Welcome to the Nihon Hikikomori Kyōkai
 

Hi all!

Recently, I have watched all the episodes of Welcome to the NHK and I have to say that it really left it's marks.

The actual storyline of the series:

Story
Welcome to the N.H.K. revolves around the lives of several young-adults all living in or around the city of Tokyo. Many different lifestyles are shown though most of the time the story focuses on the concepts of being a hikikomori, anime otaku, and having most of the characters experience intense feelings of depression and loneliness.

The main protagonist is Tatsuhiro Satō, a university dropout entering his fourth year of unemployment. He leads a reclusive life as a hikikomori, ultimately coming to the bizarre conclusion that this happened due to some sort of conspiracy. One day just when his life seems entirely unchanging, he meets Misaki Nakahara, a mysterious girl who claims to be able to cure Tatsuhiro of his hikikomori ways. She presents him with a contract basically outlining that once a day they would meet in the evening in a local park where Misaki would lecture to Tatsuhiro in an effort to rid him of his lifestyle. During these outings, many subjects are discussed, though they almost always pertain in some way to psychology or psychoanalysis. One of their first meetings in fact deals with interpreting Tatsuhiro's recent dreams. Both Tatsuhiro and Misaki, however, have a tendency of over-doing things, such as hiding the truth, especially from each other and themselves. Despite Misaki's offer and pressing attempts at salvation, it is Tatsuhiro's neighbor and high school friend, Kaoru Yamazaki, whom Tatsuhiro often turns to in moments of need and support. Also, despite his own idiosyncrasies, Yamazaki is one of the more stable characters in the story.
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The storyline reached a certain depth in the end, and I was emotionally touched by the fact that even when you are supposed to be an Hikikomori, you don't have to be lonely, throwing the only life you have away. A person who is capable of handling today's society, willing to fully aim their life to helping another who's not capable of doing so, that's really admireable.

I also think this is one of the best Slice of Life anime series I have een so far.
Is there anyone else besides me that really likes [Welcome to the NHK?] ^^

The manga was so much better. I'll admit I really liked the anime, but they left out a lot of stuff (namely the drug scenes). And they completely changed the ending.

Overall though, I love the story. Since I'm a bit of a socially challenged guy. I wouldn't say I'm a hikikomori, but I've always been close to one. And a lot of people who watch anime are the same. So I think this one hits a little too close to home for a lot of us.

Not true lol. It's only in this anime that Satou is lucky enough to find these friends. In real life, he'd be alone.

Heh, yes I agree Satou-san is lucky enough to find these friends in the anime, but on the other hand I do think people can actually find happiness in the tiniest things.
Actually, I don't participate in any school or college nor I have a job. I may sound a bit sad but on top of that I don't have any 'direct' social contacts.
This should make a lonely person, but to be honest I'm not feeling this way.
For me anime & manga are things to cling to. When you have something to cling to, the negative impact of being lonely can change to a positive view of life.
This is just my personal view. I do think some people are more sensitive than others, so everyone has their own border of experiencing lonliness.

That's because there's a difference between loneliness and being alone. Of course there are ways to be happy when you're alone; there is freedom in individuality. But people need other people. We don't function so well after being alone for too long.

You should go find some friends.

You're right. Being lonely for too long isn't a helpy hand for our own moral.

Thank you,, :rheart: