Thanks! I recall thinking as I wrote this that it all seemed surprisingly both plausible and faithful to the NHK world.
Anime shows are notorious for unresolved endings. I've seen arguments to the effect that such irresolution represents a "Japanese" view of life, but I think the economics of the manga industry play a role as well. The manga-ka, the publisher, and any anime licensor all want series to continue for years. Resolving a central story line raises the possibility ("fear" might be a better term) that whatever the manga-ka comes up with to replace that line might not be so compelling as the original.
If anything,
NHK ni Youkoso! displays the value of a franchise in spades. Reading back over this thread I see a lot of enthusiasm for the
NHK story in its anime, manga and novel forms and even a plea for a live-action version. From what I've read here, all the versions of the story portray different trajectories with different endings. It also looks like some people here are willing to support the franchise financially in all its forms.
Do you think this diversity of story lines and lack of resolution helps or hurts
NHK in the long run? It sounds to me like it's a big plus financially since you can collect multiple streams of revenue from the most devoted fans. Artistically it's a more open question, I think. As an anime viewer, I felt rather gypped by the show's ending. Maybe I'll put the novel on my Xmas list. I have some of the manga, but I prefer reading text, and I can save my daughter some money
Does anyone know if NHK has a big paraphernalia market as well? A little searching for Misaki items turned up a
figurine and a remarkably risqué
hug pillow. If there's not a large paraphernalia market, being able to re-market the same content across different media provides an important alternative revenue source.