I like all types of anime, but I prefer the ones that are different. Don’t get me wrong: school girls, mecha, vampires, zombies, magic, or whatever are all fine and dandy, but the anime that stand out for me are the ones that make you think.

Welcome to the NHK is definitely different. All the characters are flawed. They all have issues, and the story is about how they deal, or don’t deal with life. Social Anxiety is the overall theme. One character is afraid to leave his apartment; another believes in conspiracy theories; yet another was abused as a child, and the list goes on. They are all real social problems condensed into a single story. So there is a hint of realism but overall watching the show makes you a bit uncomfortable, like witnessing an accident in progress but unable to stop it. The interactions between the different characters—how they help and hinder each other—are what make this anime worth watching.

So if you like anime and want to watch something a bit out the ordinary, yet still worth watching, give Welcome to the NHK a try.