 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | TOKYOPOP | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | TATSUHIKO TAKIMOTO / KENDI OIWA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 200 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | M | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/11/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/18/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Welcome to the NHK actually won the “Book of the Month” award from Newtype USA, pretty much the best anime magazine in North America (or it was when it was in production at least). It’s hard not to appreciate this excellent little bit of writing, characterization and art. It’s an all around great series, both in anime and manga, with many enjoyable differences between the two forms of media. The manga is just great – the art and style art so well put together and so professional. You really get the sense of reading something mature and well thought out – like a real work of art. It’s got drama, it’s got humor, it’s got serious thoughts to present, and even some heart to it. It’s the story of a closed in, socially nervous individual and his battle with reality – all related to manga and anime of course! In volume six, things are starting to get even more surreal in the mind and outside of the mind of Satou (if that is truly possible I mean). Satou's hallucinations of an Angel-Misaki are getting worse and more frequent. Having run away from home, he now turns to arcades and pachinko bars for relief... but soon learns that these are expensive habits, and that his escapism comes at a cost he might not be willing to pay. Feeling alone, with no one to turn to, especially now that Yamazaki's got his own girl problems, Satou is at an all-time low. Who will he turn to? Fates are intertwined and secrets revealed in this volume of Welcome to the NHK! The story is both complex and straight forward in a way. We know what Satou must overcome, but it’s a lot easier said than done for the most part. A lot of plot is related to the lack of will he has and how that prevents him (and other characters) from getting what they want out of like. As the saying goes: “No one lacks strength, they just lack will power.” The poor guy has so many years of mental anguish and confusion stacked against him, it’s hard to know if he will ever be able to again be like a normal person. Anime, games and manga are his escape from the world, but he needs to stop trying to completely escape and find a good balance between reality and the unreality of his hobbies. It’s excellent in the way that it picks apart the mind of an obsessed fan and lets us peer through the window to his muddled existence. It’s hilarious at times, but also a warning. Don’t let your hobbies consume you completely! The art is clean and detailed. It’s just a joy to look at. The printing and the darkness of the ink is perfect. When you see a number of books that have lower production values, it’s so much easier to appreciate the excellent production values of a series like Welcome to the NHK. The visual layout is great to – everything flows well and the pages are never overcrowded. Text is always readable and flows without confusion. When “they” get it right, “they” really get it right – and that’s NHK for you: A well thought out product.
IN SUMMARY:
A mature series with a lot of interesting mental situations and understandings discussed. It manages to be hilarious, serious, heart-warming, and depressing all at the same time – quite a feat for any manga! |
