Plot: Abbreviation for Nihon Hikikomori Kyonkai, the NHK is explained to be an organization whose sole purpose is to make people feel rejected, worthless, or something similar enough to make those people turn into hikikomoris, the japanese term for people who have shut themselves away from society, afraid to leave their homes. At least, that's what hikikomori Sato Tatsuhiro, the main character of 'Welcome to the NHK' believes this organization to be. However, after meeting a sweet, young girl named Misaki Nakahara,who approaches Sato with the desire to help cure him of his hikikomori status, Sato questions this girl, wondering if she really means to save him or if she has ulterior motives, and along the way, begins to find himself delving into various sub-cultures of Japan, ranging from the extreme otaku to online suicide to online gaming addictions, meeting old friends, who have their own problems along the way.
The plot generally centers around Sato and his struggle between maintaining his hikikomori life and finding a way out of it, wondering the purpose of his life, the paths he goes on, and the many mistakes he makes along the way. Sato makes so many mistakes, in fact, that initially it's really hard to relate to the character. He's loud, a liar, rude, stupid, and downright despicable at times, but as a viewer, the more you watch him, the more you begin to notice various little aspects of him and certain lines that may have come from your own mouth once or twice in the past. Because of this, you begin to see, it's not so much that it's hard to relate to him, but it can be hard to say "I am" or "I was like that guy", once filled with uncertainty and worry about your future or life in general.
That said, the series isn't entirely somberness and depression, there are plenty of hilarious moments as well, though a number of them resort to the 'awkward situation' gag, but it's never overdone too much. Only once did I truly facepalm and shook my head, knowing that it was all just going to end in some joke. Regardless, the series can be very funny. On a final note, Welcome to the NHK is best watched if you have or know someone who might have social problems, as it'll give at least a minor insight to the inner thoughts of the people associated with those problems.
Visuals: Gonzo entertainment has something of a record, with Gankutsuou and Romeo x Juliet both being amazing in their appearance, Welcome to the NHK has a very... normal look, though with random bursts of the bizarre. It's been said that Welcome to the NHK is like a spiritual successor to FLCL in it's bizarre and randomness and while there are a few moments of crazy sights, such as talking house appliances to online gaming, I don't see what people mean by that.
It could be the fact that the character's problems are exaggerated through certain hallucinations that aren't real or dream-like sequence and while these segments can be very funny, I never really got a 'FLCL' vibe from them, because with FLCL, the things that happen are meant to be what's actually happening, while in Welcome to the NHK, they're exaggerations within Sato's mind and aren't really happening.
Though the normal appearance throughout the show, it's not terrible for animation standards, save for several moments that happen throughout the show. Episode 19 in particular really seems like the animators didn't care too much, which is sad because it's a good episode altogether besides the visuals, which contain incredible amounts of QUALITY, if you catch my drift. But despite little lapses in visuals, the series looks good altogether.
Sound: On the voice-acting side, the characters are well represented in the sub, with Sato sounding legitimately crazy with his hikikomori status, yet down to earth when not in a panic attack, and meanwhile Misaki is one of the most sweet and delicate voices I've heard in a anime, like a angel that Sato thinks was sent from above. Hitomi's seiyuu is one of calm intelligence that after a second viewing, one could see the pain hidden underneath. Both Yamazaki's seiyuu and english voice actor are well presented as nerd-like, but devoted to the character's wild beliefs, which lead into the question of which is better? Dub or Sub?
Well, Misaki's japanese voice is so sweet and heavenly that the dub voice, while not bad at all, just can't compare. On the other side, Sato's dub voice has the benefit of changing pitch, sounding more like a individual with alot of problems, and his random outbursts during moments where the character gets excited, only makes the series more hilarious. Which is better though? For all intensive purposes, it's a anime about the various sub-cultures in Japan. That alone should give the japanese track a recommendation. Though, I do recommend after watching once as japanese to go back through in english.
Musically, the soundtrack is very simplistic, as JesuOtaku probably best put it, "very indie film" sounding, with light guitar, occasionally soft melodies and even a few vocal songs, all of which set the mood for the scene, sometimes a little goofy or bizarre, but the main melody is kind of depressing as uncontrollable events unfold before the characters. The opening and endings songs are well done, though the second ending song didn't capture my interest as much as the first, which, not only being a fun song, but contains bizarre lyrics that relate to the show, full of it's mental distructures.
Overall: Welcome to the NHK isn't so much just a series of events that humorously flows together, but a story about social inadequacy and the struggle in finding social acceptance as well as coping with the pains of life. It has something of a slow beginning but once a goal is set and the cliffhangers start rolling in, you'll watch and wonder, "Is this going to be a happy ending?" It's moving, thoughtful, dramatic for hilarious effect, but by the end, it gives a feeling of utter warmth. Though it can be weird to some, 'Welcome to the NHK' is best watched if you have or know someone who has such social problems depicted in this show, as it'll give at least a minor insight to the inner thoughts of the people associated with those problems, or if you're someone with such problems can see a story how anyone can rise up from their problems and achieve life.
modnaR's Psychology Lesson: As far as accuracy toward the hikikomori NEET phenomenon goes, I would have to say that this seems a pretty accurate representation. Japan, being the tiny island nation it is with its crowded streets being enough to warrant capsule hotels in major metropolitan areas, and the Eastern mentality of 'Make high scores in school and get a good job or you will bring dishonor to your family, so we're going to push you to the breaking point' mentality, it's no surprise that these people would be susceptible to simply giving up once they've failed at something they view as an inevitable failure. With this being the case, as with going to work and 'being cured' once one's line of dependency is taken away, this would suggest that it is a state of mind, rather than an actual psychological disease in this specific sense.
However, a Hikikorori obviously has a form of social anxiety disorder (sometimes linked with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, or schizophrenia); It is apparent that the main character has a form of schizophrenia due to his near constant hallucinations. The same could be said of his highschool friend. It is also obvious that they both have Paranoid Personality Disorder, as many who have this are conspiracy theorist (See: King of the Hill's Dale Gribble) The next most obvious bit is agoraphobia (a fear of going outside), which is often linked with social anxiety disorder. The last, most obvious disorder, includes various forms of depression due to the point of suicidal thoughts due to poor social skills due to social anxiety disorder.
In the US, most Otaku and those of you reading this may have some of these disorders. Granted, in the United States, competition to getting into college of some sort doesn't seem to be as competitive. Therefore, the chances of being a NEET are often replaced by college. Even so, from a professional point of view, if those of you reading this have any of these symptoms, go ahead and seek professional help. ^_^
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