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NHK ni Yokoso!
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Animation - 7.8 |
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Sound - 8.6 |
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Story - 8.8 |
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Character - 8.7 |
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Value - 8.6 |
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Enjoyment - 8.9 |
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Average - 8.5 |
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I think I'd like to start this review by recommending this to anyone that is looking for a break from all the supernatural, extraordinary and ironically typical anime series. "Welcome to the NHK" is the most realistic anime I have ever watched. No superpowers, no supernatural, only one super series ;).
To begin with, it is about a 22 year old guy named Sato Tatsuhiro who is a college drop out and has been a hikkikomori for 4 years (basically shut himself indoors and avoids physical contacts). One day he meets a girl named Nakahara Misaki when she and her aunt come knocking on his door to hand some kind of magazine. She then helps Sato cure him of his hikkikomori ways.
Sounds like your typical romance huh? While it does come into the anime, the series focuses more on the problems and bad habits of the hikkikomori ways on Sato's journey to recovery. It is a comedy to begin with that actually made me laugh out loud and kept a smile on my face throughout. Then it quickly develops into a drama dealing with such things like obessesion (in the form of MMORPG's and anime), depression, hikkikomori's in society and their ability to change. These topics are explored fairly indepth and analysed from the point of view of Sato. It's not over the top speeches or anything too subtle to notice, the anime presents these topics in a concise, bold manner. The anime mocks the otaku culture by having the main character get into anime and online gaming etc. all the while getting involved in the problem of ditching your real life for some fantasy. I won't lie though, episodes (roughly) 3-16 were quite depressing, but even then I couldn't help laugh (offline meeting). So if the show doesn't make you both smile and put on your pensive face, you'll have one or the other to compensate.
Since it is a slice of life/ comedy series I don't place too much value on the animation quality but for a 2006 it could be better. The sound on the otherhand was immaculate. I can recall that every scene had the music that give it that extra impact and the voice acting is done convincingly. Misaki's voice is very cute and imo the characters cry very loudly.
The small but special cast of characters are the driving force of this anime, as with most drama's. I was very convinced that these people could be anyone you'd meet if you lived in Tokyo, although if they were hikkikomori's you probably wouldnt see them... Anyways, the characters all seem like real people with their own complications, some more complicated than others, that make it an experience to watch how they deal with it.
This anime is one of a kind and it annoys me a bit that when I first heard about it I was reluctant to watch it and now here I am writing a review after watching it in one day. This anime perfectly hit the spot in what I was looking for. If you liked other series like Great Teacher Onizuka and Juuni Kokki, then I heartily welcome you to the NHK (XD man I'm so lame...)
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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greedy |
(2009-08-13 09:23:54) 2009-08-11 20:13:42 |
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| NHK is a classic comedy-drama that addresses the various social struggles and new age addictions that many of us today (young men in particular) deal with and many can even relate to.
Porn, Hentai, Get Rich Quick Schemes, Suicidal Tendencies, Online gaming, Conspiracy’s, Relationships and just being unemployed, paranoid and utterly withdrawn from society is basically what this anime explores in a very comical way.
I watched the original airings in 2006 but was anxious to see how the English dub would come out so now its all licensed it’s time for my review on it!
Animation
NHK is brought to you by the anime powerhouse GONZO yes gonzo the same company that brought you Full Metal Panic, Gantz, Last Exile and even Afro Samurai…err ok…so how come the animation in NHK seems to be on the cheapo side?
Opening and closing are quite creative and even though its not on the same level as other gonzo works its still nicely done with flashy colouring.
In regards’ to the general animation it just seems a bit sloppy but colourful.
Character designs seem quite simplistic and pale it just feels really dumbed down especially compared to Gonzo’s usual BIG EYED character designs. Background and scenery just seem bearable nothing special at all.
Sadly animation is definitely the lowest point for NHK, I guess Gonzo felt it didn’t need all the glitz and glamour for a comedy drama as apposed to something like hellsing, but I feel that they cut back a little too much…o well say-la-v.
Sound
Sound is quite good in all aspects, as mentioned I just recently watched the English dub for my second viewing and found it just as good as the Jap (which does not happen often) although I did notice the F word thrown into the English dub which was a exec decision I guess? Either way it’s all good here.
I quite like the opening theme…nice visuals too lol
Story
The story in NHK is a progressive journey through the many addictions picked up by our depressed/paranoid college dropout Sato. As you watch Sato delve into one addiction after another you get a first hand look at how many people use these things to escape from reality. Some of it is hilarious some of it is sad and some of it can be relatable to many people.
By the time you reach the end you can tell there is a message this series is trying to present to its viewer and I’m happy to say I found it to be a positive one. All The characters seem to have their own personal struggles which gives the story depth and realism. The best comedy drama’s are usually the ones people can relate to and the overall story comes across more like funny stories you hear about other people you don’t know.
It’s well written, well presented with tons of laughs. Decent ending too!
Character
I would say with all the characters (except misaki yawn) you have your good moments, Great moments and your annoying moments but really its all good because it flows well with the story.
The range of characters start out small but further in you meet more people with more problems and basically you just see their situations and decide if ya like them or not then and there.
