Welcome to the N.H.K. is about a recluse named Sato. He lives alone in a small apartment, and tries his best to avoid any contact with the outside world. He finds it best to just stay home and watch TV, surf the internet, masturbate, eat, drink and sleep, all without having to speak with anyone. He doesn't need a job either, thanks to his parents sending him just enough money to get by. All the while he slowly gets more depressed and paranoid... wait a minute... this is my life isn't it? Have they been spying on me? They want me to be like this! It's the N.H.K! But seriously, while my life isn't as bad as Sato's life is, there are several similarities that are somewhat disturbing. And I know it's not just me: that you would actually bother to read anime reviews like this suggests that you yourself are also very relatable to Sato's lifestyle and personality. Sato is referred to as a NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and a hikikomori (one who tries to avoid all social interaction), both common Japanese terms that make the show a little less accessible, since it seems so much easier in the English language to call one a recluse or a shut-in. This is likely a much more common problem than one might imagine: some statistics claim that over 700,000 people with this trait exist in Japan alone. And why wouldn't they? With the Internet, television, and video games (and of course, anime) we have access to, it would be very easy for one to waste their entire life in a small room. But getting back to the show... Welcome to the N.H.K. follows Sato as he starts to realize how much of a recluse he really is. A seemingly innocent girl named Misaki finds him one day, and introduces herself as wanting to "cure" him from his hikikomori ways. During the series, Sato tries prove he isn't a hikikomori by creating a game company with his otaku neighbour, and the show also deals with him discovering porn, old friends, delusions, suicide, jobs, school and more. And what is the N.H.K.? In this show, it is referred to as a secret organization that uses anime to create hikikomori, which Sato believes is a conspiracy. It actually has very little to do with the plot. Interestingly, the organization is real. Seriously. Look it up. One of the biggest strengths of this show is in its cast of characters. Sato isn't the only character with obvious social problems. There are different arcs that happen to involve people that are extreme otaku, drug addicts, depressed/suicidal, obsessed with online games, and so on. Even Misaki herself has some mental issues, although they are kept secret until the end of the series. This wide range of things seems to cover most, if not all, social problems in modern society, in somewhat realistic ways that opens your eyes to things you've never thought of. In their own way, they are all either very likable or very easy to feel pity for, which is appropriate for this type of show. That they each eventually meet Sato (who accidently helps them in some way) is kind of clever. 
The story is somewhat questionable, however. It certainly isn't bad, but is largely character-based, making more like a slice-of-life romance story, which we all know never has a real story. It does annoy me a little that Sato has multiple love-interests, making it seem almost like a direct parallel to the hentai visual novel game he tries to make with his neighbour. This is emphasized with the handful of episodes that feel like standard fan-service pandering. Also, Sato himself seems incredibly dense. I know most of his stupidity is done for the sake of comedy and funny lines, but he still seems clueless about the people around him and how he is affecting them. Overall, it seems somewhat clumsy, which is a shame. And with everything Misaki does (and for how cute she is), you would think Sato would get a clue. Oh well. Also, one the final episodes has several shots of proper nudity (nipples), which is weird since all the previous episodes tried very hard to at least cover that stuff up a little. The animation was done by Gonzo, and it is by pure chance that I seem to keep watching shows that I like from them. The character designs are good, although the animation itself sometimes changes from standard to something that looks like contour-outlines (which I like, but the change is jarring). Also, it is obvious that they are terrible at animating cars or other moving vehicles. Music is decent, and I appreciating both the opening and ending credit sequences for various reasons. The English dub is good amongst the main characters. I feel that this show was well ahead of its time: I have no doubt that symptoms shown in this show will be more and more common in the decades to come. This show is also very watchable thanks to very likable characters. However, it also appears to be exactly the sort of show that it tries to explain creates hikikomori's, which is somewhat ironic. It will probably remain one of my favourite shows, and it certainly has merit in ways that most comedy/romance anime's never do, but it otherwise doesn't stand out as much as I would like. Maybe I should just stop watching and go outside.