* AdaptationDisplacement:
** The anime is much more well-known than the original novel, particularly outside Japan.
** In America, the manga sold better than the anime (due partly to ADV's imploding mid-release, partly to the poor reception the anime got due to OffModel), although the anime is easier to find now.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** In the anime, Misaki is either just a depressed girl looking for affection and purpose, or she's [[spoiler:a broken and manipulative stalker that's trying to force a shut-in to spend time/be in a relationship with her.]] It all depends on your point of view.
** Also in the anime, Satou is either someone who is just not sure what to do with their life, or one of the most selfish people in the series who constantly scolds others for trying to help him.
*** Manga Satou is worse. At least anime Satou attempts to improve (especially having his food supply get cut off).
** And isn't Hitomi ultimately the one who messed up Satou's head with her terminal nihilism and constant rambling about conspiracies? One might think she secretly enjoys the power she has over him.
* {{Anvilicious}}: Life's hardships are better dealt with head-on instead of running from them.
** Overlaps with the MisaimedFandom for a lot of readers. Even if it's better to deal with life head-on, looking at a character who for a lot of otaku with anxiety problems is like [[ThisLoserIsYou a disturbingly reflective mirror]], it just becomes painful to read and causes them to become even bigger introverts. An understandable choice, as even the author succumbed to it.
** Also, the surprisingly light message in such a dark series: Even if you feel worthless and alone there are still people who love you and care about you.
** Satou's revelation that the hikkikomori lifestyle is highly impractical and is only sustainable as long as someone pays for it which can't last forever.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
** "Odoru Akachan Ningen" as the ending theme and in the final episode. In fact, the entire soundtrack is beautiful. Go listen to it. Right now.
** It's sang by Kenji Ohtsuka when he was in his band Kingshow. This is the same singer who gave us the opening theme songs to ''Anime/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'', of course it's going to be awesome.
** Puzzle is a pretty good opening song (got to love those trumpets) and Hitori Bocchi is pretty iconic. SupraDarky even nominated Hitomi no Tame no Lullaby and Make It Home from Monster as good songs despite more of a VGM guy (over 1,000 songs too!). The soundtrack is just that good.
* CrossesTheLineTwice: Yamazaki's misogynist rant against women, culminating in, "BEGONE, DIRTY WHORES!" Especially as he ''instantly'' abandons his previous misogynistic attitude when the girl he likes calls to invite him to go watch the fireworks.
* DiagnosedByTheAudience:
** It's never stated what exactly is wrong with Satou, though he does suffer from delusions, paranoia, and severe social anxiety.
** Misaki's behavior strongly suggests that she has Borderline Personality Disorder.
* IronWoobie: While Yamazaki may not seem like an obvious woobie because he doesn't complain about his problems, he was bullied in school, left home because his parents tried to plan out every detail of his future, designed a game that failed spectacularly, and eventually had to give up his dreams and move back to the life he was trying to escape.
* MemeticMutation: Satou's T-shirt with "ХУṄ" written on it became a popular in-joke on Russian imageboards and anime forums. The reason for that? Well, the word "хуй" is a [[http://www.russki-mat.net/page.php?l=RuEn&a=%D1%85%D1%83%D0%B9 Russian vulgar word for "dick"]].
* MisaimedFandom:
** Let's just say that some of the series' core messages, such as "no ManicPixieDreamGirl is going to appear out of nowhere and fix your problems for you - and if one does, she's probably just manipulating you" and "being a {{Hikkikomori}} is an unsustainable and impractical lifestyle", aren't taken the way they're intended by certain fans.
** Several people identify with Kaoru and agree with his misogyny and it's deceptively easy to see why as he has been betrayed by women and had his heart broken many times. The series however hammers down that this isn't a healthy mindset.
* TearJerker: Episode 13.
** In particular, [[spoiler:the first hints of what happened to Misaki]] are stomach-churning.
** And the episode where [[spoiler:Yamazaki moves back to his farm realizing that his dream is futile]]. Hell, all of the last 4 episodes qualify.
** Most of the show walks the line between this and pitch-black comedy, really.
* TheWoobie:
** Satou. He's a good person, he just doesn't know it. Misaki also qualifies once you learn why she wants to help Satou: [[spoiler:her mother committed suicide, she blames herself and considers herself to be worthless and wants to find a friend/lover who's more pathetic than her.]]
** JerkassWoobie - Megumi. While she scammed a lot of people, she did it [[spoiler:to support her older hikikomori brother, who she cared about a lot. She doesn't exactly seem proud of her actions either.]]
*** [[spoiler:Her brother also qualifies, once he stops being a hikikomori and puts the moves on Misaki because Satou didn't/couldn't.]]
*** Yamasaki. Bossy and demanding, yet he was bullied in high school.
*** Hell, ''every'' character on the show could count as a JerkassWoobie depending on your interpretation.
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