Nov 29, 2010
Wow, welcome to the NHK was nothing like I expected it to be. My initial expectation was that this series would be something strange and psychological. I saw a delusional protagonist, conspiracy theories and anthropomorphic talking appliances. Automatically I was intrigued, and purchased the complete series expecting to watch a series that might be somewhat reminiscent of ‘Paranoia Agent’. However, about three episodes in I began to feel immediate regret as it became more and more apparent that I had unknowingly purchased a teenage drama.
That being said, I could not have made a more serendipitous error. Never before have I seen a series of this
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genre that has more depth and introspection into the tragic issues plaguing the lives of Japanese young people than ‘Welcome to the NHK’.
The series gives the viewer a very detailed look at what is like to experience a quarter life crisis; when one is riddled with existential despair and fears the futility of daily life and perceives the ambiguity of ones future with a sense of overwhelming dread. In Japan the frequency and prevalence of individuals experiencing this phenomena is abnormally high to such an extent that many young people develop social anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia.
The term Hikikomori has been coined by the Japanese people to descried individuals suffering from intense social anxiety. The term NEET is an acronym for the government classification of people, “Not in Employment, Education, or Training”. Tatsuhiro Satō is both a NEET and a hikikimori. As we follow him and a few of his acquaintances throughout the series we learn more about the socio-cultural circumstances that create a hikikimori and explore many of the socio-cultural phenomena that are afflicting many Japanese. Internet suicide groups, hentai addiction, multi level marketing scams, and MMORPG addiction are only a few of the issues explored in this series.
All in all I give this series an 8, it didn’t blow my mind, but it definitely shattered my expectations. The animation has a tendency to look a little cheap at times, but I enjoyed the soundtrack. NHK has a wonderfully black sense of humor and definitely forced me to reflect on my own post college lifestyle. I know a couple people here in the states that might be considered hikikimori, but I can only imagine how much worse these issues apply to people in the Japanese culture. If you’ve got some free time I’d definitely recommend picking up this series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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