'Struggling Single Guy' Stories

[x0dus]

Hey, Im currently watching through 'Welcome to the NHK!' and I like the kind of themes this anime has. Im wondering if there are any of a similar description that I can watch once Ive finished with this one.

Basically, young-adult struggling with life, mundane jobs or unemployment, being single, maybe some kind of Otaku sorta theme might be cool, dont mind a bit of romance sorta stuff but not too heavy.

Ive seen Welcome to the NHK but nothing else of this description so any and all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks a lot

[jedinat]

Genshiken - prolly a good bet. Slice of life comedy following a club of otakus.

Planetes - you might also want to take a look at this... realistic, rather humble sci-fi about the everyday lives of a space debris collection team.

[x0dus]

Thanks I'll check Planetes out - sounds cool from the description on AniDB.

Ye I should have mentioned Ive already seen Genshiken - and that is the kind of thing Im looking for. Doesn't have to be pure Otaku themed of Anime as I know there arent many of those but any that depict the dullness of 'regular' life and themes such as unemployment and being single would be cool.

[Nightengale]

Rozen Maiden Season 1.

It's main character is a NEET, trapping himself in his own room while he deals with living dolls parading around his house and fighting a game called Alice Game. The only issue is that the conflict of the single guy story is mostly secondary to the dolls.

Traditionally, there's always a number of "phoenix from the ashes life of one person" story. Rocky stories are always a famous story medium but I can't think of many that addresses the main character's issue from problems of such that's addressed in NHK.

[domino]

I really liked the struggles of the boys in Honey & Clover. Single, broke art students It's good to see stories about young guys that aren't in high school for once...

[x0dus]

I started watching Honey and Clover ages ago but couldnt get through it, I'll give it another shot once I finish NHK (3 episodes left).

Has anyone seen Bartender? If so what do they think of it? Sounds like a cool concept for an anime if its what Im thinking it is...

[SeijiSensei]

I'll speak up for Bartender, one of the series I voted for (along with NHK) in that tops-in-2006 poll mentioned in the General Anime section. I like this show for a variety of reasons. First, it's definitely targeted at adults. Many of the characters are over 30, some are in their 60's. Much of the show concerns memories and regrets and how they might be tied to a particular alcoholic beverage, or perhaps resolved by consuming one. Even though Bartender might be seen as a slice-of-life type show, it's actually a fantasy as can be seen by the characters breaking through the "fourth wall," and by the theatrical lighting and staging effects that are used.

I recommend watching the first two episodes to see whether this show is for you. The first episode is mostly setting up the rest of the series, though it gives you an introduction to why Ryuu is called the "Glass of the Gods," the central conceit of the show. The second episode, about the hotel heiress Miwa, is one of the best anime episodes I've ever watched. If you don't like the show after that episode, you probably won't like the rest, either.

There isn't anyone in the show who's a parallel to Satou-san though, so it doesn't really fit this category of "struggling single guy" stories. If you're open to a "struggling single girl" story, I recommend Hataraki Man.

[crall]

Otaku no Video. If you like otaku themed animes, you shouldn't miss out on this short, 2 eps, OVA.

[x0dus]

Thanks for the suggestions so far, Im going to try Planetes and I'll try rewatching Honey and Clover again. Maybe I'll enjoy it this time around

Yeh so keep the suggestions coming, I'll give you more to work with:

Im looking for something with the same kind of atmosphere as Beck and things like NHK! - just a chilled out series with maybe a little bit of drama but not too much soppy romance sort of stuff. Is there anything with people just like, hanging out? I suppose kind of like Genshiken where they just hang out together and talk about Anime.

Maybe things set in a school environment but not too young.

Im going to check that Bartender out, but the Lunar release doesnt work well on my Computer so I'll try and find an alternative one. So far Ive only found Conclave's AVI version - if anyone knows any others that arent listed on AniDB please let me know. (Also I hope that its ok to talk about downloading Bartender, Im aware its still unlicensed. If im wrong let me know and I'll take it out of the post)

I also dont really like any 'cute' style stuff, or things with all female characters that are 8 years old.

So yeh without meaning to be too picky or annoying, keep the titles coming I appreciate all the suggestions! If you feel something is worth watching, then ignore everything I have posted and let me know about it. Im open to new things as long as they are good. I believe if something is truly good then it doesnt matter what Genre or Themes it has, anyone can like it!

[Joojoobees]

While it is quite different from Welcome to the NHK, another show you might check out is Salaryman Kintaro. The main character is a little older (probably in his late 20s), and he has a kid, but his wife is dead, so he fits the "struggling single guy" theme. Plus the show is pretty funny.

If you know about GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka, it is kind of like that. If you don't know about GTO, I suggest you check that one out as well.