Anime Review: Welcome to the N.H.K., Part Two

[Norman Rafferty]

Anime Review: Welcome to the N.H.K., Part Two

For someone who?s too afraid to leave the house, Sato never locks his front door.

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[Jhereg42]

My friends and I had watched this anime as a fansub well before it's US debute, and it quickly became a favorite of the group. We went to AWA that year, and when we heard they were showing the first three eps of this we all thought it would be a good idea to see how the anime junkies at the convention would react. It was interesting, because it made a lot of people angry. Mostly 20-something males.

It prompted a lot of discussion, because we wondered if those offended by this show were the ones that most needed to watch it.

 

[RollForInitiative]

I'm still debating whether or not I actually want to watch this, having read so much of the manga. I'm not entirely convinced it'll translate well. Norman, did you happen to read any of the manga before watching this or were you watching it with wholly innocent eyes to the series?

 

[AkJay]

I watched the show after your firest review, and i loved it, so thanks for (finally) making a part 2!

 

[Norman Rafferty]

Sad to say, I've not read the manga, so I can't say how well it's translated over. The TV show is pretty dense. There's bits in Part 2 that you might not notice until the second viewing.

Wikipedia says NHK was first a novel, which makes sense. The show is very elliptical and self-contained, very well planned. I'd definitely recommend watching the show.

 

[Widdershins]

SHOUNEN BAAAAAT

NHK is a great show. I confirm this recommendation.

 

[Mstrswrd]

I like your reference at the end (Skates and bat thing). Is that what you're reviewing next?

 

[Flishiz]

The show was amazing until episode 9, and after that all of the charm and flowing plot jumped out the nearest window. If I recommended the show to anyone I'd say watch the first 9 episodes and make up your own ending.

 

[RollForInitiative]

Sad to say, I've not read the manga, so I can't say how well it's translated over. The TV show is pretty dense. There's bits in Part 2 that you might not notice until the second viewing.

Wikipedia says NHK was first a novel, which makes sense. The show is very elliptical and self-contained, very well planned. I'd definitely recommend watching the show.

Well, I suppose I'll have to watch it and see how it compares to the manga then. I'd call it a gamble but it seems like a near-universal constant that anime fails to live up to its written predecessors. Still, why not at least try? You've certainly given it a glowing review.

 

[bladeofdarkness]

truth be told its not all that good
its a nice look into the lifestyle of some pretty fucked up people (no kidding, every single character has some form of mental disorder)
and its starts out rather funny
but later on it just gets depressing

 

[RollForInitiative]

truth be told its not all that good
its a nice look into the lifestyle of some pretty fucked up people (no kidding, every single character has some form of mental disorder)
and its starts out rather funny
but later on it just gets depressing

You say that assuming that everybody dislikes a depressing story. If that were true, then nobody would care for tragedies. Personally, I rather enjoy a good tragedy now and then and some of my favourite series, such as Air and Kanon, are hardly series that I would call "lighthearted." If anything, you may have just sold me on this series.

 

[bladeofdarkness]

truth be told its not all that good
its a nice look into the lifestyle of some pretty fucked up people (no kidding, every single character has some form of mental disorder)
and its starts out rather funny
but later on it just gets depressing

You say that assuming that everybody dislikes a depressing story. If that were true, then nobody would care for tragedies. Personally, I rather enjoy a good tragedy now and then and some of my favourite series, such as Air and Kanon, are hardly series that I would call "lighthearted." If anything, you may have just sold me on this series.

i absolutly LOVED kanon and air (and clanned as well, i strongly recommand it, both seasons)
i also loved saikano, which is possibly the most depressing anime ever
this is NOTHING like those shows

 

[Motakikurushi]

truth be told its not all that good
its a nice look into the lifestyle of some pretty fucked up people (no kidding, every single character has some form of mental disorder)
and its starts out rather funny
but later on it just gets depressing

Let's see here. No, it's a look into the lifestyle of EVERYBODY living in the modern age, not just the protagonists. The anime pleads with the viewer to expand their spectrum and consider the meaningless nature of the times we live in and the characters stuck in the worst possible situations. I'm seriously getting a little worried if you consider these absolutely stricken and pitiful characters to have 'mental disorders'. It's human nature at its core, desperate for love and affection, terrified of failure and rejection. Yes, the anime is gut-wrenchingly depressing, but that's the beauty of it. It has the BALLS to be both sardonic and depressing. It's ironic that when a series starts getting depressing people are shunned. Loved the anime from start to finish and its depressing moments only heightened the impact it had on me. It was tender, profound and enlightening. Yes, this anime is ALL THAT GOOD!

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's not the best anime show I've ever seen, but it is nice to see anime deal with taboo subjects.

I especially liked the scene where Sato has a vision of himself as a grotesque fat MMORPG addict surrounded by his own filth.

 

[bladeofdarkness]

truth be told its not all that good
its a nice look into the lifestyle of some pretty fucked up people (no kidding, every single character has some form of mental disorder)
and its starts out rather funny
but later on it just gets depressing

Let's see here. No, it's a look into the lifestyle of EVERYBODY living in the modern age, not just the protagonists. The anime pleads with the viewer to expand their spectrum and consider the meaningless nature of the times we live in and the characters stuck in the worst possible situations. I'm seriously getting a little worried if you consider these absolutely stricken and pitiful characters to have 'mental disorders'. It's human nature at its core, desperate for love and affection, terrified of failure and rejection. Yes, the anime is gut-wrenchingly depressing, but that's the beauty of it. It has the BALLS to be both sardonic and depressing. It's ironic that when a series starts getting depressing people are shunned. Loved the anime from start to finish and its depressing moments only heightened the impact it had on me. It was tender, profound and enlightening. Yes, this anime is ALL THAT GOOD!

you quote a 3 month old post ?
why ?