Welcome to the N.H.K
- Tatsuhiro Sato fights his nemesis the NHK
Imagine not going to work, or school or even outside your house or appartment.
Imagine you’re completely dependent on your parents to keep you alive, neighbors who put up with you or occasional strangers who take sympathy on you. Welcome to Tatsuhiro’s existence.
What was supposed to be a trip to Tokyo University, turned out to be a fear trial for our hero. He ends up imagining everyone is out to get him or laugh at him. And it’s all a conspiracy!
His first day at University also turns out to be his last, and he adopts his new lifestyle as a hikikomori.
And apparently, all of this has been orchestrated by the Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai or NHK.
Unknown to Tatsuhiro, a young girl (Misaki Nakahara) has been watching him and taken him in as the subject of her project to cure his NEET ways.
But is this really an act of compassion or does she have some ulterior motives?
Welcome to the NHK is a wonderful mix of comedy, drama, psychological intrigue and doesn’t fear to tread on a few toes to get laughs. (I.E. NHK is an actual Japanese broadcasting company.)
We get to see Tatsuhiro’s desperation and an examination into Japanese cynicism at its finest. Particularly the disappointing tendency of viewing certain people as being disposable. Especially if they don’t fit the productive mould.
The seriousness and despair is often seen side-by-side with almost inappropriate comedy, but that makes it just so much more fun to watch.
This is a high production value title that doesn’t skip on quality. Especially the dream and delusion sequences that border on the psychosis.
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