Misaki’s source of her torment in her defeated voice, her determined fall, Satou’s desperate persuasion, and the life saving hug. Everything that happened up until the embrace was convincing, poignant even. But soon after that Satou doubles over screaming about NHK, and a big monster appears, with accompanying rocking music. This isn’t an isolated incident, this is typical of NHK. Just when something is getting engagingly serious, the show injects some ridiculous, as if to tease the watcher. This pattern could be indicating us not to take the show too seriously. But when we’re dealing with topics like suicide, domestic abuse, drug addictions, and the like, it’s hard not to take it seriously, but then with this NHK tendency we know if we do we’re going be duped again. It’s an exasperating point of the anime. The manga was wilder and more over the top, so it was clearer not to read it too critically.
NHK is rife with cynicism and sorrow. While series like ARIA and YKK looks on the bright side and reminds us of the good things in life, NHK does the opposite; it sees through a layer of gloom of a world filled with unhappiness. But it also reminds one that you’re not the only one with problems, and that misery is a part of living. No one has an immaculate life. Thus ironically, NHK is life-affirming just like the other two.
