List of Welcome to the N.H.K. episodes

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This article lists the episodes attributed to the anime version of Welcome to the N.H.K.. It aired in Japan between July 9, 2006 and December 17, 2006, containing 24 episodes.

[edit] Episode list

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Title	Original air date	#

"Welcome to the Project!" "Purojekuto ni Yōkoso!" (プロジェクトにようこそ！)	July 9, 2006	01
Satō Tatsuhiro's hikikomori origins are explained. His anxieties lead him to believe that he is a victim of a conspiracy known as the NHK, which creates hikikomori via manipulating the media. He meets a mysterious girl called Misaki Nakahara who claims to be able to cure his hikikomori ways.
"Welcome to the Creator!" "Kurieitā ni Yōkoso!" (クリエイターにようこそ！)	July 16, 2006	02
Misaki tries to convince Tatsuhiro to sign a contract with her, whereby he will be obligated to listen to her as she tries to ease him out of his hikikomori lifestyle. Later, Tatsuhiro discovers that his otaku neighbor is actually his high school friend Kaoru Yamazaki who is studying a media course in creating games. Using Kaoru's book, he lies to Misaki that he is actually a games creator, not a hikikomori, and that he could show her a game that he had made. Overhearing this conversation, Kaoru decides to help Tatsuhiro make an adult video game, and assigns him the role of the scenario writer.
"Welcome to the Beautiful Girls!" "Bishōjo ni Yōkoso!" (美少女にようこそ！)	July 23, 2006	03
Kaoru introduces Tatsuhiro to eroge, and Tatsuhiro spends all his time playing all of Kaoru's erotic games and collecting pornographic pictures for "reference material". He ends up not doing any work on the game, much to Kaoru's chagrin.
"Welcome to the New World!" "Shin Sekai ni Yōkoso!" (新世界にようこそ！)	July 30, 2006	04
Tatsuhiro is now a full-fledged otaku, and Kaoru brings him to Akihabara in hopes that it will inspire him to work. They end up going to maid cafes and spending all their money on otaku merchandise. By chance, Tatsuhiro bumps into his high school senior Hitomi Kashiwa, and ends up having a drink with her.
"Welcome to Counselling!" "Kaunseringu ni Yōkoso!" (カウンセリングにようこそ！)	August 6, 2006	05
Hitomi and Tatsuhiro's past is explored briefly. Tatsuhiro finally admits to Misaki that he is a hikikomori, and signs the contract. They have their first counselling session, and Tatsuhiro embarrasses Misaki with Freudian symbolism.
"Welcome to the Classroom!" "Kurasurūmu ni Yōkoso!" (クラスルームにようこそ！)	August 13, 2006	06
Tatsuhiro discovers from Misaki that Kaoru has a cute girlfriend in his media school. Despite his hikikomori condition, Tatsuhiro ventures out to Kaoru's school to ascertain the truth. However, while the trip causes him another panic attack, he manages to find out the truth about Kaoru's supposed relationship.
"Welcome to the Moratorium!" "Moratoriamu ni Yōkoso!" (モラトリアムにようこそ！)	August 20, 2006	07
Traumatised by his latest panic attack, Tatsuhiro refuses to leave his apartment. Under the guise of a summer flu, he gets kaoru to buy him his daily necessities. Later, he is surprised by a phone call from his mother who tells him that she would like to visit him and discuss his future. Afraid of what his mother might think, he lies to her that he has a job and a girlfriend whom he plans to marry. This leads Tatsuhiro in even deeper trouble, and he gets Kaoru to help him create a fake video game developing company. Misaki later volunteers to be his girlfriend.
"Welcome to Chinatown!" "Chūkagai ni Yōkoso!" (中華街にようこそ！)	August 27, 2006	08
Tatsuhiro is in a desperate attempt to clean his dirty apartment before his mother comes, and Misaki helps him. The two and Tatsuhiro's mother later have lunch in a chinese restaurant. When Tatsuhiro leaves to go to the bathroom, his mother tells Misaki that she knows this was all a setup because she could always tell whenever he was lying. Tatsuhiro overhears this and starts feeling even guiltier. However, in his presence, his mother goes along with the story and does not give Tatsuhiro a chance to clear himself. Later, Tatsuhiro and Misaki get carried away with their fake relationship.
