posts tagged “Welcome to the NHK!”
[Anime Reviews]
15 Aug 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Welcome to the NHK!]
I know it's not been long since I last blogged this and there are other series that haven't been updated in ages but after the ending of ep #4 I just couldn't resist...it turns out that this instalment is the most enjoyable since the opener all those weeks ago.
After a short flashback scene that makes great use of simple dialogue and subtle metaphors (check out the boiling kettle!), we see the meeting between Satou and his former sempai from high school. After all the peurile humour, parodies and 'craziness', one of my favourite moments of the series so far is that of a touching and bittersweet conversation between two old friends. Let's put that down to old age, shall we? ;)
Joking aside, I really loved this scene. Both seem to be unaware of the gravity of their respective problems: Satou is still proud of being a hikikomori, while Sempai makes no secret of her addiction to prescription meds. All this in a few well-directed minutes that show what is supposed to be a happy occasion in which they reminisce about old times - it all comes across as being so sad and tragic for the both of them.
No doubt spurred on by seeing her again, Satou realises that he must get out of his rut, and soon: he swallows what little pride he has and finally asks for Misaki's help.
This part of the episode pushes the story back into comedy territory, albeit more tasteful and clever comedy than eps 2-4 have shown (note the cover of the Freud book for instance). Satou may be acting a little cruel towards her but what are her real intentions? It's still a mystery. Unfortunately it all begins to come undone when Satou disregards the value of her help and makes another ill-fated attempt at helping himself. The simple fact is, right now he can't. He never learns, does he?
All in all this was a great return to form: there's a healthier balance of comedy and drama, the artwork seems to be back to normal (explanations to last time's abberation are welcome) and the story shows all the depth and promise it had at the beginning. I was a little frustrated at Satou's behaviour and the series' habit of posing more questions than answers but if it carries on like this in future this could be a really good 'un after all.
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[Anime Reviews]
13 Aug 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Welcome to the NHK!]
Not much in the way of the story progression that I was hoping for this time around, although there's a great cliffhanger at the end that should liven things up next time. Anyway, episode 4...
I'll admit straight out that the animation sucked. I'm no graphical artist (hence why I write stuff) but it didn't even look like the product of the same studio...or the same decade. Things like the furniture and backgrounds were as good as always but the character designs?! I've seen more consistent and well-proportioned animation in
Robotech, which uses footage from the 1980s! Dreadful, absolutely dreadful.
That aside, this was an amusing and educational glimpse into otaku culture with a visit to a maid cafe and the local shopping district in which Yamazaki coerces Satou into leaving both of their respective flats and do some research for the dating sim they're working on. Satou's lack of knowledge is clear so Yamazaki tries to give him some inspiration...with outrageously comical results.
Any anime fan who says they wouldn't feel even a passing interest in the places shown here is lying. Wall-to-wall shelves piled high with comics, DVDs, book and figurines...it was almost enough to detract from the woeful artwork! What it conveyed most effectively was the dizzying array of stereotypes, archetypes and all other types of otaku cliches. One more episode of this and the joke will get stale but it filled the time nicely - Yamazaki's over-the-top behaviour and the ever-great soundtrack keeping the scenes rolling along.
Apart from the surprise in the closing seconds Satou's experiences are straining his already tenuous grip on reality, which is the most interesting thing that happens in this episode. Not the most impressive by a long shot but it promises much with the arrival of episode #5.
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[Anime Reviews]
08 Aug 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Welcome to the NHK!]
Poor old Satou plunges deeper into the isolated world of the hikikomori as Yamazaki's attempt at help backfires. Is he already beyond salvation...?
In a similar way to
Beavis and Butthead this series makes no secret of poking fun at the stereotypes of its target audience: like the two couch potatoes who stood for the worst of the MTV generation,
Welcome to the NHK paints a painfully funny but undeniably seedy picture of the strange little subculture. As he tries to get to grips with the idea of the bishoujo dating sim, it comes as no surprise that his limited experience with real-life females puts him at a disadvantage; it wouldn't be so bad if he didn't get so carried away in the act of 'research'...
At times I was laughing out loud while at others I couldn't help but cringe. My own experience of these games is nil (you'll have to trust me on that point! :p) so some of the references went over my head but the overall impression was a tragically funny one. This ep would have fallen into the trap of being one gag stretched to the limit, had there not been occasional moments of remorse and despair on the part of our hapless 'hero'.
