NHK ni Youkoso!

Even the strongest man when confronted with the meaning to life will become sorrow stricken, while simultaneously becoming consumed with the idea of there is no meaning. What is one to do when your thought pattern has become one similar to a wind chime, only being forced to move by something or someone else. We begin to settle in our own sorrow slowly becoming what we know to be flesh moving puppets of our society. We then search for someone or something to hold accountable, putting our minds at ease..... Surely this cannot be the fault of my own despair..... This reason cannot be because ... I have not learned to take responsibility.... Instead it is the fault of the society I was brought into. The television that is in my house, the books that are on my shelves, the clothes that are at every department store, the music on every radio station. But for everything that is holy please don't make this my fault.

Welcome to the N.H.K. is that story highly detail with mind racing borderline crazy thoughts while also being roped in by those in which you believe understand you, and those who claim not to understand but are just like you. Things may go good for a while, but it all is a trick of society. Once opened with that small bit of happiness we are shut into a room. Your life is on display for the world to see through a glass window layered with a thick foam of your deepest thoughts. You will be tricked, you will be loved, you will be hated, misunderstood,and understood. But most of all you will learn.....

Satou Tatsuhiro is the man confronted with live's meaning, he has also been roped in by what he believes to be societies tricks,yet it is truly his own stupidity that seems to lead him to the very foundation in which he lives in. Afraid of being confronted with life as well as society he remains inside only coming out for a moment. If I just push myself one more time? If I just buy one more things? If I just do this again? Maybe my life will be that in which I desire. Welcome to the N.H.K. is Satou's story of him pushing, buying, and doing that thing. While learning who is truly to blame for his life's troubles. A dance with his own mental state leaves him to hear it's cries of injustice and fuckery he has encounter over the years. Quick money and trickery are what lead to his misunderstanding and lack of self-respect. His hate for others, but more so his self are what drive his very motivation of living in such as state.

And yet is society not Satou's image? Is it not the push? Is it not that wanting to be understood? I am not sure. But my dear Welcome to the N.H.K........

Spoiler free review!

✧ Introduction/the story:
What is it like to be a hikikomori? Or an otaku? Are they lazy or weird just because, or is there a deeper reason behind their behaviour? Do they have some mental disorder? Then what are the situations a person with mental illnesses have to go through? If you ever wondered about one of these questions, Welcome to the NHK is the perfect answer.

✧ The characters:
The main cast is amazingly handled and very well fleshed out. Despite representing a group of people, they are far from being bland or just stereotypes, they are charismatic, multi-faceted and you get to know them ... more and more with every episode. They have their virtues, their defects, their goals and what they think about other people and what they want to do with their lives.

Their attitudes, actions and personalities are justified and explored. The story emphasizes on why they are like that and why they act like that. They all have serious problems and it's very possible you could identify with them; we even get to know the most horrible and messed up side of them. This is what makes them human and the series really makes you care about them.

Satou, the main character, is easily the best written of them all. We basically see the life through the view of a paranoid, anxious person; we get to know his past and his relationships with other characters in-depth and with proper pacing. His character is so well developed and constructed that at some point he gets to becomes totally unpredictable to the viewer.

✧ The script:
First of all, this story deals with realistic situations and it shows you how being a hikikomori or an otaku genuinely is. Because of this the story gets more and more depressing and psychological as it advances, bit by bit you get to know that the main cast of characters have mental illnesses, existential emptiness, how they try to fill it and how reality hits them hard constantly without recurring to victimization or shock value. Rather, trying to show valuable lessons through them, implementing the use of smart and thought provoking visual metaphors and outstanding dialogue, especially when the MC is talking to himself.

NHK is a dark comedy that presents a very good transition between the funny moments and the darker side of it. Sometimes they even complement each other, enriching the plot, but this doesn't mean that you'll get misplaced wacky comedy when the story is handling its more serious facet. It amazingly deals with stuff such as self-hatred, having no will to live and trying to find one, feeling alone and useless, recurring to escapism, being stigmatized, emotional dependence, cursing others because of your own misery, obsession, using others for your own enjoyment and being easily fooled by the smallest sign of affection.

This show has some fan service, but most of the time it's there to make a point about the characters and their psyches, especially exploring the MC's mind and sometimes even in a way that might make you feel a bit uncomfortable, because it's there to show you a reality. Not only to make you grope for it.

✧ Production values:
The animation is far from perfect, but the setting is well constructed and it's perfect for the tone of the story, like a mix between the funny stuff and the serious themes the story has. Don't forget that this is a dramedy, so a setting with an ambiguous feeling is just right.

The expressive seiyuus fit the characters perfectly, the soundtrack isn't amazing but still very memorable, the contrast between the first opening and ending is basically telling you how the show is going to be. Be careful with Pururin's opening song, it's too catchy!

✧ Conclusion:
Welcome to the NHK is excellent. It deals with complex themes and mental illnesses with mature, realistic situations and greatly fleshed out characters with real problem. The animation and art style are not amazing but I really recommend you give it a try, especially if you have or had depression, paranoia, anxiety or wanted to commit suicide sometime in your life. Although you don't necessarily need to be a hikikomori or an otaku to feel identified with the characters.

"The journey is more important than the destination."

Story: 8.5/10

NHK delves deep into the mind of a reclusive 22-year-old called Tatsuhiro Satou. Poor Satou has no friends, no money aside from the allowance his parents give him, has dropped out of the university he was attending and doesn't appear to have any future. By the time the story gets going, he's already spent three years living the life of a recluse, only going out at night (when there are few people around) to fetch food.

The anime gets going with a bizarre dream sequence where the word 'conspiracy' gets thrown around a lot. Then, even more bizarrely, ... another dream like sequence occurs shortly afterwards, showing his household appliances speaking to him, voicing the negative thoughts that lurk in the back of his mind. These dreams/visualizations are far from unusual in NHK - they're used to show the world from the colourful viewpoint of Satou, and they do an excellent job of doing so, if I do say so myself. You get a clear view of Satou's imagination early on when he imagines a character in a nun outfit doing... an unholy thing with her hand.

Satou believes there's some sort of conspiracy against him; a conspiracy that's made him into the recluse he is. He picked this up from his weird, overly-medicated high school friend, taking her views as his own once his life started to really go down south. Whenever something bad happens, he blames those conspiring against him in the shadows, and whenever anything good happens he wonders if it's too good to be true. It's easier to blame someone or something else for your failings, and that's exactly what Satou does.

Thankfully (for him), however, things start turning around after a 17/18-year-old girl called Misaki Nakahara takes an interest in him, deciding to turn him into her project. She writes down an agreement she created to supposedly help cure him, gets him to sign it and sees him for counseling sessions every evening. Of course, it's totally unbelievable that an attractive 17/18-year-old would decide to help a 22-year-old loser, but there's more to her than meets the eye...
Things start to improve further once he gets to know his neighbour; an old otaku acquaintance called Kaoru Yamazaki. The two quickly become friendly and Satou is pulled into the world of anime - he's taken to buy anime goodies, he's taken to a maid cafe and he even attempts to create an eroge (erotic) game. Oddly, it's thanks to anime and pornography that Satou starts to take his first steps towards recovery!!!

After reading the above, you might be thinking that NHK is an overly depressing series, what with the lead being a recluse and all, but that's not really the case - it actually has more in the way of comedy than tears. With Satou having an otaku as his best friend, the comedy flows as he enters the world of erotic games, hentai/doujins and general anime madness. And even the serious, more meaningful parts of the story can be hilarious: for example, a suicide plan is amusing due to the character involved getting involved unwittingly, ending up almost getting pushed over the edge (verbally) by the person who is supposed to be stopping him. It's the sort of show where, at times, the serious parts are highly amusing.

But, having said the above, there's one thing NHK managed to do that very few stories ever accomplish: it got an emotional reaction out of me. I'm a little unsure exactly why such a simple thing made me teary-eyed but...

