Welcome to the N.H.K! is definitely one of the most unique and depressing anime I've watched thus far and I found myself laughing hard every time the MC made a fool out of himself but this show had the capability to even change that laughter to depression in a blink of an eye. But even with all the tragedy, drama and comedy this show had to offer, it was a definite roller coaster of emotions and although it was not perfect it still definitely deserves a spot on my top five favorite anime of all time!
Story
This anime has the most fascinating story I have ever seen thus far and the way it symbolizes everyday life problems is amazing and really well-done. Also, the fact that it is such a realistic and hard story with no taboos for any perverted thoughts makes it difficult for a lot of people to watch because most of them don’t expect such things in an animated series and I want to say this to a lot of people who don't watch an anime of this genre "You have no right to judge it!" As it is just the same as a lot of people don’t like shoujo, so they don't watch it and then give it a 1 or something on MAL. Now for the actual story-line, Satou Tatsuhiro, 22 years old, thinks that everything that happens around him is a conspiracy. He even figured out who is behind it all: The NHK, an evil secret company. But in reality, he is nothing more than a NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), also desperately in need of a cure from that "disease." He wants to break out from the curse, but going out and getting a job is frightening enough for him. That is until he gets selected for a "project"; which is a plan to help a hikikomori like him in facing the reality of this world.
Characters
The characters were very well-designed and although I have never actually met a hikikomori, I would guess that their personalities and lifestyle are fairly depicted. Let's go into specific details, Satou Tatsuhiro, is your “typical” conspiracy nut shut-in. While his hikikomori lifestyle doesn’t seem to be as severe as some other people’s, it is bad enough to keep him from functioning as a part of society and most of his ventures to the outside world seem to end with him becoming completely scared and freaked out. Then our female lead, Nakahara Misaki, who I also find to be the most notable character in this series. Also, She remains a mystery for almost the entire series and refuses to reveal any personal details about herself to Satou. Even when asked directly, she makes up obvious lies in order to avoid divulging anything personal. Her actions leave the viewer wondering and guessing and although that becomes somewhat annoying at times it contributes to the story coming together quite well in the end. Then our MC’s only male friend, Yamazaki Kaoru, who is your typical anime/hentai/game otaku. He is obsessed with all sorts of things and the most notable of which happens to be echii games. He is very passionate about his obsessions and becomes easily enraged by the smallest things especially if they have any relevance to his obsessions. Needless to say, he is an amusing character to watch. And at last is our MC’s upperclassman, Kashiwa Hitomi, who is also a complete conspiracy nut like Satou. She seems depressed most of the time and even sees being happy as a sign that she is playing into the conspiracies and though she is a supporting character in the series, she still plays an important role in the development of the story.
Animation and Sound
The animation and artwork was good and the one thing that I really loved about it was how they used dark hair colors for the main characters in the art. As only that simple choice really added more realism to the show and it was always refreshing to see the anime not using bright hair colors for the main characters. Though there were some noticeable flaws, as there were times when the characters were drawn kinda weirdly and slightly looked different. Also, I think that Satou looked a little too old for a 22-year-old sometimes and I understand that he isn't really living a very healthy lifestyle but I just think they overdid it a little.
For the sound, I really loved all the OP's and ED's they used in this anime because they fitted really well with the overall concept of the anime and were really amazing. Also, The OP, "Puzzle", had a soft and happy feeling that kind of reflected the comedy and romance in the series and the first ED, "Odoru Akachan Ningen", was rock song with an intentional out-of-tune sound and this song really went well with the crazy psychological aspect of the anime. Then there is one particular song in this anime that I just have to mention is the "Purupurupururin" song. This song is extremely annoying in the beginning but after hearing it several times it is actually quite catchy.
Enjoyment
It was simple but very capturing. It got my attention through-out the whole 24 episodes and there was a lot more to it than what you would find at a first glance in this anime. Also, it was pretty interesting to see how Satou would overcome the problems he faced! So, this anime was pleasing in every way possible and I enjoyed it, PERIOD.
Overall, Welcome to the N.H.K! is really an anime of its own, with nothing to compare it against. This anime is able to realistically show many different problems that the Japanese society is facing with and in the process make you laugh whilst keeping you intrigued throughout. Yet due to the unfamiliarity of this anime, not all anime fans will be able to get into it. So, if you want to find out what it means to be a hikikomori, check this out.
4 STAR ANIME.
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