Review: Welcome to the NHK

It’s always an interesting thing to watch when the anime and manga industry abandons their normal wild world of superpowered warriors, giant robots and magical girls and instead focus on the real world. While part of anime’s  appeal has always undoubtedly been its escapism, over the years we’ve seen various shows turn their gaze upon real world social, political and psychological issues, with varying degrees of success. Welcome to the N.H.K. is definitely one of the more successful examples of recent years, dealing as it does with a social phenomenon that has become a growing concern in Japan in recent years.

The phenomenon in question is the idea of the hikikomori, people who shut themselves away from society, refusing to go out, speak to other people or take any part in active life at all. Our main character Satou is such a fellow, a recluse of several years who fears the outside world and spends most of his day sleeping. In his waking hours he has mad delusions of a conspiracy organised by the titular NHK. This bizarre lifestyle is shattered one day by the appearance of a mysterious girl named Misaki. She offers him a deal – sign a contract with him and she can ‘cure’ him of his tendencies and reintegrate him into the everyday world.

Thus starts a twisted rollercoaster ride through Satou’s increasingly bizarre life, one full of otaku obsessions, difficult interpersonal relationships and worrying psychological issues. Make no mistake – this is a very dark show, one that’s unafraid to shine a light into the darker corners of otaku culture. It can occasionally make for disturbing viewing, and it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, but there’s an interesting surprise to be had beneath all of this serious subtext, and that is, at heart, Welcome to the NHK is in fact, a comedy.

Granted, this is the blackest of black comedies, but there’s a razor-sharp playfulness to the script and setup, and it’s able to draw the funny out of even the most desperate situations. A large part of this is due to some excellent handling on the character side – Sato may be a lonely, desperate and slightly – scratch that, very – obsessive protagonist, but he also reveals a much gentler, more human side that allows us to relate to him as more than just a hopeless nerd. Likewise, his friends Yamazaki and Kashiwa, who show up further into the story, are similarly portrayed as people who have problems but are fundamentally good underneath it all, and are just trying to find a way to cope with. This even handedness is one of the show’s greatest strengths – it accepts that its nominal heroes can be rather pathetic people, but it also reminds us that nobody is this way by choice. Even Satou’s supposed saviour Misaki is revealed to be both considerably more and considerably less than she initially appears, and the development of her relationship with Satou becomes one of the shows strongest plotlines.  The transition between comedy and seriousness can sometimes be a little jarring, and as said before your definition of comedy will certainly have to be pretty robust, but there’s plenty to enjoy in the more gentle romantic moments and silly, funny hallucinations as well as the sharper social satire.

Technically however, the show is a bit of a disappointment. Gonzo’s animation work is competent, and the show never becomes what you’d describe as bad looking, but there’s a noticeable roughness and lack of fluidity to much of the animation, as well as several noticeable off model moments.  MVM’s release is a solid one, although it has no extras apart from clean openings and closings and the existing English dub by ADV. It’s a solid effort, with a smart translation that walks a good line between streamlining some of the heavy Japanese jargon and leaving the meaning intact. The dub cast are mostly decent, although there aren’t really any standout performances and Stephanie Wittles sounds a little miscast as Misaki. This is definitely one I tend to prefer the original Japanese audio. For those fans coming from the original light novel, it’s also worth pointing out the anime trims, rearranges and sometimes outright cuts a good deal of the book, particularly the ultra-controversial lolita aspects.

Overall then, Welcome to the N.H.K. is a very unique series, one that feels a little hard to place. It’s definitely not for everyone – some may feel it’s simply too dark, others may find it difficult to relate to the characters and yet more may be turned off by the whole concept of a show which delves into the ideas that NHK does. But there’s also a smart, sometimes very funny and heartfelt show inside, which also doubles as a meaningful commentary and satire on the state of youth in Japan, and the often obsessive traits of anime and manga fans. It deserves praise for the bravery with which it tackles these difficult subjects, and the success it has at humanising those who have placed themselves outside of society.

Ratings
Story
An interesting, often clever, satire with plenty of dark humour and insight
Animation
Disappointingly patchy, and lacks flair even when competent
Audio
Strong music and songs, but dub is only average at best
Extras
Clean openings and closings only
Overall
Certainly not for everyone, but a unique show that some will love