(SPOILERS)...Satou not expressing his feelings for high school senpai, allowing her to drive off in episode 14, made me want to cry. I thought Satou was going to put right the wrongs of his past by confessing to her after he found the determination to attempt to do so, but all he actually ended up doing was going on a suicide trip and not saying a word against it. Ever since the early flashback sequences I wanted to see the two get together in the end, so to see their relationship end without even a discussion about their feelings made me very frustrated. So close yet so far - that pretty much sums up their relationship.(SPOILERS END)

Anyway, back on track. The reason I've scored a story that touches upon so many disturbing aspects of life so well only 9/10 is because of some fairly bothersome flaws that effected my enjoyment. The main problem I have is with five episodes that add nothing to the story and could be removed without the story suffering, those episodes being 15-19. I was fully prepared to rate the series 10/10 and put it in my top five after going through episodes 1-14, but I changed my mind after those episodes took the focus away from what's most important - the development of the main characters.

Here are my more detailed thoughts about those episodes:

(SPOILERS) Episodes 15-16 focus on a MMORPG story where Satou becomes addicted to playing one and ends up not going out at all. I liked the disturbing vision of what a 50 year old Satou would look like if he went down the road he planned on walking down, and the trick Yamazaki played on Satou was an excellent way of teaching him the harsh reality of internet interactions. But I found myself wondering what the point of these episodes was when there had already been a similar story about Tatsuhiro becoming glued to his PC (on that occasion, porn was his addiction). It was also bothersome how poorly the MMORPG gameplay was depicted; it was way too basic to be realistic.

After episode 16, the series moved onto another pointless story, this one being about poor Satou getting scammed by an old high school acquaintance. The new character involved in this arc was no more than a filler character really - she appeared very briefly in one of Satou's school flashbacks, reappeared for these episodes and then disappeared from the story. Her character, like the 3 episode story she featured in, served no purpose other than raising the episode count. And the end of the scam story was rather silly, with the younger brother of the new character randomly recovering from a level of reclusion higher than that of Satou after hunger made him go out to get food. (SPOILERS END)

If you skipped episodes 15-19 then you wouldn't be missing out on anything important, and that's my issue with these episodes. The story flows much better without those episodes included.

My other issue with the story is the inconclusive ending that resolved far too little. I questioned the point of it all after I'd finished watching a series where not a lot changed from beginning to end, and I came to the conclusion that what's most important about the NHK story is the experiences the characters go through and not the end results of those experiences.

Characterization: 9.5/10

The characters are easily the best aspect of NHK. There are four key characters: Tatsuhiro Satou, Misaki Nakahara, Kaoru Yamazaki and Hitomi Kashiwa. The others who feature don't appear in many of the episodes and aren't really worth mentioning. NHK clearly benefited from the focus not constantly switching to secondary characters. It's a shame that certain other series don't have as few important characters and ultimately suffer because of them having an excessive amount of under-developed characters.

Satou is the lead character. At the start of NHK, he's become afraid of people due to the small amount of encounters he's had with them in the three years prior to the NHK story starting, and he blames everything that's gone wrong in his life on some sort of conspiracy. The series focuses on him as he slowly improves and starts to make friends after Misaki decides to cure him. As you'd expect, he develops a fair bit over the course of the series, although I'm not quite happy with how much he improves from start to finish.

Misaki, the 17/18-year-old girl who attempts to lift Satou from the darkness he's found himself in at the start of the story (she's the first character that interacts with him), has clearly had bad things happen to her in the past, which ultimately lead her to wanting to help Satou for her own reasons. Satou wonders if she's an angel sent to save him at first, but his troubled mind also wonders about the possibility of her being an agent sent by the organization he believes to be conspiring against him...

Hitomi (Satou's high school senpai), who constantly expresses her belief that everything going wrong is the result of a conspiracy, gets shown early on in numerous interesting flashbacks of her school days with Satou, and she also plays a fairly important role in the story. She's the sort of person who hides her feelings behind a mask of seriousness, only letting her guard down when she's had a little too much to drink or had something bad happen to her, and that made the few occasions where her mask was removed stay in my memory. Hitomi is my favourite character, mainly due to her looks (I am male!!!), but also because she and Satou would've been a great couple had Satou not been such a wimp.

Yamazaki, the otaku of the series, has suffered from bullying and rejection, and he gets shown a lot due to him being the first friend (Misaki aside) of the reclusive lead (from the start of the story, that is). He has a bad temper and big mouth, which is what lead to a lot of the bullying he's received. Yamazki is the character that gives the lead a goal to work towards as he offers Satou the chance to create the story of an erotic video game, and the two then spend most of the series working on it together.

All of the main cast are likeable, all of them are interesting and, most importantly, all of them have depth. It's rare to see realistic characters in anime, and it's hard not to view the main four as realistic when you see all the hardships they go through. NHK isn't the sort of series where happy things happen to prevent the story from scaring viewers away, so it's only right that characters that play prominent roles aren't lucky enough to see effort always be rewarded.

What prevents me from giving the characters top marks is the inconclusive ending to the stories of Satou and Misaki. If some sort of hint had been given about what happens to them in the future, then I would've been happy, but the series ended without Tatsuhiro having improved a huge amount and with the relationship of the two being unclear. I'm hoping the manga and/or novel provides a more satisfying conclusion...

Art / Animation: 7.5/10

I'll admit it: I'm far from an observant person and have an awful memory. I don't take in minor visual details, nor do I see minor art/animation issues. Unless an anime looks either visually amazing or horrific I don't have a lot to say.

I do happen to have something to say about the animation of NHK, and it isn't good. For the most part I was happy with the animation of NHK; it's a non-action series, meaning I'm fine as long as the animation flows without issue. Sadly, one episode of NHK (19) had some of the worst animation I've seen from one of the more recent series, the animation being so bad that panning shots were jerky, as if there was less than 8 FPS. I actually wondered if my graphic card had finally decided it didn't want to be used for any more anime viewing, but it turned out that Gonzo had actually released an episode with some of the worst animation ever. I now see why Gonzo aren't the most popular animation studio around...

As for the art, I was happy with it, with only the poor art in episode 19 catching my eyes. I have seen other viewers complain a little about the art, so it's possible that those more observant than myself have seen lots of things I haven't, but all I can say is that very little stood out as poor. If you're like me (I feel for you!) then I promise you won't go into an internet rage over the artwork.

Bright colours were used by Gonzo instead of gloomy ones, which was a smart thing for them to do when NHK has a lot of comedy. The colours are eye-catching and pleased me.

The opening and ending animations are a little...different. The OP is great, playing out like a stylish dream sequence of sorts, and it fits well with the song, which is called 'Puzzle'. During the opening Misaki is seen with a puzzle piece, representing the missing piece of Satou, and it obviously fits in well with the song.
The first ending animation defines crazy: it shows the tiny, imaginary alien creatures that Tatsuhiro sees dancing around (including shaking their arse!). I'm not sure what to say about it really; it's something you just have to see for yourself. The second ending animation is more on the normal side, but it's also completely forgettable.

Sound: 8/10

The music didn't blow me away for the most part, but there are a few songs that have stuck in my memory, one being a vocal song about loneliness that played during episode 14 - perfect for the scene it played during. There was also a decent range of non-vocal music, one guitar theme that played during the more depressing scenes being quite memorable. Overall, the soundtrack fitted well with the story, didn't distract and was pleasing to my ears.

The voice acting was up to the usual high Japanese standard. It's hard for me to say much when it's very rare I have issues with Japanese voice acting, and this was no exception. When I have something interesting to add it'll be when a voice annoys me to the point I feel the need to moan, but until then...

I'm very fond of the first opening theme; I've watched the opening animation quite a bit just to listen to it. It doesn't really sound like it fits in the series content a lot of the time since it sounds a little too uplifting, but the quality of it makes me ignore that. The first ending theme goes brilliantly with the insanity of the dancing alien animation - like I said before, you have to watch to understand. The second ending theme, like the animation, wasn't memorable.

Overall: 9/10

If the quality had been as a consistent throughout the series as it was during the first 14 episodes, I'd be giving it 10/10. But, as it stands, I can't bring myself to give top marks to a series with five disappointing episodes and an inconclusive ending.

All in all, I enjoyed the ride a lot, watching all 24 episodes in 48-72 hours. I'll be buying both the manga and novel at some point, and also the anime itself. I can't recommend the series enough to those looking for an escape from the usual kiddy rubbish that plagues anime and/or those looking for an anime superior to Genshiken in the battle of the otaku anime representations. But, really, every anime fan should watch this at least once.