I found Sato’s old classmate Hitomi to be frustrating but then again it turned out she was extremely paranoid so can I sympathise?…Nahhhh!
Enjoyment
I like Comedy and I like drama but not girly drama…NHK just had me in stitches’ most of the time and other times I just found myself saying yea I can relate to that. It was quite nostalgic VERY ENJOYABLE!
Value
If you like comedy-darmas with a Genshiken feel try this out it’s the kind of anime you might relate to or at the very least you can learn something about reclose people and how some people can get addicted to things easily without asking for help.
I loved it, it just seemed real to me, something I could relate to and it had some classic moments. Definitely adding it to my collection.
9/10 - if not for the Gonzo's lazy animation it would get a 9.5
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Imagine Genshiken but a real version of it, a more straight version and this is it. Though the NHK conspiracy may be out of it. The comedy part turns it from a real serious anime with a real problem into something else. I don't really fancy it.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Summoner |
(2008-10-03 08:05:10) 2008-10-03 07:30:12 |
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| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Self imposed isolation. Anime, eroge, mmorpg addictions. Solipsism. Existentialism. Suicide. Depression. Multi-level marketing schemes. Conspiracy phobia. Obsession. Those are the fields NHK ni Yokoso! tries and succeeds at covering.
Not only NHK is the best show I have seen in the past two years (and I watch at least one show a week), but it also has the most psychically warped cast of characters since Evangelion. And you bet, that's saying much. Anyway, this show is obviously intended for otaku and I discourage you to watch it if you are still not aware of what the therm eroge means. The story basically follows a life of a single otaku and his attempts to cure his "hikikomori" condition. Which means, he can't exit his house during the day, for he fears to have any contact with other people. However, thanks to a particular turn of events he manages to meet an otaku, whom he was friends with in the past (who, for the better, or worse, introduces him to the world of anime and moe) and also he meets a girl, who for seemingly no reason decides to cure him no matter what. It doesn't take too long to lose sight of who is the patient and who is the doctor though, as both the viewer and Satou himself soon realize that he might be the most mentally healthy individual out of the bunch. Add the fact that all of it is told in ironical, even sometimes sarcastic ways, and you have one hell of an anime. It's not as depressing as Neon Genesis Evangelion, but damn, when you think about it, world's an evil place after all.
NHK ni Yokoso! is a must watch for any otaku or person who has even the slightest interest in psychology. It's been awhile since I had a chance to satisfy my mental hunger so well.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| No matter how you look at it....this show isn't your average anime, with it's straight up, unapologetic, heterosexual, pervy/ecchi humor with an otaku twist. At it's foundation—though no one seems to want to say it—this show is about mental illnesses, namely paranoid schizophrenia, as well as sever cases of anxiety and depression. To be used as subject matter for an anime, the Japanese once again, have impressed me with their originality and expressive storytelling, they almost never cease to amaze me with their anime themes...such a story would never have been born here in the US. But despite the heavy subject matter, Welcome to the NHK is actually a funny show—it's just not knee-slappingly funny—at least not all the time. What I find funny is not really the mental illness part but the satirical analysis and social commentary this story makes about the otaku phenomenon. It pokes fun of the very industry it is inextricably a part of...not to mention all of anime and gamer fandom. As the viewer you are left with two choices: realize and identify with the protagonist of the series therefore become offended and reject the series or just laugh and roll with the punches.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Budding |
(2008-02-08 18:37:04) 2008-02-08 18:35:28 |
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| Average |
9.2 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Welcome to the NHK is a highly entertaining 24 episode comedy, spanning a wide range of genres. Released in 2006, Welcome to the NHK addresses a wide range of issues in society in a unique and interesting way.
The animation studio for Welcome to the NHK is Gonzo Digimation, and it is quite disappointing for a 2006 production. Although most scenes are sufficiently detailed, characters well designed, and animation smoothly executed; there are scenes in which the style of the animation becomes excessively distorted, the character details overly simplistic, and the animation ridiculously choppy. This would be fine if it fit in with the scene, but like many other Gonzo productions, it doesn't, making the anime disappointing to watch at times. Thankfully, Welcome to the NHK excels at a number of other areas.
The Japanese version of Welcome to the NHK features one of the sweetest sounding female leads ever. All the other characters sound convincing, but are dwarfed by the female protagonist. The songs in the anime complement their respective scenes very well, and one of the theme songs is amazing to listen to. Welcome to the NHK is impressive in terms of audio.
In terms of storyline, Welcome to the NHK is much more than just a comedy. Its setting is very realistic. The anime contains no 'miracles' or extraordinary events. The outcomes of almost every event is very feasible, and things turn out for the worse quite frequently. The storyline also covers a wide range of real world issues which may befall any of us. From the sentences above, Welcome to the NHK might sound like a real world drama, but this is where this anime stands out. Welcome to the NHK manages to show the problems it addresses in a humorous, yet fully believable way, making it an engaging and fascinating anime to watch. Although the ending of the anime could have been greatly improved, especially since it contradicts its character development, Welcome to the NHK has an excellent storyline which would appeal to a wide range of audiences.
