For an idea of the significance of each genre constituing this show, their significance from 1–10 has been rated (1/10 being insignificant):
psychological=7/10,
drama=7.5/10,
comedy=5.5/10,
romance=1/10.
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Review begins
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The show lacks the realism inherent of a slice of life or an in-depth analysis of various mental illnesses; however, pragmatism was never sought for to begin with. Most of its value derives from its dramatic theme. It is the intriguing character interactions with the plot that resonates enticement within this show and maintains engagement throughout.
The show features multiple sub-plots that always interestingly progresses into a satisfying climax. These sub-plots provide hints to the many curiosities evoked at the beginning, pertinent to the overarching plot and characters, while developing and characterising the characters. This progressive and questioning nature of the show is one of its most fascinating features.
The end result of all of the above is a collection of intricate and consistent characters.
Concluding scores:
story=9.5,
character=9.6,
art=8,
sound=10,
overall=9.6.
Summary:
the elements of the story were masterfully coalesced and engagement is maintained throughout;
it was well paced and every moment felt purposeful;
the characters are consistent, well designed and intriguing;
the foreshadowing was impeccable;
excellent uses of figurative language and images.
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Spoilers begin immediately below.
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Criticism: The chief criticism is the poor execution of some scenes, mostly Satou's suicide attempts. The first instance was abrupt. The build-up and mood didn't justify it. The second instance was illogical. It seemed like he was feigning suicidal thoughts as a joke or as a means of allowing Misaki to empathise with him, but unexpectedly, he ran off the cliff.
Megumi’s back-story is over-exaggerated.
The coincidental recovery of Satou and Megumi's brother was abruptly inserted for the sake of instant-gratification.
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Explanation of major components:
Satou doesn’t actually hallucinate. There are 2 corrobations. The major one is the seemingly shifted plane every time Satou began to interact with the talking props. Secondly, the props never coincidentally appear with concrete characters, suggesting the shifted plane is his mind. The props in his house are his thoughts, and their animation hints his loneliness and desire for companionship. They even initially portrayed them as companions as shown through their casual conversing Satou.
The 3 ‘genies’ inherently laughing at Satuo represent the ‘conspiracies’, which are the manifestation of his fears and his attempt at rationalising the world around him. Satou seems to genuinely believe such conspiracies are the source of his misfortune, a symptom of his hikikomori condition. Though, Satou does sometime joke about the conspiracies mainly while he is conversing with Hitomi. This further corroborates his desire for companionship as shown by his ability to overcome his fears of the NHK and being despised, when surrounded by his friends.
At the end, Satou was seen stepping on the 3 genies, suggesting his prevailment over his condition. Also the NHK was conferred a new name, as seen on the contract. This name suggests that the NHK is now viewed positively as opposed to as Satou’s bane.
Hitomi uses the conspiracies as a scape goat for her miseries to alleviate her suffering. She doesn't actually believe in their existence.
The various scenes in the opening song reflect the states of the characters. The first scene with Misaski centred on the screen but faced backward suggests her importance but enigmatic nature to the protagonist. The final erotic scenes suggest the role of lust in Satou's actions.
Satou is so often seen smoking a cigarette that it could be interpreted as a motif. It seems to mark the degeneration of his life as he often smokes during his depressive periods. He also wasn't a smoker during high school which is when he was still healthy further suggesting the smoking indicates degeneration. There is an odd instance where he smokes while searching for the erotic images. While it was a comical device, it seemed to partially suggest degeneration as perversion is a form of degeneracy. This is further corroborated by the following realization of his deterioration as he seeks redemption.
Misaski does not have BPD. A quick check of the diagnosis criteria will proclaim that.
