Review - Welcome to the NHK - 2nd Conspiracy
Reviewed by Richard Brownell on 11.29.2009.
Score: 9/10
Welcome to the NHK continues its funny yet sometimes depressing journey through the story of hikikomori Sato. He isn't anywhere near recovering from his desire to be a shut-in forever and the strange girl Misaki still wants to help him. To make matters more complicated, Sato's sempai from high school comes into his life again and she wants to stay in touch.
The last volume left off with Sato and Yamazaki making the pilgrimage to Akihabara to teach Sato more about geek culture and also to buy lots of awesome and perverted stuff. However, in the middle of their journey Sato runs into his sempai. The first episode on this disc picks up with them having drinks together. Even though Sato tends to hide his hikikomori tendencies from many people, especially those he'd like to impress or leave him alone, he comes right out and tells her the truth. She doesn't reveal a lot about herself, but she basically tells him that she's addicted to prescription drugs and isn't exactly happy with her life.
The conversation the two of them have is a great way to start off this volume. It's a very good measure of the adult themes in this show. The two of them are lamenting about old times as well as openly discussing the problems that plague them now. This just isn't the type of thing you see in many anime and it does a lot to further both of their characters.
It's hard to talk about some of the major points in this volume without spoiling them, so I'll have to touch on a few non-spoiler things instead. Sato learns after their trip that his neighbor Yamazaki told Misaki that he has a girlfriend. This of course comes as a big surprise since Yamazaki is obsessed with 2D girls and can't possibly be one to woo the ladies. So Sato actually ventures out into the world to discover the truth, which may not be the best idea on his part. Much like episode 5 advances the characterization of Sato and his sempai, this episode really brings Yamazaki out of a cliched nerd stereotype and gives him some life. The reality of his situation may even hit close to home with some of the nerdier viewers.
The last two episodes of this volume deal with a predictable scenario, but a very well-executed one. Sato's mother is coming to Tokyo to see some friends and wants to check up on him. He lies to her and says not only is he working at a software company (half-truth I suppose), but he is engaged. To further his lies, he does the only thing he can: he uses Misaki as his girlfriend and hilarity ensues.
Of course, the type of hilarity seen in Welcome to the NHK is not like a typical anime comedy. It's much darker and more adult. Hikikomori are real people and it is a real problem. So watching Sato stumble through life is a little bit like watching an episode of USA's Monk, featuring the OCD detective Adrian Monk. You laugh, but on the inside you know he has real issues.
This volume does a lot to make the characters more real, especially Misaki. She's the major mystery in the show. Is her plan to cure Sato some kind of conspiracy? Whether it is or not, why choose him? She's a fascinating character, very cute, and you can't help but want to learn more about her.
The music really stuck out in this volume. Now that we're seeing more of the depressing themes of the show than the first volume, you can feel how the music sets the tone perfectly. The theme songs of course reflect the more humorous side of the show. But the background music is thoughtful at times, frantic when it needs to be, and helps to suck you in.
Of all the shows I've been reviewing recently, this is the one I'm most excited about continuing. The few problems I have with it are nitpicky, like minor inconsistencies in the animation. Some people think this show is a bit too dark and depressing but I'm finding it to be just about perfect. I could lose the weird stoner anthropomorphic appliances and weird alien things that make appearances, but their presence is rare. NHK has me hooked and I can't wait for volume 3.
