Forum - View topicNHK ni Youkoso! (Welcome to the NHK)
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Enjeru
 Posts: 221 |
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Just finished episode 21 and WOW. spoiler[It is almost heart-breaking to see so many things go wrong for Sato. Especially with Yamazaki gone now. He was pretty much the crutch holding Sato up. ]
This series has such a great mix of comedy and gut-twisting drama. I am quite anxious to see how this will end. |
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Hisdon
 Posts: 411 Location: Poquoson, VA |
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I wonder if they are gonna use that interesting twist with the girl Yamazaki likes still...since they kinda changed the course of events the manga takes.
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Anthony P
Posts: 227 Location: Phoenix, Arizona, US |
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Well, with ep 22 we're finally given a closer look at Misaki. Her mannerisms throughout the series have always hinted at some condescension towards Satou, but I had never figured her motivations ran quite as deep as we're shown. This has made for an interesting situation: spoiler[ apparently, Misaki hatched this ploy to make Satou dependent on her, so that she in turn could feel needed. But it seems that the exact opposite has occured; Misaki has become dependent on her notion that Satou is dependent on her. And I think Misaki's notion is fairly wrong, it seems like Yamazaki's and Hitomi's companionship did more to improve his condition than Misaki did.] I'm getting antsy to see the conclusion.
On a side note, when I was at Phoenix Anime Fest talking to the Tokyopop guys about NHK, they said that there were plans to release the NHK novels (which they have apparently also picked up) in the summer of '07. I'm not sure if this has been officially announced yet, I haven't seen anything about it on the web. |
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Lorraine_Kristine
 Posts: 50 Location: Philippines,Cebu |
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Umm...NHK is available on a lot of countries right? Does anyone know where to find its scheds in english? (its the only Japanese channel available in our cable right now..)
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-gecko-
 Posts: 285 Location: Near Seattle, WA |
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I watched Ep 23 today. spoiler[It was especially poignant when Satou ran away from Misaki at their last meeting. I kept thinking, "sign it, sign it!" but...Anthony P hit it on the nose. I even used the dialog from Satou's imagination of his friends lecture to make a point about internet propriety on one of my blogs. We can only hope Satou makes it to that place by the sea...]
I've already voted this one a materpiece...I can always change it if the ending lets me down, but I have faith. |
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adonais
Posts: 302 |
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Absolutely beautiful episode, 23, I'm definitely ready to vote the show a masterpiece now too (although I had that inclination already from the beginning..). It looks like these last couple of episodes may run the risk of becoming somewhat formulaic, if things come to pass as one might speculate (ahem). But in this case even the "predictable ending" wouldn't be a bad ending IMO, I think I need some closure here with the show ending on a bittersweet note
 I would love to see that, even if it's cliché - and if they surprise us with something completely different - hey, I'm open to that too! All in all this is probably my favorite show of 2006, and 2005, and probably 2004, and.... 
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adonais
Posts: 302 |
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Thus ends one of the most beautiful and moving anime series of 2006.
I just finished viewing the final episode, and.........I loved it. NO disappointments as far as I'm concerned - a great conclusion to a great series! spoiler[For 23 episodes I have been waiting for something more on the "conspiracy", and a connection to Satou's dream from the first episode, and here in the final episode we at last get a little bit of that. Completely not in the way I had imagnined, but all the better because of it. I also loved how they had saved some unique music for the final episode, that made it feel both fresh as well as final. And even Yamazaki hooked up with some farmer filly - bloody fantastic! And, awww....who can not love Misaki-chan after this???] Oh well. Guess I'll go shopping for a Pururin doll to comfort me now that the show is over..
