Welcome to the N.H.K.

Welcome to the N.H.K. is a 2006 anime series based on the manga of the same name by Tatsuhiko Takimoto and Kenji Oiwa, with character drafts by Yoshitoshi ABe. Animated by GONZO, the anime aired on Chiba TV from July 9, 2006 to December 17, 2006 for 24 episodes. ADV Films formerly licensed and fully dubbed the anime, but Funimation has since relicensed the anime.

Background
The anime was announced on November 22, 2005. Animated by GONZO, the anime aired in Japan on Chiba TV from July 9, 2006 to December 17, 2006. ADV Films licensed the series in 2007, but the license was transferred to Funimation in 2008.

The anime is primarily based on the manga adaptation, which includes character designs by manga artist Kenji Oiwa. It is toned down from the manga, however. Later on, the anime takes elements from the original novel instead of the manga adaptation, due to the manga diverging from the novel at a certain point in the story. The anime is also infamous for it’s low budget animation, with some episodes having surreal and sloppy shots. This is probably how Yoshitoshi ABe, the illustrator of the novel’s cover, contributed to the anime, as he is known for the surreal shots in his anime series.

Release
The 24 episodes aired between July 9 and December 17, 2006 in Japan on Chiba TV. The dub of the series will begin airing on February 28, 2021 on CyrAnime.