The character development in Welcome to the NHK is slow, but solid. The personalities of the characters remain consistent throughout the anime, but their feelings towards one another do seem contradictory at the end. The actions of some characters, especially the main protagonist, can be exceptionally frustrating to watch. However, those actions appear believable thanks to the character development, unlike a number of other anime.
Welcome to the NHK is a hugely entertaining anime. Its most disappointing factor would be its animation, which occasionally degrades to an almost unacceptable state. Otherwise, Welcome to the NHK excels in almost every area, especially in its storyline and sound. I believe that it is an anime that will appeal to a broad audience, and will therefore recommend it to anyone who is interested in watching something worthwhile.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
5.8 |
| Animation |
4 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| After all the very good positive and not so positive reviews here I do not have to add anything more, so I'll just sum up my personal opinion.
Since this was nominated as one of the best (if not the best) anime series of 2006 I had to give it a look even if I am not so keen on recent titles.
Now for a 2006 anime , NHK is certainly good and deserves to be with the best titles of the year. But a good anime it is not.
I think it tries too hard to be innovative but unfortunately it fails in most aspects. Sometimes I felt it did not get the care it deserved by the producers and it could have been much more successful as a live-action series instead. Because of all the titles animation studio Gonzo was involved, this should be the one to have very good character animation if it was going to appeal to its genre.
Because bad animation takes almost everything away, even the very good effort of most of the voice actors. I really did not sympathize with any character, even during the dramatic moments. I thought I was watching an anime that was just lecturing me, without trying to convince me about the serious issue of isolation, obsession, unemployment etc. After all this is an anime so do not expect better analysis.
Another factor was the script that tried to be very complex but not all animes can be like Lain or Boogiepop Phantom. It was obvious in many scenes that it was a mess.
A pity really because criticizing among others the anime industry from within (to the context TV allows such kind of critique) would make NHK even more appealing but somewhere in the way the train got derailed.
A very nice concept though and I think that some years have to pass before the new anime titles combine innovation and quality and give the viewers something new to watch instead of the usual stuff. New and innovative genres sprout out and regarding that NHK leads the way, just animation (NHK is not an exception) needs to be improved.
In the meantime, if you are not interested in reading books relevant to the issue and just want to watch cartoons, Otaku no Video approaches the problem more successfully and it provides also better entertainment, the main reason most people watch anime anyway.
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1 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Avalanche |
(2007-09-19 07:21:49) 2007-09-19 06:54:23 |
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| Average |
6.7 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Hikikomori lit. "pulling away, being confined", i.e. "acute social withdrawal") is a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive individuals who have chosen to withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement due to various personal and social factors in their lives. The term hikikomori refers to both the sociological phenomenon in general as well as to individuals belonging to this societal group. - Taken from wikipedia.
Just in case you skipped those lines, read the above lines again. Okay then, now that you know what a hikikomori is, you now the central theme of Welcome to the N.H.K. It is the story about a hikikomori called Satou Tatsuhiro, a college drop out who has been living in his apartment for the past three years doing nothing but watching TV. A failure of a human being, he believes that there is an evil organization called the Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai who is responsible for his failures (deep down, he knows that nothing of this sort exists but he attributes all his failures to this organization just as escapism). Enter 18 year old Misaki-chan, a cute petite girl who offers to lead the hero to a normal life style once again. This process of salvation (or what she calls the "project") is what the series is all about - or so it seems at first sight.
However after the viewing of the first few episodes, the series is more about Satou becoming an eroge-otaku instead. Making a re-acquaintance with Yamazaki, his college junior (who is an aspiring anime creator), the series focuses less on Misaki and her project and more on Satou and Yamazaki instead. In between a fourth character that Satou refers to as senpai is also introduced. These four characters form the lead cast of the series. There are hints of a plot, with the main element being that the lead getting infatuated with Misaki (with Misaki reciprocating these feelings for Satou). And so the first 8-9 episodes pass by, all the progress leading to a possible romance. However due to a sudden plot twist, the series loses its fun nature and becomes slightly more serious. Episode 13 ends with an impressive build up and the lead characters' (Misaki, Satou, senpai etc) chinks are shown. For the first time in the series, it seems that the core issues will be handled head on. But our lead hero treads the path of more isolation. He turns into a game maniac, discovering the addictive world of MMORPGs. He then discovers Multi-level-marketing schemes and becomes entangled in their traps. All this time, the central theme of the "project" remains stagnant. Misaki is turned into a background Belldandy - she pretty much does and follows whatever Satou tells her to do without any significance. This includes her making him lunch as well *rolls his eyes* And considering the mess Yamazaki goes through due to our moronic hero - he looked to me like the prefect friend a guy could ask for.
Finally somewhere at episode 20, the writers suddenly are reminded of the fact that they have just 5 episodes left. The series then heads for the serious route once again - the senpai and Yamazaki are sidelined (which causes Satou to be even more isolated) and Misaki once again comes to the front. The project restarts, and Misaki's reason for inventing the project in the first place are revealed. The series then nicely wraps up its characters by the end. However I was left desiring for more. I hoped that the topic of "extreme degrees of isolation" be covered in more detail.