If you're searching for a great slice of life, then you're in the right place. Welcome to the NHK is a big delicious ice cream when it comes to showing everyday tasks of an adult being sociophobic. The main character, Sato is a 22 year old young man who wasn't prepared for growing up and becoming self independent. The series shows him struggling with himself and how he is brought up back by Misaki, a girl who signs a contract with Sato to help him overcome sociophobia.

The Story is life sucking. I marathoned this series in 3 days, just because i was so interested ... to see what Sato is gonna face up next. Its about things we encounter a lot these days, like suicide. But without spoiling, i'll say that its very relatable for some.

The Art is not so pleasing however. Some might hate it, but i was so interested in the story, that the art played a very tiny role for me.

The Sound on the other hand is just perfectly placed. It was fitting in every moment when Sato was feeling lost or alone.

The Character of Yamazaki, Sato's neighbor, was very funny, i believe he is the one that could cause this anime be considered in a way a comedy, but in fact its far from that. Misaki is Sato's dream girl, but they never actually get to be together unfortunately.

Overall this is slice of life in its best way possible. I enjoyed the hell out of Sato's life and this is an important anime to me because i have made some important life lessons since then.

Ever felt that life was so hard, that you just wanted to escape from it?

"Welcome to NHK" is truly a "revolution" in it itself. It is like the "revolution," that Sato mentions when he goes to the isolated island.

Although it's a fictional masterpiece, it is highly relevant to our lives and today's society. It presents an enormous range of social issues, that is not just found in Japan. Are you interested in people who are addicted to mmorpgs? Well then, you got it! Not to mention, you can sense that the author of the anime intended to critcize society.

Let's be blunt. Sato is a Hikikomori. ... According to the Ministry of Health, a Hikikomori is a person who does not go to school for at least 6 months and does not work for 6 months. Instead, a Hikikomori would devote most of his or her time to a single pursuit, such as a hobby. You might find him unrealistic, but to say the very least, he is an extreme example of what society can do to a person.

Reality is harsh and we can all imagine being in Sato's position, devoid of much hope and feeling outcasted.

Being a Hikikomori, Sato becomes isolated and scared of what life outside really is.
Along the way, he meets complex individuals who try to cheer him up, the benevolent and loveable Misaki-chan and the friendly otaku, Yamazaki.

The characters are really thought-provoking and definitely the center piece of this anime.

Each and every character in this anime has a story to tell. At one point you might hate a character, but only to realise that their actions aren't that shallow. For instance, Megumi attempts to trick Sato twice. However, we learn that Megumi, herself, is in a pickle.

My favorite character of this anime is definitely Misaki. But, she herself is not perfect. Like every character in this anime, she faces problems of her own. Who is she? Who is god? Why is god so mean to her? It leaves, us the audience, wondering if there is any hope, when even the savior of Sato is not even flawless as she initially appears.

The artwork is not intended to represent today's modern anime. That is, it's not incredibly ecchi or overtly flashy. I liked that the illustrators tried to make the characters realistic. You have the standard real life palette of hair colors. If you were expecting characters with odd hair colors (think green), with the exclusion of Puripuri, then don't look here.

Just before you think that this anime is an emotional train wreck or something. That's not true at all. At times, the humor is vivid and provocative. You will definitely LoL at times.

This anime is really a great tale of life and it's nuisances. It's impeccably written and directed. I've never laughed so hard nor felt so much sorrow. You can say my limbic system was very stimulated at times. You can't miss this. Period.

I started watching with relatively high hopes. To be honest this is probably the single anime I hate the most. If youre after a funny and experimental anime then stay away. It presents itself as if its a work of art. Its not. More perverse than funny. Soon it became painfull to watch. If you want an idea of what kind of humour is employed in this anime then I will give you an example: The main charatcer becomes a pedophile and tries to take pictures of little girls because he thinks its whats expected of "his ... type of person". There. Hilarious? I thought it was a pretty poor attempt at humour to be honest. I only stuck with the anime so far so that I could stand up against "You cant judge you didnt watch most of it" I failed. This anime was just to painfull and I ran away screaming.

The art is typical of Gonzo. Decently well drawn with fluid animation but not exceptional. The romantic comedy scenes were great. In so far as the characters just appear to stop thinking, which is a lot more bearable than watching them think out quotations from freuds big book of neurosis, of course with a comedic twist...

I guess I just cant bear anime that sink to such levels of stupidity. This is also why I dropped K-ON. Seriously it took me by surprise that there was something even worse.

While I applaud this show for being situated well within the bounds of the real world (aside from the last 2-3 episodes), that just isn't enough to excuse its myriad failures. The two primary male characters, Yamazaki and Sato, are so thoroughly self-hating and unpleasant that it's hard to care when they endlessly fail at anything they attempt. The two primary female characters are utterly undeveloped, although their stories seem vastly more interesting. Misaki finally gets some notice in the last two episodes, but it's all voiceover narration -- too little, too late. Kashiwa Hitomi, easily the most interesting character in the entire show, remains ... a cipher. And, in the end I didn't even care about her.

This show had a lot of potential and it ended up being pretty awful. Even worse, it was dull, like a bad lecture. Ugh.

Based on a novel, Welcome to the NHK delves deeply into the life of Tatsuhiro Satou, a troubled hikikomori and NEET obsessed with thoughts of conspiracy and distrust. In telling the story of a hikikomori, this series brings to light in anime aspects of Japanese society that are both real and prevalent. We come to see the world through Satou’s eyes, as he meets the mysterious Misaki Nakahara, a young girl claiming to be able to cure him of his antisocial ways. It is from here that his journey begins.

The series tactfully incorporates a certain dark humor with deeply emotional and psychologically driven characters with ... whom viewers quickly empathize. Satou’s path beyond his life as a hikikomori is a colorful one certain to entertain, and offer viewers a distinct insight into Japanese subcultures and trends.

Tatsuhiro Satou is an understandably complex character, who’s struggles are depicted along various levels. However, the series does well to integrate into the story the difficulties and psychological stresses of those individuals that Satou interacts with, as he attempts the transition from social withdrawal, and how they fit into the jigsaw that has become his life. Apart from Misaki, other principle characters include figures from Satou’s past, Kaoru Yamazaki, his former high school junior, and an otaku of the highest order, and Hitomi Kashiwa, his high school senpai. We find very quickly that both come to add much diversity and transformation to Satou’s life in their own unique ways.

The character design of the series is particularly well-formed, neither parody nor overly realistic. Characters maintain real-world features, drawn at thin lined with angular features. Certain attention is paid to background art and the characters’ world, at times incorporating different animation styles in different episodes to emphasize the characters’ situations and experiences.

The series’ soundtrack closely blends with the scene actions, and appropriately lays accent to the characters’ interactions and emotions. In an episode, we may come across points of soft background music to faster and louder rock beats, and even silence when appropriate. The opening and ending sequences are just as dichotomous, their variances in tone matching the protagonist’s unbalanced, but intriguing attitude and views.

Welcome to the NHK follows a series of story arcs, some of which are certainly more entertaining than others. It is obviously met with its lulled points, but these are largely surpassed by its high points. And regardless, it seems each turn aids in some way in developing the characters’ throughout the story. One finds oneself connecting with the characters on varied levels as the series progresses, and ultimately, find satisfaction and enjoyment in its viewing.

This anime.......
This anime changed my life for the better l was basically a neet when l watched this show it broke me out of that state

Story 9/10 You have already read the synopsis saito is a 20 something year old neet one day a friendly young girl named misaki wants to help him break free of his hikemori lifestyle. Personally loved the story sure it can be funny and have light hearted moments but then dives into serious shit like suicide and depression so yes the story is amazing.

Art I think the art of the show suits it very well every character ... is very distinct and clear to their facial expressions to the designs themselves of course if you are picky about your fucking animation you may not like the characters designs art 8/10

Sound 8/10 Alright the sound in this show is amazing the first opening is one of my favorite songs of all time and the Japanese voice actors did an amazing job did not like the English dub as they didn't take the show as seriously as they could have 8/10

Characters 9/10 Here we get to the meat of the show the characters lets talk about saito shall we? saito is not a perfect character he has a lot of things wrong with him he has a flawed personality wants nothing to do with his life but thats what makes him so great. HE is meant to be like that the whole show revolves around him. As he gets better as a person or worse as a person at certain parts of the show also my 3rd favourite anime character

Misaki: Misaki is int resting any normal person would have given up on saito by now except she doesn't the reason why is very spolilerish so l will not ruin it for you sure she can be a bitch and manipulate saito and everything but every character has flaws another amazing character and my Favorite female character.

