Genre: Comedy, satire, romance, philosophical, drama, conspiracy
Trigger warnings: Suicide, misogyny, sex, abuse
Episodes: 24
Rating: 8/10
No spoiler:
Welcome to the N.H.K is an anime released in 2006 based off the novel written by Tatsuhiko Takimoto. Going into it, I had no idea what to expect as I was just browsing the endless pages of anime on “Anilist” as I was looking for a good comedy. Little did I know that I would get much more than I ever thought I would out of this show. Overall, I think its important and could possibly help people with certain messages it conveys.
Animation:
The animation isn’t necessarily amazing but it does the job it needs to. The anime provides many interesting visuals throughout and this was definitely a highlight of the show for me. Overall, the animation is filled with character and symbolism even if it’s very much of its time.
Story
Tatsuhiro Satou is a hikikomori who has barely left his house in 2 years. He seems to be in an almost depressive state as life passes him by and he lives off his parents. However, one day a girl called Misaki shows up and she wants to “help” him. Will his life ever be the same?
The characters in the show proceed to go through many antics, some leading to hilarious comedic moments and others leading to moments that will make you question life and even inspire you too keep going.
While the story is by no means perfect (often not making sense) I think this adds to the effect as Tatsuhiro is always confused and erratic. If you’re looking for action and fight scenes or pure comedy this probably isn’t for you. If you want something with comedy that’s sometimes uncomfortable and that will make you think this show is perfect for you. I would recommend having watched quite a few anime to understand the references to otaku culture that may go over your head without prior knowledge.
Final thoughts:
There is no denying that this show can be problematic. Some of the characters act as borderline lolicon perverts but these characters are by no means shown in a good light. It’s obvious that Tatsuhiro is meant to be seen as someone who needs improvement. Everyone in this show is flawed but that’s why I like it. It conveys a message about the importance of life and living that I will never forget. If you’re incel please watch it.
Spoilers:
I think the moment that solidified this show as one of my favorites is in episode 9 when Satou finds out he is on holiday only to commit suicide at the end. Then we see a man who has a, to put it bluntly, shit life convince a group of people not to commit suicide. This episode as a whole has a great philosophical message that no matter what, suicide is never the best way out. Especially when that janitor calls them idiots and talks about the inconvenience they would cause. How he calls them selfish.
On the surface level, this show is about a shut-in NEET trying and failing to change because of another lonely person. If you look deeper, this is a show about the importance of life, how it can be better and what its like to be lonely. I feel like the type of people who watch anime could definitely benefit from a show like this because (let’s be honest) a lot of us are shut-ins who find escape from the media. Look at all the anime fans who obsess over waifus and husbandos instead of finding genuine human connections because they are scared. Welcome to the N.H.K puts into perspective how important human connections are. All the redditor introverts who claim they don’t need people and incels who need to get a life come to mind. The fact that these characters often do show incel like qualities and end up finding happiness in relationships could probably help a lot of people.
