▪	RELEASED BY:		ADV FILMS
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		125
		▪	RATING:		TV MA
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		10/02/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		09/11/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

Welcome to the NHK is a welcome addition to the small, but increasing number of anime series that directly deal with anime fandom itself. One of the best recent examples would be Genshiken, a very enjoyable anime all about a University anime club and the adventures that the members have throughout the school year and beyond. Welcome to the NHK is a slightly darker look at a different angle of fandom, and perhaps even how to turn that dark side around and make it into something amazing! If you liked Genshiken, Welcome to the NHK is the next level!

The series centers around a young man in his early twenties who started attending post secondary education when he was 19, but soon after quit going to school and became a total recluse. For 4 years he has slowly become more and more withdrawn from society, living in his apartment alone and hardly ever leaving it to venture outside. He seems to like anime, video games and manga – but has perhaps forgotten why those things ever brought him joy because of his loneliness and confusion. When we meet him, he is a slob - a barely alive individual who sleeps most of the day and never cleans up after himself. In Japan, this kind of behavioral problem is actually becoming an increasingly real issue. Our hero is one day confronted by a beautiful girl who seems to know exactly what is going on – and this really freaks him out! He figured that no one notices him and no one knows how much of a recluse he is – so in his embarrassment he seems motivated to change. If change is what he wants, she may be just the one to help him be a healthy member of society again. Throw in an old high school friend who’s even more nuts than the main protagonist, and you’ve got the team for the job.  Welcome to the NHK is a semi-series, always humorous look at this new social oddity, and the hope that it can perhaps be overcome with a few friends and a bit of self acceptance.

The music and animation for this series is pretty high end. It’s more or less expected these days that the animation be up to par with current standards, and NHK doesn’t disappoint. The opening theme is fun and on the slightly artsy side – a nice trend that’s bring us lots of very decent opening and ending themes these days. This show is great for facial expressions and just expression in general. No character is flat or two dimensional – they all pop out of the screen at many a random moment to express their embarrassment, stress, or excitement; sometimes all at one even! If you’ve been an anime fan for a while now, as many of us have been, you’re going to have a lot of trouble not laughing along with the many trials and tribulations of the cast. Anyone with a slightly odd, or culturally different hobby, such as the consumption of anime, knows a thing or two about being questioned for the way we spend our time and money. A handful of the main characters are placed at the most extreme end of being socially misunderstood, and it’s hard not to laugh at what they’ve allowed themselves to become. Surely most of us will never reach such a point – but NHK lets us explore just how ridiculous it would be to lock yourself in an apartment for four years and let our interests eat away at us!

It may sound a bit strange, like it’s some sort of science experiment or social documentary, but nothing can take away from how funny this show is. To be both interesting and humorous at the same time can be a true feat, but Welcome to the NHK makes it happen. When it comes to anime series that relate directly to anime and fandom in the real world, Welcome to the NHK is a totally unique new addition to the line up. There’s something to be said for a series that tries to show us something a bit different – such a thing is always worth a glance. This will be a series that I hope to see all the way through.

EXTRAS:
Clean Closing, Clean Opening, Conspiracy Book 101, DVD Credits, ADV Previews.

IN SUMMARY:
Welcome to the NHK is funny AND intelligent. It reveals some interesting psychological truths about fandom that you may not want to hear – especially since the plights of some characters might remind you of yourself! Hilarious and edgy – Welcome to the NHK is not afraid to reveal obsessed fans for what they really are!