"Welcome to Summer Days!" "Natsu no Hi ni Yōkoso!" (夏の日にようこそ)	September 03, 2006	09
Kaoru is crushed when the girl he asks out for a fireworks festival turns him down. She claims that she has an audition the same night, and Kaoru accepts this excuse but does not believe it. Meanwhile, Tatsuhiro is tormented by his newfound feelings for Misaki, and is so disturbed he can't concentrate on writing a scenario. Kaoru and Tatsuhiro decide to showcase their game in Natsucomi, a comiket.
"Welcome to the Dark Side!" "Dāku Saido ni Yōkoso!" (ダークサイドにようこそ！)	September 10, 2006	10
Tatsuhiro and Kaoru decide that Misaki is being purposefully mysterious and misleading. They stalk her in order to find out her real motives.
"Welcome to the Conspiracy!" "Inbō ni Yōkoso!" (陰謀にようこそ！)	September 17, 2006	11
Hitomi's feelings of isolation lead her to join a mysterious internet group, where she makes up stories about being beaten up by her lover (whom she imagines to be Tatsuhiro). Meanwhile Tatsuhiro and Kaoru have finished making the game for Natsuocomi and are preparing for the trip. However, a phone call from Hitomi to Tatsuhiro causes changes to the plan.
"Welcome to the Offline Meeting!" "Ofukai ni Yōkoso!" (オフ会にようこそ！)	September 24, 2006	12
Tatsuhiro and Hitomi meet up with the other members of the internet group, and they head off to a beach island. The dark and grim atmosphere of the group makes Tatsuhiro suspicious of their true intentions.
"Welcome to Heaven!" "Tengoku ni Yōkoso!" (天国にようこそ！)	October 1, 2006	13
The offline meeting turns out to be a suicide pact, and Tatsuhiro gets entangled in their dark scheme. Meanwhile, Jōgasaki, Kaoru and Misaki are able to put together what is happening, and rush to save the group.
"Welcome to Reality!" "Riaru ni Yōkoso!" (現実(リアル)にようこそ！)	October 8, 2006	14
After recovering from the offline meeting, the group ends up getting checked into an onsen (hot springs) courtesy of Jōgasaki, who also contacts each person's family. Their loved ones come and show them that their lives mean something. Misaki and Tatsuhiro are still on bad terms until they meet for one more meeting. Will it be their last one?
"Welcome to the Fantasy!" "Fantajī ni Yōkoso!" (ファンタジーにようこそ！)	October 15, 2006	15
Tatsuhiro's allowance is cut and he needs to get a job. He decides to join a MMORPG called Ultimate Fantasy to make some cash by selling game items for real money. His obsession with the RPG deters him to not do any work on his eroge scenario and he misses counselling sessions with Misaki. Meanwhile on the MMORPG world called Vina Teelo, Tatsuhiro meets a catgirl called Mia and forms a party with her.
"Welcome to the Game Over!" "Gēmu Ōbā ni Yōkoso!" (ゲームオーバーにようこそ！)	October 22, 2006	16
Misaki walks in to a rather disheveled Tatsuhiro and a messed up room, as he has apparently relapsed into his old hikikomori ways. When Tatsuhiro decides to search an item to sell, his partner Mia invites a party to do dragon slaying. Both Kaoru and Misaki attempt to free Tatsuhiro from his obsession, but Tatsuhiro's fantasy gaming comes to a sudden close when the catgirl partner Mia turns out to be someone he knows.
"Welcome to Happiness!" "Hapinesu ni Yōkoso!" (はぴねすにようこそ！)	October 29, 2006	17
Tatsuhiro meets up with his an old high school friend, his class representative called Megumi Kobayashi. When he divulges to her that he's a hikikomori, she tells him she knows someone who can help cure his NEET problem. She ends up whisking him off to an old dilapidated building where he finds himself listening to a sales pitch. Tatsuhiro manages to escape, but Megumi chases after him and tells him her sad story. Is she only trying to help him or is she just using him?
"Welcome to No Future!" "Nō Fyūchā ni Yōkoso!" (ノーフューチャーにようこそ！)	November 5, 2006	18
Realizing he has been tricked, Tatsuhiro meets with Kobayashi to call the deal off. Although she at first seems willing to let him go, she soon manages to distract the group (Tatsuhiro, Kaoru and Misaki), eventually selling them another fake product which would allegedly help Tatsuhiro with his hikikomori problem. On the way home, they realize they have been fooled and ultimately confront Megumi at her home, only to find her brother is actually one of the players who tagged along with Tatsuhiro in the Ultimate Fantasy MMORPG.
