Welcome to the NHK Review
I was able to finish Welcome to the NHK, a show adapted from Tatsuhiko Takimoto's original manga. This is a famously depressing show, one that touches on the hikikomori phenomenon in Japan. Hikikomori are people who isolate themselves from social contact and generally seek confinement within their homes or apartments for extended periods of time, ranging from months to years. The protagonist of the show, Tatsuhiro Sato, is a hikikomori whose depiction is from the start negative. He's first presented in his room, which is strewn with clothes, empty bottles, alcohol, and magazines. We find out that his condition is a result of his crippling fear of being perceived as lesser by others and that he goes to comical lengths to show others that he is either not a hikikomori or that he does not need help. The story ultimately surrounds Sato and how that mentality shifts over time.
Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of the story is how it addresses being an otaku so unappealingly. Many anime that have come out are designed to appeal to a nerdy demographic, featuring concepts from video games and and fantasy. A common trope that's seen in these kinds of shows is that the protagonist is nerdy as well, but depicted in a positive light, which allows the intended demographic to relate to the main character. Welcome to the NHK is up-front with the protagonist's fears, lies, and lack of accountability.
What's also an interesting creative decision is the fact that the protagonist has support structures throughout the show and a relatively stable allowance. In short, he does not struggle to live his day-to-day life, wants to integrate into society more and more throughout the show, and has friends who push him to leave his room, yet doesn't push himself to leave the hikikomori lifestyle until the end of the series. What forces Sato to do so is the loss of his allowance upon his father's poor health. Because he has no income to buy food, Sato is forced to start working to make ends meet, and thus is "freed" from hikikomori living. This touches on one aspect of hikikomori living that is common among many: their families are financially stable enough that they can support the hikikomori. I remember watching a documentary concerning the hikikomori phenomenon that featured an interview with hikikomori who had gathered with one interviewer. When the interviewer asked how they enjoyed living as hikikomori, one said "It's the best!" They described how their parents were able to provide for them and buy them the latest games. In short, they had no reason to move out or change because they were provided for. We see Sato move out because there is a significant event that forces him to abandon his hikikomori lifestyle.
All of the side characters that Sato relies on are troubled in some way or another, whether it be through the conflict of personal desires versus familial expectations, loneliness, depression, or delusion. In the end of the story, character roles are reversed, as Sato has to convince a suicidal character who has helped him adjust to society that her life is worth living. Personally, I believe the author was trying to bring light to the fact that living and interacting with others is deeply challenging. Everybody is dealt different hands with certain weaknesses, and the social divide that hikikomori experience may alienate them from that common human truth.
Welcome to the NHK is a sad show to watch. A sub-plot of the show surrounds characters who have resolved to commit group suicide, and near the end of the show, we witness Sato's closest friend move away. However, the author's intent was to give some insight into why we make the conscious or unconscious decision to continue living despite our suffering. Tatsuhiko Takimoto wrote Welcome to the NHK to push him out of his comfort zone, being a hikikomori himself. I've seen many who could relate to this story, as it's been likened to Catcher in the Rye, which features the protagonist's alienation from others on the basis of his disgust for society.
Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of the story is how it addresses being an otaku so unappealingly. Many anime that have come out are designed to appeal to a nerdy demographic, featuring concepts from video games and and fantasy. A common trope that's seen in these kinds of shows is that the protagonist is nerdy as well, but depicted in a positive light, which allows the intended demographic to relate to the main character. Welcome to the NHK is up-front with the protagonist's fears, lies, and lack of accountability.
What's also an interesting creative decision is the fact that the protagonist has support structures throughout the show and a relatively stable allowance. In short, he does not struggle to live his day-to-day life, wants to integrate into society more and more throughout the show, and has friends who push him to leave his room, yet doesn't push himself to leave the hikikomori lifestyle until the end of the series. What forces Sato to do so is the loss of his allowance upon his father's poor health. Because he has no income to buy food, Sato is forced to start working to make ends meet, and thus is "freed" from hikikomori living. This touches on one aspect of hikikomori living that is common among many: their families are financially stable enough that they can support the hikikomori. I remember watching a documentary concerning the hikikomori phenomenon that featured an interview with hikikomori who had gathered with one interviewer. When the interviewer asked how they enjoyed living as hikikomori, one said "It's the best!" They described how their parents were able to provide for them and buy them the latest games. In short, they had no reason to move out or change because they were provided for. We see Sato move out because there is a significant event that forces him to abandon his hikikomori lifestyle.
All of the side characters that Sato relies on are troubled in some way or another, whether it be through the conflict of personal desires versus familial expectations, loneliness, depression, or delusion. In the end of the story, character roles are reversed, as Sato has to convince a suicidal character who has helped him adjust to society that her life is worth living. Personally, I believe the author was trying to bring light to the fact that living and interacting with others is deeply challenging. Everybody is dealt different hands with certain weaknesses, and the social divide that hikikomori experience may alienate them from that common human truth.
Welcome to the NHK is a sad show to watch. A sub-plot of the show surrounds characters who have resolved to commit group suicide, and near the end of the show, we witness Sato's closest friend move away. However, the author's intent was to give some insight into why we make the conscious or unconscious decision to continue living despite our suffering. Tatsuhiko Takimoto wrote Welcome to the NHK to push him out of his comfort zone, being a hikikomori himself. I've seen many who could relate to this story, as it's been likened to Catcher in the Rye, which features the protagonist's alienation from others on the basis of his disgust for society.
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