The main event in this ep is still the excruciatingly embarrassing series of events that occur as Satou falls prey to the lure of the 'galges' (dating sims to you and me) but my own interest was more in the periodic flashbacks, the social commentary themes and what part Misaki has to play. Was it really her in Satou's dream at the beginning of ep 1? What's her 'project' really in aid of? Why is she so intent on helping him anyway?
I'm hoping that the series addresses these issues and continues to push forward with the story after this episode, rather than getting bogged down with parodies and cheap gags feauring cd-roms and boxes of tissues; it has the potential to be funny AND hard-hitting at the same time. Still, the music and animation are both great - reading around, it appears that Yoshitoshi ABe was involved with the artwork at the earliest (i.e. light novel cover art) stage, which confirmed a nagging suspicion of mine while I watched the episodes so far.
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[Anime Reviews]
03 Aug 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Welcome to the NHK!]
After last time it's fair to say that Satou is a guy who should get out more. Despite having an attractive young female trying to help him out of his situation (with great patience and determination I might add) he's still in denial. Then what he sees as a solution comes from an unexpected direction...
He's in serious trouble here: Misaki has yet to break through his shell of isolation and the weird next door neighbour is still driving him mad. Then Satou can take no more: he confronts the guy only to find out he's a computer nut with an extensive anime and manga collection. See, I told you he was weird. ^_^
This complicates things because Satou now has a distraction in terms of getting out of the stay-at-home hikikomori lifestyle. In the case of himself and the otaku guy (who coincidentally is an old school friend), a problem shared is a problem two people have: I doubt that this is a positive devolopment but time will tell.
All in all this is proving to be a very unusual but refreshing series from GONZO. They are adept at making stuff that looks nice enough but the innovation shown in
Welcome to the NHK so far is more akin to what I'd expect from a Studio Madhouse effort - meant in a good way, obviously! I'll be keeping my eyes open for the OST on CD too - the incidental music had me reaching for my guitar (which was in another room, sadly) and the end theme is a gleeful blast of madness featuring that strange blue-grey...thing.
This ep came with a couple of pics that outline the rules of Misaki's 'contract', posted here for your viewing pleasure. I sincerely hope that Satou considers them more seriously but after what I've just seen, I have my doubts...
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[Anime Reviews]
24 Jul 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Welcome to the NHK!]
I thought there would be nothing this season that interested me. Then two things happened: Bokura Ga Ita was posted online (expect a review for ep 1 this week) and then I stumbled upon NHK. Overjoyed that, for a change, it wasn't a show loaded with loli, moe and fan service I breathed a sigh of relief. Then thought, "what the hell?!"
Y'see,
Welcome to the NHK looks like the product of a
Paranoia Agent all-night viewing marathon after smoking too much grass. I'd love to know whose twisted imagination this came from - even though the central theme is very much a Japanese phenomenon it conveys the plight of the central character with mind-bending effectiveness.
Satou Tatsuhiro is a real anti-hero: a member of the 'NEETs' (
Not in
Education,
Employment or
Training), he is a recluse: a prisoner in his own home (and his own mind!). He's convinced that the reason for his deadbeat lifestyle is that of huge conspiracies created by a shadowy organisation known as the NHK. Cue scary dreams, talking household appliances and a weird blue creature. No, really.
I don't know a great deal about the concept of the
hikikomori, apart from the fact that it is a serious social issue in Japan these days. In Satou's case, it was brought on by what appears to be some form of paranoid schitzophrenia that has made him afraid to go outside - in flashbacks he appeared to be perfectly normal when he was younger, if a little unlucky. The bizarre, nightmarish visuals that convey his situation are both inventive and unnerving: Gonzo have once again delivered the goods in that dpartment. After all, how often do you see photorealistic fag smoke and talking refrigerators in animation?
The possible key to Satou's salvation is Misaki Hakahara: until the next ep we won't find out much about her, apart from the fact that she encourages Satou to make his first tentative steps back into the real world. She claims to know about his situation, which is a little creepy (could it just be Satou's delusions...?) but offers him a glimmer of hope. Right now there is not only Satou's background but her 'Project' to consider so series will no doubt prove to be a very interesting one indeed.
It's hard to pin down how
Welcome to the NHK will pan out but it certainly makes an impression! The social commentary side of things might not have quite as much resonance in our own society but the predicament of this show's hapless 'hero' is pretty obvious and it manages through the music and outrageous visuals to be something I'll be following in future. I might have just filled the Haruhi-sized hole in my viewing schedule...
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