Yamazaki Saitos neighbor and an otaku now l dislike yamazaki the most out of the 3 main characters not cause l hate him he is a great character also him and saito have the most hilaerous moments especially with the porn and mmo he is also a serious character as well him having to go back to his hometown to be a farmer. Sorry for spoilers

Enjoyment 10/10 The show is just flat outstanding it broke me free of my neet life style the message is never to give up hope in life as something may good come around you may not enjoy the show as much as me but eh please watch it

overall 10/10 The show is an masterpiece and highly overlook definitely worth buying on amazon.

[DROPPED]
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I'm not a fan of talking about something i'm dropping, mainly because it's literally impossible to make a holistic ome review of a show or movie without actually completing it. That being said, I don't really see anything inherently wrong with dropping something if it simply doesn't grab your interest or maybe even loses your interest as you continue watching it.

Welcome to the NHK isn't an aggressively bad piece of filmaking. In fact, i'd say that it has a lot of positives. However, it seems like a fairly decisive work. I feel as though the entire show changes and the changes that happen aren't ... particularly interesting.

I don't want to make a habit out of writing a review about a show I didn't finish unless I have a decent amount to say about it.
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[The Start and the Change]

My attitude towards NHK wasn't always so... I don't know, exhausted. In fact, a few weeks ago when I began with this show I was completely in love with it! The first five episodes are genuinely entertaining, funny, satirical, and interesting. Following the life of a NEET who's pretty self-aware and willing to try improve is something that i haven't seen before. More importantly, the idea that this show wasn't painting this kind of shitty lifestyle as "cool" or "special" is also something I definitely haven't seen before in anime.

So many anime have a NEET protagonist who's this awesome, charming, interesting guy who has twelve girls wanting to ride his meat popsicle that I get completely sick of the entire trope. Just cause you don't do shit doesn't mean you are a special. In fact, 99% of the time you are just a waste of space who bums around thinking they are special and that's about it.

So with NHK I was surprised to see them do the opposite of glorifying this awful lifestyle. Their approach to it was refreshing enough, but the fascinating, semi-abstract imagery and use of dream-sequences to express interesting symbolism was something that I fully got invested in. The introduction of the other protagonist who, for all intents and purposes plays as "The Pixie Dream Girl", didn't even detract from my experience.

As I said, it was funny, witty, pretty, and engaging through and through.

...

So Misaki, a young-ish girl who takes an interest in our protagonist starts out fine enough. They have these night meetings and slowly learn more about each other and well, the story is obvious from there. They are clearly going to get into each other. And while it wasn't exciting or interesting, the other parts that made this show continue to shine are the more satirical elements it wraps itself up in.

A constant self-aware barrage of meta-humor and often funny jabs at the entire "Otaku" community is kind of refreshing. The other secondary that plays off our protagonist is Yamazaki who is infinitely more engaging than Misaki and fits with the overall overlap between NEET and anime-nerd. What's a funny turn of events is that our protagonists manifesting infatuation with anime actually helps him spread his wings and become more social, while also having hilarious side-effects as well.

Not only that, the show had consistently solid animations with some pretty solid character designs. Every character felt unique while still being a more realistic approach to design. The dream sequences helped sell the kind of world we are peering into, however, the overall crippling loneliness didn't really come off as too prevalent within this show. I read up on the changes made for this show and unfortunately, from what I read, every change that was made to this show made it more consumer friendly. Especially the changes to the apparent drug-use within the manga that really didn't appear at all in the adaptation. This made for the trippy sequences being a hard, often cool looking but not necessarily believable, sell.

The B-Story, which involves these two characters trying to make something they pleasantly call a "Gal Game" is just great. It floats as the A-story for around six episodes before being taken over by the obvious romantic plot that eventually ends up ruining the show for me.

...

So lets talk about romance. This show likes having romance. Is it good at portraying romance though? No. We have these two nerdy characters fawn over girls and their antics are often played up to the point where it's funny, but when NHK makes the transition from being comedy-oriented to being drama-oriented is where the flaws start springing up.

Misaki is, through and through, a Pixie Dream Girl. A Pixie Dream Girl is a fairly common character archetype and trope in both anime and western film/television. These characters are often eccentric, cute girls that meet the character and carry them along on all sorts of adventures, teaching them a thing or two and overall helping them develop. While i'm generally very unfazed by this trope, it does have a lot of character beats that are fairly obvious. For example, a traumatic past, or a sprouting infatuation with the main character.

In NHK they really do nothing to alter that. Everything is played straight with Misaki and her role as a "girl of mystery" soon fades and she gains a new role, the "I hope this scene is short cause it's boring", role. Which really isn't too good to have. All the romance between her and the MC is so blunt and cliche that it's like i'm watching a completely different show.

The "two characters lean in to kiss in a moment of passion but get interrupted by something zany" actually happens... While this may not be a big deal to some, I want to re-iterate, this show, for the majority of its early episodes, poked hella fun at just about every trope and archetype known in anime. So the fact that they went ahead and did this bullshit is both shocking and disheartening from a creative standpoint.

...

This romance continues as we discover that not only does Misaki want our main characters beef-cannon but there's also another, more interesting female in the show that has some tension with the MC as well. This leads to the moment where i realized this show just became fucking dumb really fast. There's a suicide arc in this show and it's so absurdly... absurd, that i just couldn't sit through it with a straight face. I was honestly expecting them to pull the rug from under the viewer and say" aha! We knew this was dumb all along!" But no, this was played seriously.

It was so, so bad. It got so ridiculous that all the interest i had with this show just oozed out of me. The video game arc was almost completely forgotten in favor of just more predictable romance bullshit that I can get from just about any other romance anime out there. The comedy gets slowly forgotten about as well and we are left with these half-good characters in a setting that is yawn-worthy.

What's so surprising is that after deciding that this show has lost me completely, I read a bunch of the reviews on MAL. To my surprise people were praising this show for it's realism. The fucking realism! Either these people have no gauge on reality whatsoever or they live in some fantasy anime world where every nerd has a hot girl spying on him from her mansion just waiting to jump at the opportunity to run her fingers through all that greasy hair.

This kind of unbelievability isn't undercut by anything either. It's played seriously. So the dramatic escalation gets escalated to the point that i can't take it seriously and to the point where I just don't care. All these various characters are introduced within the middle half of the show and they are just about as un-engaging as some characters can get. Welcome to the NHK changed.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Dropping]

All I can say is that I tried. This show really isn't too bad. It's far from the worst thing i've ever seen. But it lost my interest completely. It's almost like if it didn't start off so good then I would've probably kept watching, if that makes any sense. But i'm a human being, and when a show disappoints me so consistently I begin going into the next episode with a bitter mindset. Or I even begin making excuses why I shouldn't watch the next episode. When I would rather do homework than watch a television show, you know that show must not be doing its job too well.

That's kind of where NHK left me. I didn't really want to continue watching this show. I felt like I was getting nothing from the viewing experience and these characters were doing nothing but becoming more annoy9ing and oblivious as time went on. Every episode past eight-or-so began introducing elements that I wasn't a fan of.

That once realistic and fairly funny peak into the life of a socially-awkward and NEET character turned into yet another unrealistic portrayal of a romance that would never actually happen in anything but a TV show. Which is disappointing. I kind of wish it just stayed funny and sporadic and didn't attempt to tell a story it wasn't equipped with telling. By that I mean a story that's been told a million times already.

If you are going to be addressing a cliche and using it in your story, and literally every story ever has some kind of cliche, then to make that cliche palatable try and put any kind of twist on it. NHK failed to do so and created a product that drained my early infatuation rather quickly.

If you are looking for something different then this show could deliver that for the first few episodes at least. You get a much more mature, yet immature life of a poor guy living in a small apartment. There is a lot of semi-censored realism to his life and thoughts that even I could relate to. But that realism slowly gets replaced with cliche romance and that eventually reduces this potentially engaging product into a pile of nothing.

