, it is the more fascinating how entertaining and easy the method is that NHK ni Youkoso! uses to not let the viewer fall into despair himself, but to rather encourage him to reflect on his own lifestyle by simultaneously enjoying the sometimes hilarious happenings in the lives of the main characters. This series tries to demonstrate that there is always a way out of social isolation and self-pity, and that it is not rocket science to develop one's very own coping strategies.
But, as many other great series, NHK ni Youkoso! is not perfect, not even in storytelling, which shows especially in rough transitions between various minor arcs trying to thematize very different issues socially inept people have to deal with. This leads to a somewhat staccato-styled storytelling, with its story broken up into several pieces and being not fluent enough to be considered a realistic tale. A very inconsistent implementation of romantic elements adds to this and makes me question the characters' attitudes. As a result, the story feels very different before and after episode 9. A sudden change in atmosphere is something that, in fact, often works for anime like these, given the sheer unpredictability in the behavior of mentally unstable characters. In NHK ni Youkoso!, however, this led to my disappointment.
The reason why I couldn't rate this show as high as the story would have deserved it lies within the technical dimension. Although the soundtrack is distinct and fits very well to the not-so-much-desperate, but rather ironically enjoyable atmosphere that underlies the show, the visual arts, especially the key animations, were done really sloppily. If you have watched Ping Pong The Animation, you know that there are obvious ways of selling sloppy arts as a kind of new style. This doesn't work out for NHK ni Youkoso! however, since the drawings are inconsistent in general. Characters are drawn very sharp and detailed at one time only to be dissolving in the background at another. This is something I regard as bad quality, unfortunately.
Overall, NHK ni Youkoso! is a fascinating work that is not only interesting to those who suffer the same fate as any character in this show, but also to people who are just interested in the functioning of the human psyche. This series depicts the strangely easy way people cope with their mental and personality disorders in an immensely entertaining, sometimes absolutely hilarious, but also emotionally involving manner. It makes you reflect on your lifestyle and potentially delivers answers to questions you didn't know you've had before.
Rating: 8.33/10
(A quantified evaluation can be found on my page.)