I'll give credit to the writer - the topic is superb and very complex. It can be used as precursor to showcase just how do the youth in society do go wrong. It should address the causes (both sociological and psychological causes) which leads the youth to seek such extreme isolation. However Welcome to the N.H.K does nothing of that sort, it acts more like an exaggerated version of a hikikmori trying to make us laugh. The only reason why Satou is shown to be such a recluse is that he is lazy (and fears that people are looking down upon him). The reality of the situation could be much more complex than this which could have been addressed. Many people on the net post that the felt disturbed by some of the themes of this series, since they are very easily identifiable in ourselves. Which IMO is a superb way of hitting the viewer's heart - but the way the series makes Satou an eroge-otaku, a MMORPG addict in such short duration’s waters down all these effects. The series tries to make the viewer laugh instead of making him frown. During episodes 14-19, the series feels like a parody instead of a dark-drama-comedy. This is not to say that the series is by bad, but I feel that such an issue could have been dealt with in a much more apt manner.
What are the good points of the series? For starters, I like the small character set. Of late, it has become quite fashionable in anime series to have character sets ballooning to the numbers like 20-30 (Mai Hime, FSN etc). However by having just four characters, the series allowed to give the characters lost of screen time. This was a welcome feature. I also really liked Misaki and Yamazaki - both the characters were much more believable and likeable than the other two. I found Misaki's back story to be a touching one and considered it as a rewarding point of the series. The senpai on the other hand was a silly girl, Satou was just a jerk (see the last 10 minutes of episode 24 and you will know what I mean). What even made his character worse was how little (yes, I wrote little) was done to make him become normal again. If all hikikmoris could be treated this way, I think this series itself would not have existed.
Some people have said that I looked at this series more from a dramatic perspective instead of a comedic one. While that is true, I still believe that Welcome to the N.H.K could have been a lot better than it already is. In the end, I would recommend this series to people who can enjoy a dark comedy and those who do NOT wish for dark dramatic content. This is not hard hitting stuff. You will have to look somewhere else if you desire dark dramas. I have heard that the original novel is much better and darker in its content indulging in more serious themes of drugs, rehab etc. Tokyopop has licensed it and rumors are that it will hit the shelves sometime late this year. I look forward to it.
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3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| NHK. The conspiracy we make up of, trapping ourselves in an endless cycle of negative thinking.
With Satou, his NHK is his uselessness. How everybody looks down on him, how nobody likes him, how everything he does is D-graded and terrible...
Though a lot of people aren't NEET (see anime reference), a majority of us have had similar experience, fearing how others perceive us and fearing being the least acknowledged. NHK is realistic. We root for Satou, feeling cheated for every near attempt he makes at climbing out of his horrible life. We don't sympathise with him, seeing how there're people helping him but he refuses to help himself. We want him to stand back up. We cry with him when circumstances change for the worse.
This is a moving and deep anime that depicts the life and inner world of a secluded person. On a larger scale, it criticises the problems of the society - of oppression from parents, of chains from the rules of the society, of the want of, yet aversion to social interaction.....
NHK is fun and serious. It's touching and thought-provoking. A must watch for fans searching for some better quality animes to watch. *thumb up*
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Sad yet it is intriguiingly delightful. It is thoughtful, but never too serious to turn its viewers off. This is a well balanced anime that plays off some well induced comedy plus serious real life matters. I throughly enjoyed every bit of it, although its pacing was a little bit slow and its animation quality dipped more often then it should have.
The best thing about this anime are the characters. You do not have to be a hikkikomori to totally understand this anime. As a college student who went through few similar experiences, I was able to feel the emotion behind the characters and their situations. and let me tell you it is quite powerful. The message behind the anime really did speak to me in some ways.
In general, this anime is really not about NHK at all. It is about a person's relationship between society, especially with other people. What if you have been abused when you were young? What if you totally lack self confidence? What if you just don't mix well with the people and they don't like you? This anime is about these whole bunch of people with lot of problems dealing with their skeletons in their lives and I think the work is well done throughout all the major characters. Every character in this anime turned out to be quite memorable. Even without really having a storyline that flows from point A to B, this anime manages to put together several story arcs to create a very decent;y organized anime based on themes.
Its real negative is the slow pacing and the animation quality. I've seen several Gonzo animes and they always impressed me with their animation qualities. this anime however suffers from drop in animation quality, which I really failed to understand because gonzo almost never fails to make a good looking product at least. Its slow pacing involving many characters also moves quite slowly. Satou's life circles around throughout the whole anime until the end. The middle episodes are used to develop other side characters. Having said that Masaki needed a lot more air time. She only begin to get some major attention at second to last episode which is a bit of shame because I think she is an interesting multi-layered character I would like to see. Also its ending ceratinly will not satisfy many viewers. It certainly didn't satisfy me. I wish the ending would've been a little bit more developed then where it just left off. I didn't really expect conclusion of the storyline, but at least I expected some thematic conclusion, which this anime attempts but fails.
Overall this anime is recommendable and will appeal strongly to may viewers who have a taste for watching thoughtful animes. It is a bit slow paced and thing do not develop quickly. However with a bit of patience and attentive watching I think this anime turned out quite pleasant for me. I'm sure it will for you too..