Anime has often been used as a means of exploring new worlds, immersing yourself for just a moment to watch a story unfold somewhere wildly different from reality. There’s no harm with that at all and it can be a blast. I’ve often found however that I get most enjoyment from shows that tackle meaningful topics in a more realistic setting. Welcome to the N.H.K delivers on this in spades. The show’s themes of depression, anxiety and social withdrawal are treated with respect and attention to detail. It had me interested from episode one through to its superb conclusion. It’s a show that I wouldn’t ... hesitate a moment to award a ‘must watch’ tag to.

Story

Welcome to the N.H.K. sees us following the story of Tatsuhiro Satou. He’s a ‘hikikomori’ (socially withdrawn individual), a term for one who is often shunned by Japanese society for their lack of desire to contribute to the workforce and behave in a socially acceptable manner. In strolls Misaki Nakahara to his life to offer help in getting his life back on track and so the journey begins.

In the time we’re exposed to Satou we see him learn about seemingly easy methods to get out of his poor state of being, failing to put Misaki’s more thought-out efforts to use. He instead believes the evil ‘N.H.K’ organisation have made him part of a plan to make other citizens feel better about themselves – by not being him. Part of the appeal of the show is seeing Satou’s view of society clash with the real world as he becomes exposed to more of it.

The story gives off one strong message: Not everything you undertake brings rewards and sometimes the fruits of your labour come off with a sour taste compared to the sweet one you expected. Watching Satou bounce between not caring what happens and suddenly gaining motivation is intentionally frustrating and well done story telling. The writers know that this isn’t an issue that has a blanket solution. The show takes time to establish Satou’s situation, making us see every detail of what he does and what he believes in. Because of that we appreciate even the tiniest of steps he takes on an attempted road to recovery.

The story structure is one of just a few gripes of mine. I liked the build-up over the initial seven to eight episodes but then the show starts to jump between different scenarios quite frequently. One particularly dramatic arc seems to come from nowhere but it is does still serve a purpose. It provides one of the most critical moments for Satou to reflect on how good he might actually be off compared to others. In a way you could see storytelling change up as a form of Satou’s increasing desperation to seek an escape from his hikikomori lifestyle. The pace at least picks up in a way that mirrors that, though it took me a moment to get used to.

Characters

Satou is one of the most realistic and strongest characters I’ve seen in this medium, and that’s not a piece of praise I hand out every day. Just when Satou looks like he’s making progress you can see his frightened mental state pull him back. When he makes a significant achievement it feels huge because his weaknesses are laid out in all their harsh truth for the viewer to see. It’s easy to both despite Satou yet want to cheer him on. He cheats, lies and avoids situations because he feels so bad about his place in the world. It’s not like he doesn’t learn from experiences though, and on occasions you won’t even notice the small steps he takes in his attempt to better himself. He’s cleverly written, feels terrifyingly real and everyone can relate to him in some way or another. I’ve often heard that those who get the most out of the show are those who are living a life like Satou’s. I can see how that may be but even so I took plenty away from its ideas despite sharing little in common. There’s ideas of diverging paths and disconnection with friends over time that really struck a chord with me. This isn’t a show just made to inspire those in the same situation. Welcome to the N.H.K. uses Satou to express universal ideas of solitude, deceit and addiction. Everyone has experienced that in some form.

Misaki is one of the more mysterious characters whose purpose and background are deliberately handed over to the viewer at only a snail’s pace. I loved the way the show was self-aware about Misaki’s own place in the narrative (a girl with no ill feeling towards the main character who comes to ‘save’ him) and had Satou challenge that concept. This naturally creates friction between the pair and only as Satou feels more confident in himself does this ease somewhat. Despite her simple appearance, conversational tone and easy-going nature, you are always left to wonder what’s driving Misaki forward. Because of that, Misaki’s moments in the final run of episodes are incredible. Seeing that mystery behind her character unravelled is such a rewarding experience.

The supporting cast is strong with Kaoru Yamazaki a big stand out. He’s the one who first drags Satou on a different path and his otaku lifestyle starts to rub off on Satou, for better and worse. He acts like a picture of sensibility to Satou yet at the same time is far from a perfect man himself. In fact, in this show, no-one is. Everyone has a gigantic flaw or a big hole they’ve dug themselves, and most of them don’t want to admit it. This a show based on people putting on a different face to cover for their insecurities, but slowly coming to terms with their psychological problems and shedding that façade. It isn’t torn down through melodrama or unrealistic circumstances either. You feel that every shot and every character has an important purpose to being there.

Sound & Art

One thing I didn’t expect this show to deliver so strongly on was the soundtrack. I was blown away by the lovely melancholic guitar melodies and the softly sung vocals. Despite its simple chord structure “Youkoso Hitori Bocchi” has become one of my most memorable anime tracks thanks to its well delivered vocals, a song that has the amazing ability to sound both depressing and uplifting at the same time. There’s a lazy, mellow vibe that comes from this soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates the sense of wanting to drift along with minimal effort – quite appropriate.

It’s remarkable to see how underutilised Satou’s voice actor Yutaka Koizumi has been in the industry because his performance in Welcome to the N.H.K. is nothing short of fantastic. Whether it be the screams of anger, his strangely menacing cackle or just his everyday musings, everything is spot on. The snarky tones of Yamazaki’s voice actor Daisuke Sakaguchi (Satoshi Fukube of Hyouka and Shinpachi Shimura of Gintama) are another standout and make for both excellent banter and chemistry between the two characters.

The animation in this show is certainly nothing amazing but rarely detracts from the experience. Characters are very crudely drawn at moments plus there’s some hilariously overdone shading at times. Thankfully the show is exactly reliant on scenes that require a whole load of movement so the simplistic art style and the matching level of animation don’t feel so bad.

Overall

This show is designed to frustrate you, make you laugh, make you cry. It succeeds on every level. It may a little slow for some but I encourage you to take the time out to watch a show that actually explores some very serious ideas without sugar coating them or diluting them down with some irrelevant sub plot. Every shot and every scene has an important purpose. This show has stayed on my mind for some time after finishing it and I guarantee it will do the same for you.

For starters, the relatively low rating I gave is mainly due to my high expectations. It wasn't what I expected.

"NHK ni Youkoso !" is definitely not a traditional anime. The premise of the story is set somewhat high, and I, as of reading the synopsis, was more that interested to see what a Hikikomori's life is like, especially with the "Conspiracy theory" seasoning.
The anime kicks of really well, and I immediately adjusted to the fact that this it won't be a deep, psychological analysis of the state of being an introvert. The rhythm was much more light and comical. And then realized it's nothing like ... what I expected it to be.

The story is promising and different, but not satisfying. THEY COULD HAVE DONE MUCH BETTER THAN THIS. Half of the 24 episodes were pretty much dull and passable, the anime could have squeezed a better scoring if it was shorter. The over-diversification of the themes is sometimes welcomed, but most of the times not. The anime was conceived to be rich and smart, but it failed to be both. It was set to be real, but the story was definitely not convincing (more on the characters section). I would have cited some ridiculously unpleasant change of pace/theme/world, but I should keep this review spoiler-free.

The art department is mostly safe, although the quality of drawings swing throughout the episodes (For instance, the Game art was very dull. Some of the scenery was very unspectacular. Overdone fan-service ..), but it safely lands on a 8/10. Some drolly-drawn scenes actually saved some dull episodes. The character design is another highlight, although not surprisingly so (Satou's grey eyes basically, I liked the weird alien things, then the over-kawaii Misaki-chan that is though generic, well made).

The sound is another fine part of the anime, but definitely not a remarkable achievement. The guitar melodies in the touching scenes, the jazz always alarms of a coming "private" scene, the ringtone of Satou's phone will not get out of my mind any soon. The seiyus were definitely a good pick, hence the 8/10 in the sound category. Misaki-chan's voice is so cute :3

Now to my least favorite thing about the anime : The characters.
I couldn't enjoy "NHK ni Youkoso!" even if I tried. The characters where darn annoying and universally stupid. The protagonist is very shallow and utterly oblivious. Yamazaki, the only good character there is, was used minimally and unstably, and some times very abusively (by making him do things that don't follow his starting profile). Misaki-chan was super cute and super paper-thin, and a hard slap to feminism's face (as of any other female character in this anime). The rest wasn't noticeable.
I should go back to the stupidity thing. Am I the only one to be surprised of how unbelievably stupid the characters were ? I mean come on ! I bet a seven years old can make the characters less predictable and more conscious. I suffered while watching them missing the points over and over and over again. Depressingly lame.

