Being an action junkie, especially when it comes to anime, I was skeptical about Welcome to the NHK. Any shred of apprehension I had before completely vanished once I started watching this show. The show was so good that I had to force myself quite a few times to take breaks and slow down ( I didn't do a very good job). With all that being said, it has been difficult to think of a way to adequately describe Welcome to the NHK. At times the show is a comedy; at other times the show can be incredibly depressing.
The story revolves around the main character, Satō Tatsuhiro, who is by all perspectives a failure at life. Satō spends his days sleeping, drinking, smoking, and complaining about his mysterious neighbor who constantly listens to the theme song of a popular anime. He is terrified of the outside world and lives off the allowance that his parents give him for food and rent. As one can imagine, he has few friends and even less visitors.
Welcome to the NHK, begins with a knock at Satō's door, which sends him into a panic. Expecting a collector for an unpaid bill, he is surprised to see an older woman and her young, attractive niece. They are going from door to door in his apartment complex to warn of the increasing hikikomori problem (those who live at home and do not work) in Tokyo. He is given a pamphlet describing these social outcasts and the pair leave. Later that day, Satō finds a letter from the young woman, named Miskaki Nakahara, that was at his door earlier. The letter offers Satō counseling sessions to cure him of his hikkomori ways. After a bit of denial of his nature, Satō eventually caves and accepts counseling.
Satō Tatsuhiro in all his glory.
The rest of the show revolves around the counseling sessions, along with a myriad of strange situations that Satō and his old high school friends get into. As much as I would like to give examples here, I really do not want to ruin any of the show. Trust me, watch the show; you won't be disappointed.
In any anime, the characters are the most important part for me; good characters can save a show with a mediocre or average story. I was blown away by the characters, starting with the main protagonist Satō. He suffers from extreme social phobia, so much so that his actions and behavior are incredibly strange, sometimes bordering on pitiful. An example of this is his perception of the reality that he lives in, especially the presence of the NHK conspiracy (NHK is an actual broadcasting company in Japan). Satō believes that through the production of anime, NHK aims to create hikkimori so that society has a group of people to frown upon. Of course, there is little to no basis for this thought process as you will see, but it produces quite a few funny moments throughout the show. Despite all of this, when Satō was rational he was incredibly easy to relate to and I often found myself agreeing with his thought processes. The writers did a great job with the main character by simultaneously making a him ridiculously satirical figure, yet realistic enough so that the viewer can relate to him.
Satō's friend, Yamazaki.
The supporting cast of the show was also incredible. Each had distinct personalities and even reminded me of some of my friends. Kaoru Yamazaki, Satō's former high school classmate and aspiring video game creator, was probably my second favorite character after Satō. Yamazaki is an incredibly passionate and stubborn youth that often times gets on the main character's case for his laziness. Without spoiling anything, all I can say is that he is hilarious when he drinks with Satō.
The other two important characters in the show are Misaki and Himoki Kashiwa; Himoki was Satō's former high school classmate and buddy in the Literature Club. Both characters are very well written, adding an entirely different dimension to the show than Yamazaki. Beyond being Satō's counselor, Misaki is an incredibly tortured spirit with a very sad story behind her. Hitomi, lacking the interesting back story Misaki has, more than makes up for it with her enigmatic personality. I actually found Hitomi's sporadic appearances to be some of the best episodes of the show.
Satō and Misaki during a counseling session.
Ultimately, the characters are only as good as the story that they are trying to tell. Although difficult to explain, the story is at least very good if not great. The plot not only succeeds as a comedy, but also does a good job serving as a serious character study of modern life. There is a perfect balance of seriousness and comedy that enhances the message of the show. I really can't say enough about the story, it was incredibly well written.
With little knowledge of drawing and graphic design, I can at least say that I thought the style fit the show. The characters were well designed and had a very modern feel to them which fit well within the context of the show. On the other hand, I do have a decent amount of knowledge about music and I can say that the music that the producers picked really fit the show. One example is during the periods when Satō is “talking”about the NHK conspiracy. The music is pretty upbeat and really added to the ridiculous atmosphere created by Satō's imagination. Although much of the music was relatively similar in genre (mostly rock), there was enough variety so that the music did not sound the same.
NHK conspirators plotting against Satō.
Welcome to the NHK, although not the type of show I usually watch, was fantastic. The show excelled in almost every aspect and created a believable world that allowed the viewer to connect with the characters and the situations that they thrust themselves into. If you haven't seen this show you really should watch it; its definitely worth it. One word of caution though: the show can be very sexual.
- ABC
* Welcome to the NHK was produced by Gonzo and can be rented on DVD from Netflix.com
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