Welcome to the N.H.K

Welcome to the NHK is a dark comedy/character drama that both satirizes and seriously examines the more problematic, unseemly side of otaku culture as well as a troubling trend in Japanese youth. Sato is a 22 year old NEET (no job, no work experience, a recluse) who has a serious phobia of the outside world and as shut himself inside his dank, cluttered apartment(paid for by his parents). He believes/fantasies the the cause of his problems is a massive, nation-wide conspiracy aimed at turning japanese youth in recluses so the media will turn a hefty profit. Enter Misaki, an odd teenage girl who knows an unusual amount about Sato's life and is determined to turn him back into a productive member of society, although Misaki herself as quite a few issues of her own. Sato is both helped(and hindered) by several acquaintances from his high school days;his next door neighbor/best friend who is a hardcore otaku and aspiring erotic game developer, and a successful,yet troubled career woman who has shares a strong, intimate connection with Sato. The series benefits greatly from its small cast, each main characters is given a great deal of screen time and development. I have heard some criticize Welcome to the NHK , claiming it is overtly mean spirited to it's characters. I strongly disagree, while its true that the show goes to some dark places and puts the cast through the wringer, it is also incredibly humane and sympathetic to its cast. If anything Welcome to the NHK is rarity in anime, it treats its characters very realistically, it doesn't sugarcoat their problems or suffering. It is this attention to realism that probably turns some viewers off, its true that I found several segments of the show(mainly near the end) rather depressing and dark, however these moments were not unwarranted. While the show does finds humor in it's deeply flawed characters, it is never feels exploitative and you really grow to care and relate to them, this being said it also treats the cast with respect that is lacking in most other anime that deal/use these themes. Welcome to the NHK, despite some minor flaws involving animation quality and borderline filler in several episodes, is a well written, character driven series that is at turns funny, powerful and melancholic.

Grade: A

Reviewed: episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.