115 - Welcome to the NHK vol. 8

115 - Welcome to the NHK vol. 8

Author: We Appreciate Manga™ May 21, 2023 Duration: 33:51

The conclusion to the manga like most Japanese slice of life and coming of age drama adds an expected air of ambiguity. But for one, we could not escape an Evangelion reference and talk musings on (or in Will's case rant on) our nostalgia baiting consumer culture having a harmful effect on us maturing into adults. Skip plot summary @ 3:03

 

Email: WeAppreciateManga@Gmail.com

 

115: Welcome to the NHK vol. 8

Chapters 31 to 35, Welcome to the Party! and Welcome to the NHK!

Story by Tatsuhiko Takimoto

Art by Kendi Oiwa

English Translation by Katherine Schilling and Zachary Rau

Lettering by Star Print Brokers

 

Misaki decides to have sex with Megumi's brother but in doing so questions if any of her actions will make her happy. She quickly hears Sato's voice and puts her clothes back on. Megumi's brother realises he cannot give Misaki what she wants.

Sato, Kaoru and Misaki are all together. Kaoru has a plan to grow seeds to help his revolution, Misaki convinces them to let her join and eventually the seeds turn into flowers.

Misaki and Sato begin a relationship, Misaki using a check list to help nurture that relationship but the following pages show a deeply troubled, bizarre, mentally and draining relationship as Sato comes with Misaki who displays BPD.

Eventually it all accumulates to Sato and Misaki in the attack of their old apartment building. As its ready to be demolished they talk about their feelings and everything else between them.

Sato makes an escape and Misaki follows both of them claiming their hatred and love for one another.

Cut to a couple of months later we see Sato trying his hardest to live a decent life, he looks at pictures of everyone he knows and say they are all doing good. One of the pictures is a smiling Misaki holding a degree in her hand to show she graduated.

 

Topics:

 

·       Borderline Personality Disorder.

·       The Hardships of relationships.

·       The ambiguity of relationships at the manga's conclusion.

·       Differences from the manga to the anime.

·       Consumerism and the "Nostalgia baiting" effect as a detriment on growing up.

 

References:

 

·       A reference to 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' is seen in volume 8, with Sato resembling the main character Shinji Ikari.

 

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There's a particular kind of magic that happens when a friend hands you a book they love, especially when that book is a manga. We Appreciate Manga captures that exact feeling, beginning each conversation with a personal recommendation before letting the discussion wander into deeper territory. Hosted by the team at We Appreciate Manga™, this series is less a formal review and more like eavesdropping on a thoughtful, sometimes rambling, chat between enthusiasts. You’ll hear them explore how specific stories resonate, why certain artistic choices matter, and the very real comfort these illustrated narratives can provide during difficult periods. It’s a celebration of the medium that goes beyond plot summaries to appreciate manga as a unique and powerful form of visual storytelling. Think of it as your audio companion to a vibrant, anime-adjacent book club where the panels come to life through conversation. New episodes of this podcast have been available since August 2022, offering a consistent space to connect with the art and heart of these stories.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

We Appreciate Manga
Podcast Episodes
055 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 13 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:05
Sadamoto handles the final scenes with Shinji and Asuka with a great deal of respect, and all without straying too far from the plot of the anime. Skip plot summary @ 9:03 Email: WeAppreciateManga@Gmail.com 055: Neon Gen…
054 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 12 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:26
James thinks about the Madonna/whore complex around Shinji x Misato. And how Evangelion is better at telling a cosmic tale than Ridley Scott's Prometheus. Skip synopsis @10:56 Email: WeAppreciateManga@Gmail.com 054: Neon…
053 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:23
Steven and James talk about End of Eva, losing friends and canned coffee. Skip the synopsis @ 9:10 mark. Email: WeAppreciateManga@Gmail.com 053: Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 11 Chapters 71 to 76, "Descendent of Adam" and…
052 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 10 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:45
Kaworu develops feelings for Shinji, in a very different way compared to his short screen time in the anime. skip synopsis @ 13:25 052: Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 9 Chapters 64 to 70, "Tears" and "A Gathering of Nothin…
051 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 9 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:13
We talk about how Kawaoryu makes his presence known as Asuka's journey takes a dark turn. And unlike the anime, Shinji doesn't like Kawaoryu. Email: WeAppreciateManga@Gmail.com 051: Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 9 Chapter…
050 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 8 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:29
Since the main character is in a coma, we get to explore the rest of the characters and their relationships. James talks about being in love with the "wrong" person, the "they're not good for you" type, skip synopsis @5:…
049 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 7 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:52
We find characters whose traumatic past prevents them from loving each other a la Sophie's choice, and Shinji also has to carry that weight. Also Tabris (Kawaoryu) is introduced, way earlier than in the anime. Skip plot…
048 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:11
In this volume characters start to come across points of no return, with plenty talk on quantum theory and Bento boxes! Skip plot summary @ 3:46 048: Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 6 Chapters 34 to 40 ('the fourth child' t…
047 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:48
The Manga starts to differentiate itself from the anime, now that all characters come together. Shinji experiences his first late night party and when the lights go off, things also get a bit steamy! Skip synop @3:49 Neo…
046 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:05
Asuka comes to Japan! The definitive red haired tsundere shakes things up. We talk about the human genome, freudian stuff and the politics of a break up because of Misato x Kaji. Skip synopsis @ 8:23 Neon Genesis Evangel…