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
7.5 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Welcome to the NHK, an organization whose sole purpose is to make you miserable – or at least that’s what the main character, Satou Tatsuhiro thinks. Being a 22-year-old college dropout who is unemployed and unable to face crowds, Satou prefers to spend his time sleeping, drinking, smoking and eating in his room. His comfortable rut is disturbed when his neighbour, his old school chum, and the mysterious girl who’s trying to save him from himself barge into his life. When these four lost souls are thrown together it’s no holds barred; anything goes, and more often than not, they bring out the worst in each other.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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|
|
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| NHK ni Yokoso. What Words can describe such a Wonderful Anime? It's Wacky Yet Realistic. It Has Lots of Comedy Yet Can be Really Depressing. It's Full of Life & Colours Yet can be Dark & Gloomy as well. It's Definitely not Something one can possibly describe in Just 1 word... x)
To start off the review, the animation is Really Great. The Animation is Usually Pretty & Detailed, Sceneries Are Nice, & Character Designs are nice as well. But there are also sometimes, when the animation is slightly lousier? There were times when the art was simple and not as detailed. Did they do this on Purpose? Or maybe they were too lazy? Whatever the case was, I didn't really mind, cause the Animation was Great when it NEEDEd to be, in whichever situation there was.
The Sounds? Well, the OP theme Puzzle, was the song that captivated me and attracted me to this anime. I'm being bias just cause i Like Round Table feat. Nino. I like their sounds, so i can't help it. Though i didn't really enjoy the First Ending theme. It wasn't really my sorta music, but considering the themes of NHK ni Yokoso, i didn't mind it too much. The 2nd Ending theme was a much nicer sound. =) Mmm, The OSTs were good, & The Seiyuus Did a Really Great Job Too. Though there were times when i find myself getting goosebumps when i hear Satou screaming or crying. I dunno why, it just didn't really sound appropriate? but it didn't really matter too much.
Now the Story? NHK ni Yokoso's Storyline has GOT To be One of the Most Original Storylines around. NHK & the Conspiracies surrounding all the characters in the story. Even though the character's situations were very wacky, and most probably, not really the kind of lives we normal people can relate to. But then, we enter into the lives of these sad people. Why has Satou become a NEET? Why does he have these social problems? What's with all the Other Characters around him as well who seem JUST AS Depressing?! Meeting All sorts of other Characters, Anime Otakus, Erotic Gamers, Multi Level Marketing Business People, More Hikkikomori, & MANY OTHER SORT OF CharaCters that Each & Everyone has Problems?!
Yes, NHK ni Yokoso is a story that revolves around the life of Satou, and the people he interacts with, & we meet more and more people with problems. Money Problems, Love Problems, Personality Problems... It might seem that everyone's lives seem perfect & happy, but through Satou, we are able to venture deeper and see the challenges, burdens and problems that even the seemingly most happiest person in the world faces.
It started off with some Comedy, then gradually becoming Darker & More Depressing, but still retaining a certain balance of comedy & fun while going deeper into its climax. NHK ni Yokoso is also an interesting way to look into the culture of Japan. The entertainment such as the animes, erotic games, cosplays, maid cafes, summer & winter conventions. All Very Interesting... =)
The Characters were probably the main factors why this story turned out really well. =) Like i said, every character had their own unique personalities and problems, & throughout the story, we get to see the problems. & Despite NHK ni Yokoso being a Depressing anime as we venture into the depressing problems that the Japanese Culture face, it turned out to have a satisfying ending. =)
All these psychological problems that we see, though it looks sooo superficial and extreme for most of us normal people, but then, the way the problems and situations are explained, makes NHK ni Yokoso a REally Good anime. We can understand it, & think, Hey, maybe those people aren't too different from us after all? we all have sort of the same problems. =O
Yes. Need I Say More? This Anime has Lots of High Ups of Fun & Comedy, Yet a Lot of Down Lows & Depression & Problems. But with SO Much Contrast & a Good Balance of each side, NHK ni Yokoso turned out to be a REALLY GREAT WATCH & A REAL GEM~!
A DEFINITELY MUST WATCH Anime for those who wants some comedy & also, wants a look into the lives of peoples who have really big problems. There were times when i found myself shedding a tear or two. =O
Flaws? Are there any? mmm, some might probably hate the parts where the animation starts toning down. but don't worry, i can assure you the animation is GREAT when it reaches its climaxes, so the animation won't ruin the mood. =). and perhaps the fanservice? There are lots of ecchi contents in NHK ni Yokoso, so if you're not into the fanservice, you might not be too into those parts.
Although it's a Really Good Anime, I don't recommend this anime to those who can't stand people who have problems and fussing about them most of the time.