Merry Christmas everybody! |
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Anthony P
Posts: 227 Location: Phoenix, Arizona, US |
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Yeah, I thought that was pretty sharp; the NHK bit was introduced as a joke, but spoiler[with the last episode it becomes a metaphor for all of the negative things in our lives that we blame on something else] Out of the few titles I've seen that have came out this year: Haruhi, Higurashi, Honey and Clover 2, Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora (what's with all the "H" titles?), most of Kemonozume, and all of Ghost Hunt that's been released so far, I'd have to name NHK as the best I've seen this year (although Haruhi is probably my personal favorite for the year). At the risk of giving some maybe too-lofty praise, I'd say that NHK gives very significant and valid insight into some of the problems that exist with younger people today, not only in Japan but globally. No, it's not a researched sociological study or anything, but the series was spot-on in depicting many of the sensibilities and interpersonal issues of my generation (the first to grow up with video games and, later, internet access) and teenagers now. Satou's one line in particular, spoiler[ "I don't want to live, but dying is such a hassle"], stood out for me. Everything is so convenient for us, all of our life's options are neatly laid out for us, that I can see how someone would have a hard time deciding even something like whether or not they'd want to die. I also thought spoiler[Satou and Yamazaki's attempt and failure to make a big-selling h-game] was insightful. What with all the leaps in home technology for things like producing music, filmmaking, photography, game production, graphic design, and the like, people's dreams of artistic success that would have once seemed completely unfeasable without dropping thousands of dollars on equipment now seem more likely, due to the fact that one can spend a few hundred dollars on equipment and software that will get similar results. But when these kids get out there, they realize that not everyone with a few years' college education and a few hundred dollars' worth of software can be successful. I loved the comedic elements of this series; they were oddball for certain, but didn't feel like the typical style of comedy (y'all know what I'm talking about) which has become prevalent in anime. The dramatic elements were wrenching at times, especially the scene spoiler[when Satou almost fell off the cliff on the island, and the scene in the last ep when Misaki almost falls of the cape. The way both of them were shown in those scenes, seeming to have hit their very rock bottom (Satou in the earlier scene, Misaki in the latter)], it seemed so undeniably human. The dramatic scenes in this series weren't picturesquely tragic; rather, they had an awkward, more human feel to them, which I felt gave it even more impact. Granted, I haven't seen all of the titles that came out this year, and there may indeed have been a better title than NHK, but I honestly think this deserves to be named the best of 2006. Now, it's on to the manga; I can't help but wonder how many things Gonzo switched around (but with nonetheless excellent results). |
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heedree
Posts: 5 |
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I'd say this was one of the most original series this year.
NHK, Black Lagoon and Ergo Proxy are my 3 faves of 2006. I expected a spoiler[sad] ending given how this anime has progressed since the start... but at least it was SOMEWHAT complete... spoiler[(I was glad they got into a bit more of Misaki's past just before the end)[] Great Series.. 9/10 |
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-gecko-
Posts: 285 Location: Near Seattle, WA |
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This last episode was a rollercoaster ride for me. I got what I had expected, spoiler[Satou catches up with Misaki before she takes the plunge, but then as the scenes progressed, I'm thinking, "Oh God, don't end this as a tragedy!" After that things just got topsy-turvy with the whole imagined comspiracy thing and the final defeat of Satou.] In the end I got what I wanted all along, but oh what a ride!
I can't choose between Haruhi and this show for best of the year, though. I'll just give them both the highest marks and let others decide for me...
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Anthony P
Posts: 227 Location: Phoenix, Arizona, US |
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"A dramatic death is not befitting of us" I got what I wanted, too; the ending was bittersweet and wonderfully true-to-life. It was along the lines of what I was expecting from this series, yet not overly predictable.
Setting aside the fact that the Haruhi anime covers a small part of it's source materials and looking at the Haruhi anime as it stands on it's own, it still doesn't feel like a complete story. Because of this, I'll give the higher marks to NHK by default. Even with that aside, while Haruhi is an extremely fun series and gets higher marks from me for production and animation (although I thought NHK's soundtrack was better), I hold NHK to be an overall more accomplished work. NHK shifts back-and-forth very easily between comedy, drama, and social insight, all three very well-executed. I hadn't thought about it previously, but I think that if there wasn't such a commotion over Haruhi and Higurashi that NHK would've got more attention. Not that it went completely unnoticed by any means, but now that NHK's concluded I think that it deserves more praise than Haruhi, and most certainly more praise than Higurashi. |
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adonais
Posts: 302 |
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You can say that again - the NHK soundtrack(s), not just the OP and ED, but the whole score, did an amazing job of amplifying the emotional content in so many scenes. I shudder to think what this anime would have been like without this superb score to go with it. Add to that the mindblowing headbang that was the "Odoru akachan ningen" and the infernally hillarious fushigi purupuru pururin rin, and you've got such stuff as cults are made on
I got the impression from some people posting in this thread that some didn't quite think so highly of the darker and more somber moments of the series, and judging it only on its comedic values, perhaps it doesn't compare so favorably to Haruhi (although I think it does). I can sort of believe that not everybody is equally equipped to appreciate the strength of the drama when the topics become depression and suicide. For me, these are the most powerful moments of the series, because they're all so true. Much as I loved the comedy, without the drama with its darker unertones, NHKnY as a series would not have reached the heights it actually did, at least in my book. |
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selenta
 Subscriber Posts: 1774 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Personally, I don't even think there's a comparison between Haruhi and NHK in terms of anything besides the realistic way that NHK was approached with. The soundtrack depends on your tastes... but I really would have a hard time even considering this for best show of '06 with titles like Haruhi, Ouran, and the second half of Mushishi (though I guess that one doesn't REALLY count). Though... I don't really want to get into an in depth comparison, I really don't think this show is a 'masterpiece' as the writing was awkward in a LOT of places. I don't just mean in a awkward in a realistic sense that 'everything doesn't always go as planned', or 'life isn't as pretty and glamorous as movies' sense, but in a completely different 'I'm not really sure what I should have the characters say next... I better not think too hard and just go with the first thing that crosses my mind' sort of way. Also, I thought the injection of comedy at certain points to try and break up the tension completely ruined the moment sometimes. I know some may view that as 'realistic' in its own way that people are sometimes interupted in the middle of their train of thought... but frankly I thought it was really lame since it was really on such a strong track.