So, as a matter of fact, I hardly enjoyed "NHK ni Youkoso!" because I expected better and I abhorred the fact they made all the characters 0-brain creatures with limited back-story (They tried to give them some of that, but they failed) and unjustifiable urges to do more stupid things. The story could have be a "let's think" one, but it was more "I don't think I can watch the rest of this" one. The last two episodes could have redeemed the overall mediocrity of the anime, but the ending was so bad I was I stopped at the before-last episode's credit (with him running and the song playing an all).

A sorrowful 6/10.

Alright. I loved watching it. It is a one-of-a-kind anime which maybe comes closest qua atmosphere to Steins;Gate

Story: A cute girl want to help a shut-in to get rid of his agoraphobia. Meanwhile, he tries to complete a game with his neighbour.
The shut in slowly progresses with both, sometimes having huge draw-backs.
Still, there is something fishy about that girl.

I figured out what the rest of the story would be at the end of the island arc and I knew exactly every step Misaki (I love that name) would take after that. I didn't expect it to be that predictable. Not only that: her behavior is ... not part of the climax, it IS the climax.

Also, the level marketing arc was predictable, unnecissary, and the characters seemed so incredibly dumb compaired to their behavior in the rest of the series.

But still: a 7/10 is nothing to be ashamed about

Art: Yes. This is bad. Misaki is cute and stuff, but it is pretty boring. Not only that, there are also some extremely badly animated parts, especially at the end of the marketing arc and when they shop in Tokyo. How could this ever pass on tv and how didn't this ever get fixed for dvd? This is something they SHOULD be ashamed of. Still, the good scenes were generally not bad, but it is not good enough:
4

Sound:
I love their voices! Misaki sounds so cute! Yamazaki = shinpachi, and Satou also has an amazing voice. The intro was very addictive, the first one, at least. The second one was the guitar version, but I liked that one a little less because it just 'wasn't right' after the first one. Also, I loved the first ending. Kenji Ohtsuki (known from most sayonara zetsubou sensei openings) made one of the best endings ever. His rare raw voice is one of the best things to come out of my speakers, ever!
9/10

Character:
Like I said, the plot is completely about character development, which is done almost perfectly. Only the character development of one of the side characters was a little iffy, but if you take it as a whole... wow! It is almost done too good because I figured out the plot in no time because of this.

Enjoyment:
Great jokes, fun until the end, good timing, great sounds. This all added up to a great enjoyment. Only the art was sometimes so bad that it really annoyed me until it became better.
8/10

Overall:
I usually don't give a crap about the art, but it was especially bad this time. Still, I accuse the story of being too lacking at the end. This is why I don't give it a 9, but a
8/10

Just watch it. It is a legendary anime and a milestone in psychological anime.
It is the last anime to breathe the 'paranoia agent', 'lain' and 'boogiepop' atmosphere and it is the bridge between the older psychological anime and the newer ones.

— PREMISE —
At first glance, Welcome to the NHK may seem like a slice-of-life comedy or a romance with a thrilling mystery about revealing a conspiracy. However, it's important to note that if you approach it with these expectations, you're doing it wrong. The anime is, in fact, a social commentary dramedy that addresses real-life social issues through dialogue that relates to relevant themes. While it does not directly criticise the depicted issues, which is a good thing for those who dislike preachy anime, it offers a powerful critique of modern society's problems. The anime's focus is not solely on character development, particularly that of ... the protagonist, but rather on the broader societal issues that underlie his struggles.

While it succeeds in its mission to educate and enlighten its audience, it falls short in other areas such as story plot, character development, and pacing. As a viewer who values the exploration of themes and social commentary, I found the slower pacing and character drama to be a hindrance to my overall enjoyment of the series.

— STORY —
While it's true that the overall plot of Welcome to the NHK is relatively simple and straightforward, the show's strength lies in its character-driven storytelling and social commentary. The show's use of subplots and thematic exploration allows for a more in-depth exploration of the issues it critiques, rather than simply relying on a complex plot. The mystery element, while not the main focus of the show, adds an extra layer of intrigue and keeps viewers engaged.

It's worth noting that Welcome to the NHK doesn't just explore these themes superficially; it delves deep into the psyche of the characters and shows the effects of these issues on their mental health and overall well-being. The show doesn't shy away from portraying the harsh realities of life, but it also offers hope and a path towards healing and recovery.

Moreover, the show's exploration of otaku culture and escapism is particularly noteworthy. It not only examines the negative consequences of obsessive behaviour but also critiques society's tendency to stigmatise and marginalise those who engage in such activities.

There was a significant amount of character development that takes place primarily through dialogue. The dialogue directly relates to the established themes, allowing viewers to gain insight into each character's feelings about the struggles they face and how they react to their impact.

— CHARACTER —
Many viewers enjoyed this show because they relate to Satou; however, personally, I identified more with Yamazaki since I live alone, have no friends, pursued independence because I dislike relying on others, and play video games responsibly. While many viewers can relate to Satou's struggles and circumstances, personally, I found his gullible, selfish, and unappreciative behavior to be off-putting. For example, he complains about not receiving an allowance from his elderly parents despite being old enough to work and treats Misaki unfairly. It's worth considering whether viewers who relate to Satou's struggles also relate to his negative reactions and behaviour towards others. Accepting to live off of others for a year while complaining about receiving less money from his parents could be seen as unacceptable by some.

Once again, it is important to note that a viewer's ability to relate to a character's situation does not determine the quality of the writing. What truly matters is how the character responds to the situation presented. On a personal level, it is possible to dislike a character's personality, but this is purely subjective. Disliking Satou and not finding his personality relatable does not necessarily equate to poor writing. Similarly, finding Satou's personality relatable does not necessarily mean he is well written.

Misaki-chan was an underdeveloped character; her subplot did not seem relevant to the main theme of the show, and her struggles were a special case rather than a general struggle that most people face. The issue of child abuse is certainly an important one, but it didn't seem to fit with the other struggles that the characters faced as they transitioned into adult life.

Rather than focusing on pointless mysteries about Misaki's background and identity, the show could have explored the effects of transitioning into adulthood as an individual who was abused as a child. There were a few hints of this throughout the show, such as the scene where Misaki was petrified and extremely terrified of being hit. These hints could have been expanded upon, and the show could have delved deeper into Misaki's mentality as an adult who has experienced trauma.

The idea of the 'evil god' or the root of evil conspiracy that was presented in the show was poorly executed and lacked a resolution. In contrast, Misaki's struggle had the effect of loneliness, which is related to the main theme of the show. However, her struggle felt like a forced plot device, designed to give a character a sad background and merge them with the other cast. The show could have done better with the development of Misaki's character and her storyline.

Ultimately, whether a character is well-written or not is subjective and depends on individual standards, preferences and opinions. While relatability can play a part in how viewers perceive a character, it is not the only factor to consider. The writing quality of a character also depends on their actions, motivations, and how they contribute to the overall story.

— ANIMATION —
The art was not very detailed, which results in less expressive facial features and can sometimes feel lacklustre. Some viewers have voiced complaints about noticeable drops in animation quality in certain episodes, or the use of slightly different animation styles, which can be jarring. While these inconsistencies didn't bother me, they can be a distraction for some, especially in a non-action anime where animation quality is expected to remain consistent.

— SOUND —
The music was okay, with a good variety of soundtracks that range from mellow to upbeat. However, I don't find most of them particularly memorable or exceptional. While they do complement the scenes and help set the mood, they don't stand out enough to become memorable tracks that I would add to my playlist. That being said, there are a few tracks that stand out, such as the opening theme "Puzzle" by Round Table featuring Nino, which has a catchy melody and uplifting lyrics that suit the show's themes. Additionally, the voice acting in the anime is well done, with each character's voice fitting their personality and bringing them to life. The voice actors also capture the emotional nuances of the dialogue effectively, especially during the more dramatic scenes. The Japanese voice cast does an excellent job of conveying the characters' personalities and feelings, adding depth to their interactions and making them more relatable to the audience.