With a Great Balance of Comedy, Meanings, Problems, Characters & Twists. Unique & Wacky Yet Believable & Something you can Relate to at the same time. & Despite this anime containing Much Depression & Sadness, I'm Glad that Everything had Worked out in the end. That is Why, NHK ni Yokoso is a MUST WATCH~! =D
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CoachZ |
(2007-05-02 19:47:31) 2007-05-02 19:38:11 |
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| Average |
9.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Haven’t seen any anime for a long time. A friend of mine told me to watch this, as I almost didn’t even want bother with it. Why is it that whenever I seen anime these days, I always naturally think to myself what are the hidden messages behind the creator’s storyline. Well, the entire story does not only give their message, it pillages and reigns all over it. The protagonist is one of the biggest losers I have ever seen. The friends around him that he meets are no idealistic model citizens as well. It’s like whenever he meets anyone, old acquaintances or new ones, he seems to always go on a downward spiral. And to make matters worse, he would always never blame himself, but to an imaginary entity that his known to him as the NHK (Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai) is somehow all responsible for his misfortunes. It’s ironic and I guess convenient, since everything here that is mentioned from this anime is actually based on some serious issues or obsession of today’s Japanese society (or basically anywhere in some cases): the growing despairs of NEET, Otaku/galge/hentai life, suicide cults, multi-level marketing schemes, drug overuse, and Mmorpg addiction (“Ultimate Fantasy.” Come on, you know what they were really referring to :).
Hm, now on to the other stuff. Animation, the atmosphere of it was exactly what the story was going for. Music, such as during the story or the end credits, also did fit the mood throughout most of the episodes, not to mention the voices were generally fine for their role. I guess my only beef is that the upbeat music in the beginning is fairly misleading. Moreover, everything that they did from time to time, their pacing of the story often varied with their somewhat brief explanation of knowing what’s going on and everything that might happen next. And lastly, the blue demons and most of all imaginary talking furniture should’ve appeared less often as the hero was slowly improving his hikikomori condition up until the later part of the story. So, if you are going to watch this, make sure you are prepared to understand how and why these hardships are occurring more often. And most of all, what is the meaning of the character’s viewpoints on these popular trends, which are given as a way of binding themselves as their only dream, their only value or their only escape.
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andy |
(2007-05-21 23:08:29) 2007-05-01 15:33:58 |
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| NHK is all about failures. Every character in NHK is a loser in some way. Be it due to a psych ward level paranoia, socially unaccepted hobbies, neediness, or perhaps the character is perfectly competent, but due to unfortunate circumstances, they, like the rest of the cast, are stuck in a hole. At first NHK is a cute comedy in which a girl tries to save a guy who's secluded himself in his room, and can no longer function in society. The allowance reliant, defunct, Satou, gets himself involved with one socially unaccepted hobby/obsession after another, all in the name of finally putting an end to his scrubby ways. These scenarios are quite amusing at first, but gradually, the comedy becomes less obvious. It gets mixed in with suicide, depression and self hatred. Yet somehow, the characters' actions are so extreme and stupid, it's hard to tell if you're cringing or smiling while watching it. NHK will eventually fall into the depths of its depressing themes, with even the dark humor appearing only once in a blue moon.
NHK characters are difficult to relate to because of their craziness. I think we need not mention that they are not affected by anime cliche's. These characters have issues beyond what normal viewers can put themselves into. It's hard for normal viewers like us to put ourselves in Satou's place, and see ourselves remaining engulfed in Hikkikomoriness. Sometimes they'll do things, stupid things that most people could not imagine any normal human doing (Group suicides or something). When you do see them hurt themselves, or screw up their own lives with stupidity, while you may not have the slightest idea why the character would do something so foolish, it's hard not to feel sorry for them. All of the NHK characters are primarily sympathy magnets, but if you look not at their actions, and instead at their depression and the cause for it, it becomes clear that their emotions are quite human, and the sources of their depression are often relatable, even common.
The complete shift in tone of NHK's story is well paced, and it doesn't feel too sudden. There's a little bit of drama even in the first few episodes of NHK, but it meshes with the comedy, and it's not nearly as bleak as the last few episodes of NHK. By the end, NHK is almost completely about hopelessness. None of the characters can escape the ruts that they are stuck in, despite their efforts.
The love story evolves in the same way the mood of the story in NHK does. At first, Misaki seems more or less like a typical shounen romance female lead. She's good natured, cute, if slightly on the childish side, and for some inexplicable reason, she's attracted to the loser of losers that is our protagonist. And while his mind is often on a woman from his past, Misaki's innocent charm gets the better of Satou eventually. This typical love story takes a turn when you see that their love isn't the generic, pure, and selfless attraction you'd find in most anime. Romantic love between any of the characters, not simply Satou and Misaki, is dark and selfish. It's not sprung from a well of innocence, but instead, a well of loneliness. It's impure, founded on a need for attention, the need to be needed. One might consider this desperation, and not real love, but from whatever angle you approach it, the characters look love stricken in their perverse ways. If NHK is not the most unique love story I've seen in an anime, it is certainly one of the most well designed, and my personal favorite.
I'm quite fond of both the cheery and the glum sides of the story in NHK. The comedy can be pretty unique for anime, reminiscent of meet the parents, where a character will do something so embarrassing that you want to put your head in your hands and yell at them for how stupid they are, but at the same time, their misfortune is so ridiculous that it makes you want to laugh as well. The hopelessness depicted towards the end was like one bombshell after another, drawing my sympathies with every strike, as each character's life came to a crashing conclusion of loserness. All the characters were on the path of loserness to begin with, but they were trying their best to get off of it. The last few episodes is when each character's hopes falls through, and they all have to acknowledge that they have failed at everything important to them.