Although the conclusions and actual results of most encounters in the show were quite realistic, the way the characters dealt with them just smacked me upside the head of 'melodrama' sometimes. Two examples being Satou's reaction to the president's speeches, the entire MMO arc with how Satou was acting so much more retarded than he really is by acting like he thinks he can actually becoming an RMT. Come on, Satou may be a hikikomori with a social phobia, but he's a really bright guy in general, he's smart enough to see through these things. Even if he didn't see them at first... he played that MMO for how many weeks honestly seeming to think he can become an RMT? I don't think so, no one can be that dense and fail to realize the realities of the situation for something like that. Far far from a masterpiece in my mind, but in spite of the annoyances I listed above, there were many things the show did right IMO. The relationship developed in an amazingly believable innocent way that I can completely imagine (and relate with... well... kind of relate with  ) coming from someone like Satou. It really surprised me how believable it all goes at times. Another thing I thought it did masterfully (at times) was to show the mentality of a NEET and explain how and why they do the things they do. They're NEETs because the can be, and being one is a kind of luxury in and of itself. If their comfortable lifestyle ended, when faced with life or death, even those who had shunned the outside world would be overtaken by their instinct and will to survive. Also, the outlook on suicide and all the negative emotions people have was quite interesting and also highly relatable.
Basically, I thought the show was a little too long, and cutting out about 5 or 6 episodes worth of angst and wondering why Misaki and Satou hadn't hooked up would have made it a lot better I think. It just seemed to drag on too long, as if they were just trying to make the 20 eps show fit into the 26 eps season by dragging out the eventual conclusion; it seemed like everything had been said and done by eps 18 or 20, and with the exception of the last episode or two, almost nothing seemed to have been accomplished after that. I thought this was a great show, and I debated for a while between the 'excellent' this show undoubtedly deserves looking at the first and last few episodes, but upon remembering how I almost dropped the show 2/3 through during the Mouse Road arc, I had to give it an 8/10. EDIT: I totally agree the last episode was everything I could have hoped for and more, for all the reasons everyone else gave above. I actually didn't find most of the 'comedy' in this show very funny either. 'Clever'? Yes. 'Laugh out loud' funny? Only once that I can remember (the beer bottle, first episode  ).
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Anthony P
Posts: 227 Location: Phoenix, Arizona, US |
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One particular part of the soundtrack that I thought was haunting and very effective was the piece in which someone is strumming a basic chord pattern on an acoustic guitar.
The pururin song was hilarious! I still laugh over the scenes when Satou would go nuts from hearing that song coming from Yamazaki's apartment all day long.
Some people also might have a hard time appreciating the drama because it covers many issues that moreso effect people currently aged in their early twenties and under. Can't be sure, though, haven't heard any opinions on this.
I see what you're saying, and I actually enjoy drawn-out, picturesque drama oftentimes, but I think those sort of scenes would have been rather out of place in this series. I've come to think of Yamazaki's line, "A dramatic death is not befitting of us", as a major underlying theme for the series; not just regarding death, but for everything in the character's lives. I think that's what the series' creators were trying to convey, as well. |
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adonais
Posts: 302 |
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Sounds like "Youkoso! Hitori Bocchi" you're describing - definitely one of my favorites too. Both soundtracks are available at cdjapan and well worth buying, I can warmly recommend them both. |
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