Tatsuhiko Takimoto
Tatsuhiko Takimoto is a Japanese author best known for his novel Welcome to the N.H.K.
Welcome to the N.H.K. began as a single novel by Takimoto with a cover illustratation by Yoshitoshi ABe, which was published by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan on January 28, 2002.[citation needed] The story was later adapted as a manga series, also written by Takimoto, with art by Kendi Oiwa. The manga began serialization on June 24, 2004 in the magazine Shōnen Ace, also published by Kadokawa Shoten. The manga ended serialization in June 2007, with eight complete volumes released. The series was also adapted as a 24-episode anime television series, which aired in Japan between July 9, 2006 and December 17, 2006.
Takimoto wrote two Afterwords published in various editions of his novel. In the first afterword, dated December 2001, he stated that he was a hikikomori and was still recovering: "... the themes addressed in this story are not things of the past for me but currently active problems." In a second Afterword, dated April 2005, Takimoto admitted that he had not written "a single new story" since N.H.K. and that he was "reduced to a NEET, ... living as a parasite on the royalties from this book." He stated that he felt "completely unable to write" and "incapacitated."
Several novels he has serialized (in magazines like Faust) have had their collections delayed for several years while he revises them extensively.
Takimoto's first novel, Negative Happy Chainsaw Edge was published in 2001 and received a special category award at the fifth Kadokawa Gakuen Awards. It was adapted as a live-action Japanese film in 2008, starring Megumi Seki and Hayato Ichihara. A manga adaptation with artist Saiki Junichi was released in Monthly Shōnen Jump.
Takimoto participated in "Live at Faust," an anthology published by the Japanese literary magazine, Faust. Takimoto contributed a ~30 page story and part of a collaboratively written "relay novel" along with four other young writers.
“The enemy was close. Despite my fear, I was somehow having fun. Being chased and killed by villains was a thrilling vision. My paranoia really excited me.It stimulated me. In short, it was pleasant.If it was pleasant, it also must be fun.”
“There weren't any villains though. The world was just complicated in various ways, and there weren't any obvious villains to be found. It was excruciating.”
“Don't you understand? Listen carefully to what I'm saying. If you do, you'll get it. you can grasp this easily. In short...in short, I shut myself in because I'm lonely. Because I don't want to face any more loneliness, I shut myself away.”
“Being alone is best. I mean, it's true, isn't it? In the end you'll be absolutely alone; therefore, being alone is natural. If you accept that, nothing bad can happen. That's why I shut myself away in my six-mat one-room apartment.”
“To a hikikomori, winter is painful because everything feels cold, frozen over, and lonely. To a hikikomori, spring is also painful because everyone is in a good mood and therefore enviable. Summer, of course, is especially painful...”
“If that type of bad God did exist, then we could go on living in good health. If we could push the responsibility for our misery onto God, then we would have that much more peace of mind, wouldn't we?”
“Because of our broken instincts we are in pain. We continue in pain because our instincts have been twisted by reason. So, what are we supposed to do? Should we abandon knowledge? Throw away reason? In any event, that wouldn't be possible. For better or worse, we ate the fruit of knowledge long, long ago.”
“No human beings, regardless of who they might be, want to look directly at their own shortcomings.”
“A classmate from elementary school had married and divorced. Yamada was now raising two children on his own and going gray, which made her laugh. Kazumi, who had been living with a man, went home to her family. Yuusuke, who was trying to become a public servant, failed his test. Yamazaki, who was making erotic games, had all his dreams destroyed. "I'm testing my own talent. It doesn't have to be an erotic game, but I'll do. . . I'll do something!" When he proclaimed this, drunk from sake, his future already was set as a dairy farmer, chasing after cows. I no longer could see how he could escape it. At reunions and parties, everyone laughed and made a big fuss. Those events were fun, as was karaoke. Everyone had a good time and seemed sure that the future would be perfect: We could become anything! We could do anything! We could become happy! These things were true—but steadily, very steadily, at a speed so terribly slow we didn't even notice it, we were being run down. There was nothing we could do, even if we were in trouble, defeated, of crying. Every one of us eventually had some terrible experiences. The only difference was whether it would happen sooner or later; but in the end, we all would fall into some really unbearable situation. I was scared. I was scared of all sorts of things.”