Dec 30, 2015
In a medium saturated with inane high school slice-of-life comedies, Welcome to the NHK is a rare gem. The show gives a heartfelt and heart-wrenching account of the life of Satou Tatsuhiro, a 22 year old NEET who lives in an apartment in Tokyo by himself. His life of sleeping all day and hallucinating about talking household appliances is turned upside down when Misaka Nakahara, a mysterious high school girl, meets him by chance and resolves to save him from his hikkikomori ways.
Welcome to the NHK is not just about Satou, but also larger problems faced by young people in Japan. The show explores
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pyramid schemes, suicide pacts, and real money trading in games by putting Satou through those situations. Each of these mini-arcs really develops Satou’s character and teaches him how to go on with his life. However, Satou can be pretty dense. Very often he immediately forgets the lessons he learned in one scheme and gets himself caught up in another one. I understand that the author did this to explore more subcultures, but from a storytelling perspective it was a bit unrealistic for Satou to revert to his old self so easily.
That being said, there is definitely character development in the show. Satou and Misaki have an unconventional yet sweet relationship, which I loved watching. Some of the other characters, especially Satou’s high school kouhai and neighbor, Yamazaki, also grew a lot as the series progressed. I won’t give any spoilers, but there are tons of tender moments between the different characters. I am not ashamed to admit that the show moved me to tears more than once, especially towards the end when Satou discovers why Misaki was helping him.
If you’re looking for something serious, moving, and real look no further than Welcome to the NHK. If you’re looking for something lighthearted or easy-to-watch avoid this anime at all costs.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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