NHK is a great watch, but it spans several moods and genres so it's difficult to recommend it on a basis like "if you like romantic comedies, you should watch this." Yeah, NHK is a pretty interesting social issue based (Satou jumps from one bane of society to the next) romantic comedy, but if you're not into depressing things, or if you despise characters full of weaknesses and abnormalities, i would suggest you stay away.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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lauren. |
(2007-05-21 16:32:08) 2007-04-18 11:45:54 |
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Another favorite of mine from 2006, besides suzumiya haruhi.
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0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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|
|
| Average |
9.6 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| A very unusual anime that seems crazy at first, maybe in the vein of FLCL, but there's some method to it's madness.
The main character has been indoors so long he's hallucinating, and we slowly learn that he's withdrawn from society, dropped out of college and lives on his parent's income. The rest of the story is about him slowly coming out of that shell, making new friends, reconnecting with old ones, getting addicted to MMOs, finding a chick, but all in a very unconventional way.
There's a sense of humor and maturity to this story that makes is stand out from the crowd, and it's not a constant insult to your intelligence.
Highly recommended for the discerning viewer.
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| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| watched up to ep22 as fansub
Animation : Very good. Crisp details neat drawing lines, nice landscapes, very good color combination, characters' face are well drawn and offer a good variety of expressions. Animation is fluid and consistent.
Sound : Fair OP and ED. the soundtrack very much supports the anime and adds drama in a good measured way.
Story : another strong point. this story is not linear and offers an interesting balance between action and dialogue. it is both entertaining and credible. The way some psychological issues are displayed is very accurate and convincing.
Character : very strong performance from the characters whom for many of them, display a wide range of personal feelings and independant ways to act. they are deep and interesting to discover,e ven though they may seem bland at first sight.
Value : a high quality anime, but I haven't rewatched it yet. definitely deserves a slot in my collection.
Enjoyment is very fair. I got hooked at some time wand would watch a few eps in a row.
In sum up, this anime deserves a well earned seat in the top 50 imho. It even let me to ponder over some of my own experiences that have common traits with those of this anime.
Highly recommanded
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|
|
| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Welcome to the N.H.K. is a series illustrated by Yoshitoshi Abe, who also did Lain and Haibane Renmei. It addresses current socio-political issues in Japan, which can also be found in the world at large. Its message is (thinly) veiled behind comedy, so it is very easy to see this series as a message.
For more information, see the detailed review. The detailed review contains my personal opinions. There are no spoilers.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
|
| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Henry David Thoreau, a master craft in term of his words and lessons in life, once said, in quote:
"One cannot too soon forget his errors and misdemeanors. To dwell long upon them is to add to the offense. Repentance and sorrow can only be displaced by something better, which is as free and original as if they had not been."
Thoreau, among many frequently cited quotationists, have taken lessons they have learned and applied it for people to keep trying and vying for the happiness embodied in life and what it has to offer.
Yet, it's not common to find a bright eyed optimist in all of us, far from it actually. We have succinct failures, some of which pending that we fall down and we can't get back up as readily. There are also times that we may never want to get up, grow, change, for the fear of failure in whatever we attempt. In that mode, as Thoreau's quotation expands, people often seek other means, some in the mode of indulgences, to elude situations involving failure and personal pain. Yet, there's a point where pleasure seeking can turn into obsession, and delude the meaning which life truly has. By the time it's realized, that light may already be occluded. As for the opportunity? Dismissed.
Welcome to the NHK! is a unique series that makes these ideals quite succinct, with actually a lesson to be told without sounding overly cheesy. It blends standard brands of humor and slice of life circumstance to start with psychological pretenses, some of which are downright painful to watch. This also serves as one of the few anime series to delve into the life of an otaku (a la Genshiken, but with heavier undertones).
The series begins with an interesting premise: depicting the story of 22-year old Satou Tasuhiro, a college dropout who resides in seculsion in the heart of Japan. He's otherwise known as a "hikkomori", a social recluse, living inside of his apartment, sleeping most of the day and keeping to himself in terms of his activities. It's not until he meets a young lady named Misaki, by means of a door-to-door encounter, that his ideals and world are turned right-side up, as she proposes to help him out of his reclusive lifestyle, without giving any succinct reason to start. Add to the cast of characters an anime/ero-game otaku (Yamazaki) and a sempai who seems to think the world revolves around conspiracies (Hitomi-san), and you have the seemingly ideal and funny cast, though distinctly disfunctional as the series brings to light, of Welcome to the NHK.
This series in its aftermath, comes across as an unlikely classic, delving into a realm that few anime series dare to venture. There have been many series to delve into the psychological underpinnings of human nature (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Paranoia Agent, Serial Experiments Lain), but few have told it in such potent realistic terms. For the series aformentioned, each has had the characters placed in extraordinary circumstances or have had exaggerated tones about them that play with the viewer's psyche. Yet, with this series, it's the reverse: showing psyches within the characters, especially Satou, as he finds himself indulging in a life within a protective bubble...until he learns the reality of his indulgences and where they will lead him.