— PACING —
The pacing, or rather stalling, was the main issue with Welcome to the NHK. As a character-driven anime, slow pacing can work well, but there's a difference between good and bad slow pacing. I didn't mind the extended dialogue, as it was relevant to the themes, and the long silent scenes helped convey the atmosphere and emotions. However, certain scenes were unnecessarily long or repetitive, particularly the hallucination scenes. While these scenes might explore Satou's psyche, the anime's point isn't to delve into the psychology of hikikomoris. Instead, it aims to examine the real-life social issues that often arise in adult life and their causes and effects. To believe that all hikikomoris daydream like Satou is absurd, so the long sequences were primarily intended to characterise Satou. While they did show how he's delusional and an escapist, the conspiracy theme seemed unrelated, and the perverted daydream sequences felt like a bad excuse for fanservice.

Secondly, Misaki's 'big project' wasted a significant amount of screentime with her reciting lines from psychology books. While the initial meeting was fine, the lectures were ultimately pointless and could have been significantly shortened. The exception being the first lecture, which established the nature of the lectures as similar. Perhaps the purpose of the meeting was to develop a relationship between Satou and Misaki, but the anime's main focus is not on romance.

Thirdly, one of the main issues with the pacing in Welcome to the NHK is the repetition of certain themes and messages. For instance, the anime often reiterates the idea that a hikikomori like Satou would eventually become hungry and require work to sustain themselves. This message is conveyed twice in two different episodes, in a very similar way. While it's understandable that the show is trying to emphasise the harsh realities of adult life for hikikomoris, the repetitive nature of these scenes becomes tedious and unnecessary. In fact, it almost feels like the anime is belaboring the point, as if it doesn't trust the audience to remember or understand the message after the first time. As a result, this repetition can make the pacing feel slow and tedious, as well as detract from the overall impact of the themes being explored in the show.

— OVERVIEW —
Welcome to the NHK is a mixed bag. On one hand, I appreciate the show's serious approach to real-life issues and its willingness to explore difficult topics. However, the constant use of meaningless mystery bait, poor pacing, and plot conveniences detract from the overall quality of the show. There were times when I found myself frustrated with the storyline and wishing that the creators had taken a more straightforward approach.

Despite these flaws, the characters themselves were generally well-done, and I never felt like they were being used simply as plot devices. Misaki's character, however, was a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, her character provided an interesting perspective and dynamic to the story, but on the other hand, her unnecessary mystery at times felt like a misdirect and left me feeling unsatisfied with the overall conclusion.

Overall, while I think Welcome to the NHK is a worthwhile watch for those interested in social commentary anime, it is not without its flaws, and I would caution viewers to be prepared for a somewhat frustrating and uneven experience.

NHK Ni Youkoso is the most fascinating story I ever saw. The way it symbolizes everyday life problems x100 is really well done. The fact that it is such a realistic and hard story with no taboos for any perverted thoughts makes it difficult for a lot of people to watch. Cause most of them don’t expect such things in an animated serie, at least if they don’t know anime and the culture behind it that well. It basicly shocks a lot of people. Just know that before you watch it and if it isn’t your genre to begin with I think you have no ... right to judge it. It is just the same as I don’t like shoujo, what doesn’t mean I am going to watch it and give it a 1 or something.

But lets finally start with the story. The basic is that a boy of 24 (Satou) never comes out his apartment anymore .He has become a hikikomori or a NEET (not in education, employment or training). First you simply see his life as hikikomori. Which can be very weird, but just keep in mind that he hasn't really came out of his apartment for more than 3 years and that it comes from a novel where he is addicted to drugs. If you have been introduced to that you will see the girl of the story Misaki that wants to help him with his problem And makes him her project to bring him back to society. But the way back isn't as simple as you would think it is.

The order in what happens is really unpredictable. I mean that when you think he is almost "cured" it can become worse than it ever was before. What makes it very interesting and never boring to watch.

The story is very good especially the end where every piece of the puzzle comes together. It really makes the wonderful characters, it was just the best end I ever saw. I can guarantee you when you’ve watched this you will understand socially awkward people much better and you also will have changed the way you look at them.

For the rest it was a very depressive story filled with humor. As you probably already know this series don’t has any taboos. The art wasn’t anything special but it fits the story perfectly and the way they express emotions especially with the eyes is very well done. The music wasn’t that special however the start and endings songs fits again perfect with the story. The enjoyment was superb as I already said I was never bored however the episodes between 17 and 19 are less good in my opinion it feels as a filler of the story to me.

If you are still reading I guess it sounded interesting enough to watch it or you already did. If it was that first option I would say make sure to check it out as quick as possible :).

Well there are some outstanding reviews of welcome to nhk in MAL... Yet am writing this review because of my love , respect and compassion towards this anime and its writer "the Tatsuhiko Takimoto"..

It is not just an anime... It is the story of numerous NEETs..their dilemma , everything..It brought light to an otherwise unknown disease called "hikikomori" to many. The story revolves around a NEET and a hikkomori. The anime deeply goes into his thought process and by doing that, we are able to realise the mental instability, insecurities and obsessiveness of a hikikomori..
After seeing the anime, I was greatly touched ... by it and made me realise the value of life and felt equally sympathetic to hikikomoris..

After reading this review so far, the first impression that you might be having of this anime is that of a serious and depressing plot.. Well the anime is more than that.. Thats why i have no problem to term it as a gem.. The story amazingly strikes a balance between the former and humour,romance .. Seeing each episode is like going through a complete emotional cycle... There is always something to cheer up and get depressed at most of the instances.. And I have rarely come across such a deadly combination...

And what makes this anime stand out? the answer is the background score.. The music is legendary in a way that it will make u feel be taken over by your emotions. Not just the music , the lyrics especially that of Hitori Bocchi gives u sort of an emotional trance. Everything chord of tight nerves to your brain will feel weakened and the feeling that I experienced cant be put in words..

Well there is nothing as perfect,and in this anime,it is the art which is ordinary. But you will get the hang of it after first few episodes itself. For a anime fan, this will not be an excuse to drop this anime..

SPOILER--

Dont think that it is just an another slice of life anime. It has lots of twists.. And the 24 episodes will finish like just a flash of light..

Finally, in my opinion there are certain things one has to do before they die.. And seeing this anime should be in that list...

I've read reviews regarding how good this series was so I figured that I would give it a try.

Welcome to NHK is sort of a mixed bag. It has it's ups and downs. If you go into it expecting comedy, meaning straight in your face comedy, you might be dissappointed. Thats not to say that NHK isn't funny...it's just not funny all the time.

Story:
NHK deals with the main subject of: Hikikomori [A social dissorder where a person shuts themselves away from society and remains in seclusion, mostly common in Japan]
The series focuses on Satou Tatsuhiro, the main character, and his hikikomori lifestyle ... and a girl, Misaki, who tries to help him out of that lifestyle. Like I said before this series has its ups and downs and the same applies to the story. The ending could have been better. I felt that there wasn't enough closure.

Art:
NHK is produced by Gonzo. And just like with every other anime gonzo produces the art greatly varies. The first episode features great animation, its clean and crisp. Later down the road the animation dips to the level of generic anime. Gonzo always makes an amizing looking first episode to draw viewers in and then they start to half-ass their animation.

Sound:
I liked the intro song...confused about the 1st ending. Its just wierd. The sound is mixed. sometimes they play the right song at the right time and sometimes they dont. Most of the time youll probably hear a harmonica. [Theres this catchy yet annoying song at the very first few episodes, I found myself singing the chorus every now and then.] One thing that stands out about the sound is Koizumi Yutaka's voice acting as Satou.

Character:
The characters are interesting. A few of them develop early on, but some characters you dont even meet until the second half of the series. And some show up for one episode and dont return until five episodes. I found myself wondering..."what happened to that one girl/guy?" All in all the series' main focus is Satou's relationship with Misaki and Yamazaki. I did wish that there was more development in Satou's and Misaki's relationship. That kind of made the series for me.

Enjoyment:
This series was enjoying but theres one thing that bothers me. Some episodes stood out as episodes that really drew me in only to find out that the next episode isnt as good. And some episodes where just plain stupid. I kind of wish that the creators where more consistent with their delivery.

Overall:
9/10
Its a great series. This is my first review. So if you didnt find any reason to watch after you've read my review here are somepointers:

1. If youre an otaku, die hard or not, you should watch this.
2. If youre interested about social problems in Japan, watch this.
3. If you want to see a peek at real life in Japan, watch it. Its not about
anime and happy girls loving for no reason
4. If youve experienced social seclusion yourself watch this...may or may not
help you.
5. If youre into drama watch it.
6. If your like me and bored, watch it.
7. If your into Psychological stuff and viewing the world in general in a
different way, watch it.

