I Watch Things Too: Welcome to the NHK

Welcome to the NHK- I was originally going to include this in the next edition, but NHK is far too important to me. Where discussion fails me, writing is my means of expression. An outlet by which the true Jamison Miller can connect to the world he occasionally feels alien in.

So please, read this with an open mind.

NHK is the anime rendition of Catcher in the Rye, a favorite of mine, for the modern day. As a 22 year-old hikikomori, Sato struggles with the purpose of his life. He moved away from home four years ago in order to attend college in Tokyo, but quickly dropped out in his first year and settled into a solitary lifestyle.

While stumbling in the last few episodes, holistically NHK is arguably my favorite piece of entertainment. That includes movies, shows, books, and even my biggest passion: video games. For me, Sato is the most relatable character I’ve ever encountered. The empty feeling of being a young adult, living on your own, not being all that social, and questioning where life is going to take you is something I know well. Countless times I’ve sat in my apartment- much like Sato- and questioned all the decisions I’ve made. Why do I dive deeper into debt for the sake of a college degree with questionable value? Why do I have trouble relating to others? And when the hell can I take the next step and truly define who I am?

Even in an ending proceeded by some weaker episodes, I truly understand the message. Life isn’t about overcoming your deficiencies. It’s about accepting them as apart of yourself and building an existence with the people you care about.

If you would ever like to truly understand me as a human being, then watch NHK. Not only is Sato the exaggerated Japanese version of myself, NHK exemplifies why I write about the things I love. They’re a means by which we can all relate to one another. Through them I’ve grown to understand that being judgmental and close-minded only serves to hinder your enjoyment of life. Views I had once not held have been made apart of my philosophical beliefs.

I feel we all have a piece of entertainment which defines who we are and helps to shape our future selves. Welcome to the NHK is my apogee of storytelling and something I hope you all can experience and learn from. Its character rapport will make you deeply contemplate your own relationships and their merits. There's also a healthy balance of comedic relief. Sato's paranoia often creates for some rather hysterical internal dialogue between himself and the inanimate objects of his apartment which embody his self-conscious.

I rarely rewatch or replay much of anything these days but NHK had me coming back for more the day after I finished.

Much like the cast it's centered around, it's a flawed masterpiece which reflects a subset of society with unadulterated verisimilitude. I love its strengths and I love its flaws; and I hope you'll give yourself a chance to fall in love with them too.

As articulate as I like to pretend I am, the piece linked below is from NHK's soundtrack and does a far better job of explaining what it's all about.

American Horror Story- There are some shows I have a mild interest in but after constant praise I give them a shot. American Horror Story is one of them.

Now I like horror, and despite the obvious problems posed by introducing the genre to television, the miniseries approach of AHS seems like a valid solution, but you wouldn’t know it from watching. My usual rule-of-thumb is to give five or six episodes before sprinting for the escape pod; AHS didn’t even last that long. It took me a whole three episodes before I abandoned this schizophrenic mess.

Episodes rarely settle into any sort of pace or place. They jump back-and-forth between several incoherent stories which range from “where’s the remote” to “hand me the closest heavy object capable of breaking the TV.”

The finishing blow though is the simple fact that AHS fails as a piece of horror. The jump scares are incredibly predictable and there’s a lack of tenseness thanks to undistinguished and sterile cinematography. Yes, there’s an air of campy weirdness, but being strange for the sake of it is hollow.

There’s a bad pun to made about the quality of AHS, but I think you get the point. American Horror Story is atrocious.

Steins;Gate- I’ve had a long-running fascination with time travel since watching Back to the Future as a kid. While not wholly realistic to the base concepts, BttF cultivated a fascination for the highly complex and paradox riddled subject. Naturally, Steins;Gate drew my interest. When fiction delves into time travel, it can often become convoluted. If plot holes are avoided, what comes out the other end can be an exceptional. Case and point, Steins;Gate.

In many ways the mold is reformed and broken. Okabe, the protagonist, has a female childhood friend, Mayuri, who isn’t all there, but it’s never outright said. Characters react to her in a natural manner. She’s unique but not token. The same could be said of Okabe, or most of others, the self-proclaimed mad scientist. The cast is such a hodgepodge of familiar and new that’s it near impossible not to get caught up in their lives.

While starting off seemingly innocent and light-hearted, things get serious with some heavy moral quandaries about manipulation of past events. I’ll unashamedly admit there was a moment where I actually curled up into a ball as a single tear rolled down my cheek.

Sadly to discuss any further may tempt the spoiler gods, and I wouldn’t want to rob you of the amazing ride. I often predict twists, but Steins;Gate does an exceptional job of pulling the curtains at the most opportune times. Finding a weak episode is a difficult task- and while it’s not my favorite anime- I’m inclined to say it’s the most technically sound.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues- Firstly, I need to admit I’ve never actually seen the entirety of Anchorman. Partly because I’m not a huge Will Ferrell fan- but what I've seen- I enjoy. Going to see Anchorman 2 in theaters wasn’t my first choice. Comedy sequels tend to miss the mark of their predecessors. Indeed, Anchorman 2 isn’t a barrage of constant big laughs, but I departed satisfied.

The biggest issue I take is in how far the style of comedy is taken at times. It’s stupid. No if, ands, or buts about it: Anchorman 2 is as dumb as it gets. But for the majority of the film, it’s a good dumb. Occasionally jokes miss their marks or drag on for too long. Easy humor is fine, but make sure you delivery it creatively. Change things up. Comedy is all about expectation management. Sometimes this is forgotten.

Mostly, it succeeds. The scene where Ron Burgundy starts getting it on with his black boss and random pictures of famous black people are strewn throughout in a montage style is hilarious. Or in the finale- which I’ll avoid spoiling- but know that it takes the crazy to a whole new level.

Anchorman 2 is a steady trickle of small laughs with the occasional dry spell and the even more rare big laugh. It’s probably better than it deserves to be, especially with an overarching satire of the decline of modern news media, which is out of place. There’s no need to rush out and spend an exorbitant amount of money on tickets, but at the same time, you’ll likely do so anyway thanks to the hype-train.

So heads up. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll likely find your time well spent on the second.

Out There- Undeniably, homosexuality is one of the most hotly debated topics of our age. Which is sort of embarrassing considering we’ve been around for a fair few years. If you consider yourself a decent human being and a responsible citizen, it’s necessary to educate yourself on such important societal issues. One way of doing this is by watching documentaries.

Stephen Fry- British comedian, actor, and activist- decided to take it upon himself to tour the world and visit countries where such a topic is...well, topical.

As a gay man, Fry clearly has his own views on the matter, but Out There does a great job of exposing the utter bullshit the LBGT community has to live with. While part of the world may seem fairly progressive, there are those who are regressing. Ghana and Russia are two big examples shown in detail during this two-parter.

But it’s not all about attacking those in the wrong. The overarching message is clear. Respect, or at the very least tolerance. Even if you don’t fully agree with Fry’s views or approach, the facts presented are real and sobering. The world is not as accepting as it pretends to be.

In summary. If you’re not a brainwashed and close-minded person filled with disdain for people who are not affecting your life negatively, you’ll likely find Out There rather enjoyable and educational.