There are a few problems with NHK: one is that it can be duly paced at times. Another is that the characters aren't your heartwarming, charming sort: at times, they are hilarious when caught in the cliches they are depicted within (Yamazaki and his obsession with Pururin XD) while in others, they are sometimes downright depressing to watch. Among the serious themes this series has to depict: depression, suicide, mental and physical abuse, social phobia. Yet, Welcome to the NHK has a unique blend of comedy and romantic pretenses to satisate those who may want more heart to the characters than dysfunction.
Animation is decent for contemporary standards, the soundtrack has a interesting range of appeal to audiences, and the story and characters are carefully crafted and executed well on most points. All in all, I thought that this was a brilliant series, definitely one within my top 10-15 anime series to date.
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4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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nauXolo |
(2007-05-13 11:42:45) 2007-01-27 14:29:51 |
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Edit: I lowered the value from 9 to 7. I re-watched a few episodes and was horribly bored by it. Not much of a re-watch value if you already know what is going on. Anyway, I still like the concept of this anime, but it isn't as impressive the second time through.
With no restraint, I declare ‘Welcome to the NHK!’ a revolutionary masterpiece. From the point of view of someone who has gone through transitions in life similar to that portrayed through Tatsuhiro (the main character), Welcome to the NHK! (hereafter referred to as 'NHK') successfully and succinctly portrays the bleak life of those afraid of becoming part of society. In the beginning, Tatsuhiro starts out as someone who never left his room. He is a college-drop out, who has no motivation to work. As a series of events follow, Tatsuhiro begins to transition through a variety of unhealthy obsessions that wastefully fill up his time – including his obsession with eroge and porn, to his mishaps with MMORPGs and the online life, to get rich quick schemes, and so on. As NHK dramatically and ingeniously unfolds Tatsuhiro's story, the audience is inadvertently drawn into the momentum of things. NHK is wonderful because it isn't afraid of presenting the true pitifulness of the hikikomori way of life.
NHK is a masterpiece in the sense that it manages to both jovially entertain, yet hit upon the most sensitive fiber in our bodies. NHK is a no-holds-barred fictional account of how the lives of those who run away from society are so grim. Throughout the series, the recurrent theme of 'running away' and blaming everything on some all-encompassing 'conspiracy' serves to enhance the paranoia and the pessimistic way of thoughts of those living in the bottom of Japanese society. NHK makes quite a few valid points about life, including the fact that those who can live as hikkikomori are actually those who are lucky enough to have others support them. It makes the effort to say that 1) you may not be alone 2) the loved ones around you are suffering because of your way of life and 3) there are people out there worse than you are. Another common theme in NHK regards human nature – humans always want to find someone lower than themselves to make themselves better. Anyway, my point is that NHK is not some passive crap. It attempts to make a point, and follows consistently with this way of thought.
The strength of the character cast lies in the realism of their suffering, as well as the grandeur of their illusions. Each of the four main characters all have some combinations of societal fears - whether it is fear of people looking down on you, fear of losing control of your life, fear of not being wanted, fear of believing in yourself, the list is endless. Yet, throughout NHK's grim tales of these people's lives, there always seem to lay some hope at the end of the rainbow. While we watch the depressing tales unfold, as we cringe as Tatsuhiro's room gradually increases with cup ramen trash, as we become surprised at the lewdity of Tatsuhiro's fantasies, as we gape in shocked horror as Tatsuhiro runs away from perfectly good situations due to fear... there just lies some hope that things will improve. NHK hooks the audience in, because deep within the audience's heart there lays a silent urging hope that things will turn for the better.
NHK's story script is wonderfully well written. Like I mentioned before, it is shockingly realistic and, at many points, pessimistic. As Yamazaki (Tatsuhiro's next door old high school friend) rattles off about how hoping that one's own life is like TV dramas is exactly the escapism that Tatsuhiro is trying to achieve, that the fact that Tatsuhiro hopes that some "life changing event will just come and makes things better for him" is mere disillusion and that life is not so convenient, the audience can't help but to look upon his or her own life in the same respect. In other words, NHK is so captivating because the characters are in a sense the audience.
To put more bluntly, NHK makes fun of itself. It itself is a dramaticized account of the exact subject material it is talking about. The way NHK's characters and stories are written are in fact criticized within the anime itself. Of course, unless one is truly immersed within this 'running-away' world, one can notice that NHK's characters are in fact the audience. In a sense, by poking fun at itself, it is poking fun of us. Nevertheless, the audience does not feel insulted because the only way NHK's writers are able to write such a poignant account of our lives, is because they themselves must understand what it is like to be.
Enough of the analysis - what about all that other stuff? Well, NHK is just amazing. It is depressing, yet it rings truth. The production quality is top notch. The music is superb. The characters feel so human. But... the romance sucks. Yeah, yeah, big deal. This isn't a romance anime, anyway. Anyway, I'm done. Watch NHK. If you watch a lot of anime, or used to/now play MMORPGs, It'll make you re-think your life. (MMORPG people: Episode 15-16, folks).
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