“No human beings, regardless of who they might be, want to look directly at their own shortcomings.” -Satou Tatsuhiro

I came in Welcome to the NHK rather skeptical, thinking that it would be nothing super special, yet I walked out as a completely different person.

Before I watched Welcome to the NHK, I was suffering from depression and lack of motivation. I was also on the verge of dropping out of college and dealing with substance abuse. I felt as if life had no meaning and was closeting myself increasingly and not leaving the room. I was in the slow process of becoming a hikikomori, something I ... had no idea of what it meant before I watched this anime.

In the beginning, I was not so impressed mainly because of its rather subpar animation, but then again Welcome to the NHK was made in 2006 and didn't have a high budget. However, despite the low quality animation, the art had this old classic feeling toward it and I quickly became accustomed to it and overlooked its flaws due to all the other aspects of the show being simply outstanding.

The characters of this anime are amazingly realistic as well. Throughout this anime, we get to see them develop. Satou is basically a hikikomori or in other words a shut in who chain-smokes cigarettes and gets drunk often. Because of his reluctance to see the sunlight, this in result caused hallucinations as well, something clearly realistically depicted in the anime. Despite all this, Satou tried to be a good person to the people he late become close to. He meets this girl named Misaki, who is extremely mysterious but very vulnerable deep down inside but wants to aid Satou by forcing him to sign a contract to meet every night. Satou also met his apartment neighbor Yamazaki, who is at school learning video game developing and is a huge hardcore otaku, and together they focused on making a erotic game. There is also Satou's childhood friend Hitomi who is Satou's long time crush. All of the characters including the side characters in Welcome to the NHK are very useful in the development of the story and none of them are unneeded as we see these characters develop and change attitudes throughout the story. The relationships in Welcome to the NHK are also very realistic, none of them are idealized as every character has their own range of problems. Finally, every episode in the anime serves a purpose and none of them were just specifically fillers. Combined with amazing voice acting especially on Satou's part and a purposeful and well fitting soundtrack, every episode became very enjoyable to watch.

As the story of Welome to the NHK transgresses, we get to understand how Satou overcomes his fear of society. Each and every of his sessions with meeting sessions with Misaki was purposeful and filled with deep questions. Each and every incident and obstacle Satou comes across are not usually huge, but successfully depicts the hikikomori problem. As I watched Welcome to the NHK, I saw Satou as the future me if I have continued down the path I was taking.Through seeing myself in the main character's shoes, I took in innumerable lessons and ideas that made me understand my own problem. One crucial lesson I took is how we should see our own shortcomings instead of blaming everything on others. We should understand that we need to fix ourselves before blaming society as always blaming others is not salvation. We don't have a obligation to help society but at least we should understand that we are not perfect and stop being a drag to society. Throughout the end, we get to see many of the characters not taking the most ideal paths they thought but a path that nevertheless made them happy also showing that there are many paths of life throughout life and not achieving your ideal dream is not the end of the world. This also changed my attitude toward life as I realized that dreams are not the end goal. One can always adjust them, and one could always find happiness no matter where life leads as long as one changes his/her attitudes.

Thanks to watching Welcome to the NHK, I made a life changing decision to pull myself together instead of falling to complete ruins. The impact of Welcome to the NHK on my life cannot be underestimated and I am forever grateful that I suddenly decided to pick up the anime so if you are depressed or just want something to keep you back on track, Welcome to the NHK is the anime to watch.

I only got 3 episodes in and even that was disturbing and torturous. I started it because I had heard from a few sources that it was supposed to be pretty good and I'm willing to push through some mediocre episodes at the start if it goes somewhere good if that's what I need to do but that was some of the most degenerate shit that I have ever seen. It's just a couple of guys obsessing about making a hentai game and once it got to the scene where the main character is hiding in the bushes while waiting to take lewd pictures of ... very young girls without their knowledge or consent and emphasizing their youth as a part of their allure, I dropped it and will never go back. This is an absolutely horrific anime, please avoid at all costs for everyone's sake

I realize that a lot of other reviewers have felt led to write about this gem of an anime - and for good reason. Therefore so will I.

Welcome to the N.H.K. is based off a Japanese novel by Tatsuhiko Takimoto, which has also been released as a manga in 2004 and ended in 2007. (strangely enough the anime came out in 2006 inbetween that time) Perhaps because it was based on a novel - the story doesn't contain any real plot holes or fillers - it flows beautifully. (hmmm just like another gem Baccano! was based off a novel too... very interesting...) In fact, ... it is one of the most smooth and genuine animes that I have yet seen. Normally with realistic animes (such as Monster) I find it very hard to stay interested... not so with N.H.K.

In episode one we are introduced to a hikikomori named Satou Tatsuhiro, a twenty-two year old college drop-out who has major panic attacks whenever he is around groups of people. He has gotten the idea that everything is a conspiracy, and that the N.H.K. (Nikon Hikikomori Kyokai - a Japanese television broadcasting company) are behind pretty much everything evil in the world including him being a NEET... (Not in Employment, Education or Training) ...aaaaand that's where I stop about the conspiracy business (God knows they explain it enough in the actual show ha ha) and move on to the characters.

The plot wouldn't be anything without the in-dept characters; and the fact that we are allowed to glimpse into their lives and experience what they feel and go through with almost brutal honesty... is amazing. Every character has a story to tell, and ALL their stories are, not only very well thought out and told, but touching, sad, and realistic too. (Except you have to hang in there til the end for Misaki's background story. I swear... I had almost given her up as a Lenalee ...ewww) They make you sit up as you recognize yourself or a friend or family member in them. They will not tell you happy stories no... but the realism takes your breath away. That's essentially what this anime is - a breath of fresh air.

Of course... it has bad points. The sloppy character animation frustrated me sometimes - but since it was mainly slice of life and human faces often contort during emotional times - I cut them some slack. (some) The contortion worked best in the humor moments. However, besides that small detail - the rest of the animation was good. I like how the backgrounds were so crisp and clear; so that it gave the impression that people were added in almost as an afterthought. (which was in line with the show's whole message basically of "what is the meaning of life" etc) I give kudos to whoever did set/background designs - Satou's and Yamazaki's apartments were amazing... I wish more sets were that original in set-up - it felt like you could just walk through the computer screen into them. Actually all the sets had that feel. (I know I keep using the adjective *realistic* to describe NHK - but that's what it is.)

Now onto the sound... which I gave a 9 for good reason. The original pieces were amazing and I want to get the whole soundtrack for the first time. (normally I just pick and choose the good tracks) All the pieces were distinctive and definitely memorable and hyped up the emotion in each scene. They also incorporated Japanese rock and some pop - which in my opinion worked very, very well. The OP is unusual, creepy, strange etc... (more animation-wise than the actual song) but it completely fits the show's mood. The first ending song was amazing - the first time I'm really seen such a sadist, comic song used. (but once again, it totally fit and worked) Half-way through the show, they changed endings to suit the definite sober change in mood, seeing as the first ED wouldn't have suited it at all. VA wise... they weren't outstanding - yet everyone's voices fit their character (my favorite performance would probably be Daisuke Sakaguchi as Yamazaki) so definitely no complaints there.

If you're like me - and enjoy an anime that doesn't back down in the face of realism - that freely consults, assaults, and questions enigmas like: "Why we should matter anyway?" Then this is the anime for you. However, be warned that the dreaded monsters called "hentai" and even one called "Purin" rear their naked heads in this show... beware episode 3 *shudder* (ALRIGHT >.>" I admit it was pretty funny though...) RANDOM SIDE NOTE: The most hilarious arc was the online gaming arc. (I mean wth what else could you do but laugh?!)

But but but! if you're a happy, smiley type of person who can't bear to think that people would be miserable enough to consider disposing of themselves - then stay clear. This show isn't about happy, pink sparkles - it's about real life issues that people really face every single stinking day.

All-in-all I think this just might be going on my top 5 anime list. 24 episodes is just enough to tell the story - and the ending is one of the best anime endings. It's not cheesy or unnecessary - it just seems RIGHT - and I'm sure if you watch it you'll agree. It makes you think... it doesn't hand you the answer on a silver platter like some animes do.