Running time: 24 minutes
Number of episodes: 24
Vintage: 2006-07-09 to 2006-12-17
Age rating: ???
Genres: Comedy, Psychological, Romance, Slice of Life
Animation Production: GONZO
Source: Anime News Network
Strange. Weird. Odd. Peculiar. These are words you’ll likely use to describe NHK ni Youkoso! (Welcome to the NHK!) when you first start watching it. It immediately takes you into the mind of Tatsuhiro Satou, a 22 year old hikikomori. Being a hikikomori Satou is self restrained and is not able to handle society. His anxiety locks him in his one-room apartment and he can’t leave without feeling remorse and pressure from the outside world. This condition forced him to drop out of college and live off allowance from his parents. This situation also makes him a NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) and thus his life revolves around him and the things in his room. His TV, computer, and air conditioner are the only things that allow him to live a comfortable life in seclusion.
To top things off, Satou believes there’s a large conspiracy of epic proportions behind all of his mishaps in life. He calls the sinister secret organization after him the N.H.K., Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai, or “The Japanese Hikikomori Association.” (It’s pretty obvious this is a parody of the Japanese TV station N.H.K. for mass producing otaku’s) Thanks to this he’s conflicted and confused in his head which leads him to sleep 16 hours a day at irregular hours. All of this is happens while in total isolation from the rest of the world. There’s no doubt you’ll quickly agree that something isn’t right about Satou and his behavior, yet you may find similarities between yourself and Satou.
One day a cute high school girl arrives at his door accompanied by an older woman. The woman seems to do soliciting from neighbors to become aware of social problems and join some kind of religious group. The woman tries to get Satou interested in a booklet that has an article on the very problem he is experiencing. He quickly denies being a hikikomori or a NEET, but reflexively blurts out the truth in the process. Surprisingly, the cute girl just smiles at him. His hikikomori state of mind throws him into a turmoil of confusion and he decides he’s going to try to get a job. He thinks the neighborhood is aware of his situation, so getting a job and going to work for a while should be able to fool them. Shaved, clean cut, bathed, and armed with his resume, he sets off to a nearby manga cafe called Comic Break that is looking for part-time employees. Shockingly, he meets the same cute girl he met before at the shop and finds out she’s working there. He instantly gets nervous the moment he makes eye contact and makes a quick attempt to leave the shop. In the process of leaving he drops his resume on the floor.
Back at his apartment Satou is even more troubled and burdened by his luck of meeting the one girl that exemplified the type of person he wanted to fool by getting the job in the first place. After a while Satou hears the doorbell ring again but this time he doesn’t answer. When he finally decides to look through his door’s peek hole he notices the girl from the shop showed up at his apartment. She dropped off his resume with a note on the back that said to meet her at a park by 9PM that night. Satou always goes to that park to relax because its the only place besides his apartment where he can be alone and think. He has trouble deciding if he’s going to go to the park or not, since he would of gone whether or not he got the invitation, but he eventually ends up at the park anyway. Surely enough, the girl is there and she welcomes Satou into her project that she assures him will cure his hikikomori way of life.
From here on the project to cure Satou begins, for better or for worse. The adventures and misadventures of Satou, Misaki, and a few other characters have many interesting developments. Although the show alludes to being about hikikomori and NEET’s, it will soon introduce new characters and new social problems. Everyone in this show has some kind of issue and it’s explored in interesting ways. The journey is long but hard earned, and many surprises are sure to be revealed.
Watching NHK ni Youkoso! is undoubtedly a unique and refreshing experience. Many of us who enjoy anime can admit to being a little secluded at times, and some of us are also on the extreme of being real hikikomori. To keep up with most of the anime that is pumped out of Japan we need a lot of free time. I’ve had the experience of being a NEET and staying at home for months, which has lead to the creation of this blog. This is one of the reasons I instantly related to this show. Those of you who live more vivid and social lives and watch anime more casually may not notice anything that will grab your attention at first, but later on there’s plenty of diversified content you may find interesting.
The very core of NHK ni Youkoso! is all about troubled youth and their perception of the world. The most enjoyable aspect of it is seeing how these problem ridden people cope with each other and the rest of society. Because of their similarities you’ll find the characters form special bonds within their small circle of friends, and in a special case this allows for the strongest human emotion to flourish. Watching everything unfold in NHK ni Youkoso! is most of the fun, so I don’t want to give away too much, but I’m sure you’ll eventually agree that NHK ni Youkoso! is an interesting concept that hides a very special romance story. The real cure to a hikikomori state is found somewhere between these very strong feelings the characters develop. In retrospect, this show serves as a good lesson to us all who suffer from some kind of social anxiety.
Unfortunately, I did not find the conclusion to the show to be fulfilling enough, especially after such a grand beginning. However, if there is ever a case where the journey is better than the destination, this is one such example. I really enjoyed the story and how most of it unfolds, especially since I could find some way to relate to many of the characters’ troubles. Too bad it gets derailed several times, but at least it doesn’t lose its quality of storytelling. If you’re a passionate anime fan who’s had your share of lonely time, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. I wholeheartedly enjoyed it and you should too.
Thanks Zaitou for the recommendation; you’re spot on as always!
Opening:
Ending:
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