Welcome to the NHK (Novel) [Paperback]

Tatsuhiko Takimoto (Author)

Book Description

Series: Welcome to the N.H.K. | Publication Date: October 9, 2007

The novel that inspired the manga and anime!Twenty-two-year-old Satou, a college dropout and aficionado of anime porn, knows a little secret--or at least he thinks he does! Believe it or not, he has stumbled upon an incredible conspiracy created by the Japanese Broadcasting Company, N.H.K. But despite fighting the good fight, Satou has become an unemployed hikikomori--a shut-in who has withdrawn from the world.... One day, he meets Misaki, a mysterious young girl who invites him to join her special "project." Slowly, Satou comes out of his reclusive shell, and his hilarious journey begins, filled with mistaken identity, Lolita complexes--and an ultimate quest to create the greatest hentai game ever!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—This novel inspired a popular anime and a manga. Twenty-two-year-old Satou is a gamer and a manga fan whose extreme shyness has cut him off from any human contact. His life gets a little more interesting when he meets mysterious, beguiling Misaki, a girl who wants to help him break out of his shell. Around the same time, he meets his neighbor Yamazaki, a fellow nerdy shut-in. Yamazaki convinces Satou to create erotic games with him. Though the story never becomes graphic, there are numerous references to porn involving rape and young girls. Satou's bizarre, deadpan statements can be humorous, but he is not charismatic enough to carry the meandering plot. This book is only suitable for the most mature teens, and even they may be bored.—Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (October 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427802564
• ISBN-13: 978-1427802569
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful all around., October 24, 2007

By 

T. LaPonte "mo" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to the NHK (Novel) (Paperback)

Branching into novel translations was probably Tokyopop's greatest idea ever, and unlike DMP's forays into the field of narrative localization that I have read, Tokyopop has done a fantastically professional job. There was hardly a time when I felt the translation lacked or was awkward. It was practically seamless and really felt like I was reading an English novel, and not even one meant for a child's reading level (which it isn't). I am very satisfied and pay proper respect to Tokyopop for this endeavor.

That being said, Tatsuhiko Takimoto's novel, which inspired the manga and anime series, is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it, not only to fans of the manga and anime, but also to anyone interested in sophisticated storytelling and insights into the modern culture and sub-cultures of Japan.

If you are familiar with the manga and/or anime the story is similar and many of the characters are the same, but the plot is somewhat different. The humor and crazy antics are still there, but the novel seems to take on a more serious side as well. As you watch Satou make a fool of himself and go crazy and drug and try to kill himself you laugh, but you also feel a kind of connection of sympathy with the character at the same time. It's not an awkward feeling, either, like when you feel bad about laughing at someone else's pain. Takimoto has managed to create the kind of dark comedy that is not uncomfortable at the same time. It is something very hard to do and I would argue it makes the difference here from the book being good to the book being great.

If you are not familiar with the storyline already, the book chronicles the life of a young college drop-out turned hikikomori (shut-in sub-culture in Japan that has become a serious social problem among young people in recent years) named Satou who tries, often in vain, to break free of his agorophobia and fears about other people. He is drawn into his neighbor and former classmate's desire to create an erotic video game, has terrible luck with women in his one-sided crush on his former sempai, and is forced by a lonely girl who lives near the park he often visits alone to join her "program" to help him break from his hikikomori lifestyle. He tries drugs to control his anxieties and Takimoto's writing captures the hallucinogenic effects of these trips both humorously and insightfully.

In the end we are left with the picture of the life of a very human character in Satou, one through which we can come to understand a little better the pain and suffering people with these kinds of social anxieties live with. Takimoto reveals in his afterwards that much of what he is writing is drawn from his own experiences (though he denounces claims that the book is at all autobiographical), lending a greater sense of reality to the existence of people struggling like Satou struggles.

Perhaps it is a bit much to hope that an adult comedy novel like this could help bring awareness and aid to the issue of hikikomori in Japan (and even less so to the issues of similar people in America), but at the very least this book is an entertaining read and is suitable for a wide variety of tastes. It's a little mature at times, so I'd caution younger readers against it, but if you're wondering whether it is worth the money or time to give a try, I would say yes.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark and depressingly beautiful, November 18, 2007

By 

Jonathan Oyama "Anime is my middle name." (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome to the NHK (Novel) (Paperback)

Even though the hikikomori culture in Japan is very, very dark and haunting, it still deserves an in-depth look. With "Welcome to the N.H.K.", author Tatsuhiko Takimoto created a complete masterpiece of a novel about hikikomori.

The main character, Satou, is a 22-year-old hikikomori, a person who is afraid to socialize with anyone outside of his room. He dropped out of college and is unemployed. His rent is due in a few months, and he only manages to pay by selling the appliances in his room. He lives next to an otaku who is also afraid of the outside world. In their drug-infested mania, they try to create the best hentai (porn) video game ever.

Although their situations are very depressing, Satou still manages to strike up a friendship with a 15-year-old missionary girl dropping off flyers at his apartment. She likes him, and wants to cure him of hikikomori. However, she has her own secrets--she has burn marks on her arms, covered up by her long-sleeved T-shirts. She doesn't think God exists, and she's depressed as well.

This is a love story between a girl and a hikikomori. Despite their flaws, they find far more things that they have in common. The ending is heart-wrenching, but perhaps it's more memorable, because they manage to maintain a very strong friendship.

Sadly, the author is still a NEET (a nicer way of referring to a Japanese person who stays cooped up in her/his room). However, even though he suffers such extreme depression, perhaps he found some relief from expressing these emotions in this powerful book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant "downer" novel., May 12, 2008

By 

Carlos Dominguez (North Ridgeville, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to the NHK (Novel) (Paperback)

Satou is a "NEET", a Japanese term for "Not Engaged in Education or Training." He has completely withdrawn from society and lives off of his parents' money, sleeping 16-hour days in a tiny, trash-littered apartment. His life is a constant downward spiral, propelled by hallucinogenic drugs, his child porn-addict neighbor, and a religious girl named Misaki who wants to reform him but is drowning in her own problems.

While this story is mainly about Satou, the cast is small enough that all of the characters are well-developed. Like Satou, all the characters feel suffocated by society and cope with it in self-destructive ways. There are no happy characters in this book, with unconvincing facades the only thing keeping people from seeing them as a shivering bundle of neuroses. It is very easy to sympathize with the characters, and I'm sure many will be able to identify with at least one.

The book is very well translated, and while there are tons of Japanese terms, the glossary does a very good job of explaining, even for the unitiated. The book is also a very quick read. One can finish it in 2 good sessions, perfect for standing in a long line.

There's no fairy tale happy ending here, but the ending is satisfying. If you like introspective novels, character development-heavy plots, and rainy days, pick up this book and enjoy.