"Welcome to the Bluebird!" "Aoi Tori ni Yōkoso!" (青い鳥にようこそ！)	November 12, 2006	19
The Mouse Road corporation is found out and the leaders are arrested by the police. Megumi does not come home for a few days due of her being arrested and her brother starves. Bein, so hungry, he begs for food at a local ramen shop and gets hired to deliver. Megumi decides she may go back to college.
"Welcome to the Winter Day!" "Fuyu no Hi ni Yōkoso!" (冬の日にようこそ！)	November 19, 2006	20
Problems with Kaoru's father's health heralds his return home to the farm where the family has planned his life through to his death. This now means the game project has to be sped up as Kaoru will soon leave Tokyo for good. As reference for a female reaction, Kaoru gets Tatsuhiro to secretly videotape Kaoru's embarrassing confession to his crush, Nanako, revealing his full otaku ways.
"Welcome to the Reset!" "Risetto ni Yōkoso!" (リセットにようこそ！)	November 26, 2006	21
Tatsuhiro and Kaoru are ecstatic as they review the completed version of the True World eroge they created together. Their enthusiasm is, however, premature as the game's sales turn out to be quite poor. After packing his things, Kaoru leaves for his hometown the following morning, accompanied by Tatsuhiro who is to be seeing him off at the railway station. Feeling alone, Tatsuhiro once again falls prey to his delusions of grandeur, this time believing he his actually a god. Misaki informs Tatsuhiro she'll be testing what he has learned since they began counselling by going out with him to Shibuya during New Year's Eve. Momentariously distracted by his paranoid thoughts, Tatsuhiro loses sight of Misaki and runs, by chance, into Hitomi Kashiwa.
"Welcome to God!" "Kamisama ni Yōkoso!" (神様にようこそ！)	December 3, 2006	22
Tatsuhiro and Hitomi spend New Year's Eve together in Tokyo talking about their lives, infused with sexual situations dreamt of by Tatsuhiro. Misaki spies Hitomi and Tatsuhiro arm in arm as he leads Hitomi to the Shibuya train station for a final farewell. Misaki and Tatsuhiro find each other at the train station where he lies about his meeting with Hitomi, sending Misaki into depression. Saying God is evil, and believing she is unwanted by Tatsuhiro, Misaki grows cold and distant. At their next meeting she reveals that she saw him and Hitomi leaving a love hotel in Tokyo together, but Tatsuhiro doesn't counter the accusation. As he ponders the desperation of the next year, Misaki believes Tatsuhiro is now her prisoner.
"Welcome to Misaki!" "Misaki ni Yōkoso!" (岬にようこそ！)	December 10, 2006	23
Tatsuhiro and Misaki have another lecture in the park, the topic being "Famous Last Words", during which Misaki quizzes him. After the quiz, the two continue to discuss suicide for a short time, until Misaki gets ready to leave. Before she does so, she informs Tatsuhiro that there is to be a graduation exam the day after, regardless of the weather. The exam involves the two taking a tour around the city, after which the two end up in the usual park again. Misaki informs Tatsuhiro that he's passed the project with flying colors, and pushes another contract toward Tatsuhiro which outlines a relationship between the two. How will Tatsuhiro react to this change of events?
"Welcome to the N.H.K!" "N.H.K. ni Yōkoso!" (N･H･Kにようこそ！)	December 17, 2006	24
Tatsuhiro completes his chase to stop Misaki from committing suicide at the cliff where her mother killed herself years earlier. On the outlook of the cliff, in the snow, Misaki attempts suicide only to be stopped by Tatsuhiro. Moments later, Tatsuhiro attempts to commit suicide in a sacrifice to kill one of his imaginative fantasies (the "last boss" of the NHK) but fails due to a protective grid. They return to Tokyo. After a time, Misaki hands Tatsuhiro an agreement which she has named the Nihon Hitojichi Koukankai (Japanese Hostage Exchange Meeting); an agreement that each will continue to live, and suffer their life's problems, as long as the other one does. Misaki has already signed. Satou adds his name, thus finally joining an N.H.K.