History Main / Hikikomori

* The self-proclaimed otaku in ''Literature/WorldWarZ'' was one, and spent all his time on ImageBoards discussing trivia and obscure facts. When the ZombieApocalypse starts, he spends his time dedicating himself to researching how to defend yourself from zombies, zombie information, and what Japan would do to protect himself, going so far as to hack into doctors studying the infection for e-fame. He gets so obsessed that it's a long time before he realizes the entire city has been infected. This finally forces him out of his apartment.

-> '''Gimpy''': I'm out of the will, but it's worth it.

** Stoop Kid was has been on the stoop of his house since he was a baby. He never leaves due to fear and is eventually made fun of as a result. Arnold eventually convinces him to step off it, though he ultimately chooses to stay because now he can, not because he has to.

** Gimpy will only leave his room when absolutely necessary. He even avoids going home to his family on Christmas vacation.
** In one episode, Nitz isolates himself in his own room out of frustration out of being nothing but a forgettable GenericGuy to everyone. Ironically, this ends up making him ''more'' memorable to the student body.

* ''Literature/Overlord2012'': Thousand-Eyes Astrologer, a {{seer|s}} from the Slane Theocracy and the Seventh Seat of its Black Scripture, [[ShellShockedVeteran becomes so indescribably terrified]] after using her power to bear witness to the [[MookHorrorShow Battle of Katze Plains]] that she shuts herself in her room and refuses to ever leave, constantly hiding under her blanket and trembling in fear. Considering the [[EldritchHorror monstrosities]] that Ainz unleashed in said battle, it's a miracle that she didn't go catatonic.

In media, ''hikikomori'' will be PlayedForDrama as much as PlayedForLaughs (the latter is more encompassed by the BasementDweller). They're often shown as creative types, hence the trope of the ReclusiveArtist who often behaves like this; the main difference is that the ReclusiveArtist is usually old and grumpy at the world, while the ''hikikomori'' is young and terrified of the world. A ''hikikomori'' who is also a {{NEET}} (which is all of them) and the hikikomori term is often used interchangeably with the term NEET.

The word comes [[TropeNamesFromOtherLanguages from Japanese]]; although it's not an exclusively Japanese phenomenon, it seems to be [[JapaneseMediaTropes more prevalent in Japan than anywhere else]]. This is because Japanese culture can easily facilitate someone becoming a ''hikikomori''. First, there's [[EducationMama incredible pressure]] on [[AchievementTestOfDestiny young people]] to succeed, which leads them to snap and withdraw from society. Second, social stigma about mental illness [[TherapyIsForTheWeak discourages these young people from seeking outside help]]. Third, there is a strong tradition of caring for one's family members, so a shut-in's parents will indulge their kid by cooking or doing laundry. In some western countries, mainly those from the Anglosphere, a {{Basement Dweller}}'s parents will usually get fed up at some point and try to invene in their child's isolationist behavior in some manner, either seeking out council from or demanding that the child talk to a mental health professional, or even outright kicking them out, but you'll never see that in Japan. And fourth, Japan is a remarkably easy place to live without ever having to interact with a human being, being full of vending machines and 24-hour corner stores (so if you do have to leave the house, you can do it in the middle of the night when nobody's around) -- on top of being able to just buy things on the Internet.

->"''And I got offended on behalf of my imaginary children! So I said 'Listen, lady, I went outside as much as Powder from the movie {{Film/Powder}}, my kids are gonna be up in their rooms all day playing violent video games and catfishing pedophiles!'''"
-->--'''Creator/JohnMulaney''', in his ''The Comeback Kid'' special.

->''"I '''hate''' the outside. Screw you, outside!"''
-->-- ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E15AgentForHARM Agent for H.A.R.M.]]"

* [[TheDragon Serizawa Katsuya]] from ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'' spent 15 years of his life living in his room out of fear of hurting others with his uncontrollable psychic powers. He only manages to leave after being sought out by another (more powerful) esper named [[AGodIAm Touichirou Suzuki]] who persuades Serizawa to join him on his crusade of creating a new world order for espers like them. While he does leave his bedroom to join the tyrant king, Serizawa's self-isolation resulted in him becoming extremely anxious in social situations and is near dependent on others. [[spoiler:He starts to get better when he joins "Spirts and Such" and develops healthier friendships with the heroes.]]

The word comes [[TropeNamesFromOtherLanguages from Japanese]]; although it's not an exclusively Japanese phenomenon, it seems to be [[JapaneseMediaTropes more prevalent in Japan than anywhere else]]. This is because Japanese culture can easily facilitate someone becoming a ''hikikomori''. First, there's [[EducationMama incredible pressure]] on [[AchievementTestOfDestiny young people]] to succeed, which leads them to snap and withdraw from society. Second, social stigma about mental illness [[TherapyIsForTheWeak discourages these young people from seeking outside help]]. Third, there is a strong tradition of caring for one's family members, so a shut-in's parents will indulge their kid by cooking or doing laundry. In some western countries, mainly those from the Anglosphere, a {{Basement Dweller}}'s parents might eventually give up and kick them out, but you'll never see that in Japan. And fourth, Japan is a remarkably easy place to live without ever having to interact with a human being, being full of vending machines and 24-hour corner stores (so if you do have to leave the house, you can do it in the middle of the night when nobody's around) -- on top of being able to just buy things on the Internet.

* Marge from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' becomes a hikki in the episode "Strong Arms of the Ma" following a traumatic experience of being robbed at gunpoint. It's actually a somewhat realistic portrayal.

** In "Suited for Success", the failure of the initial fashion show using the other Mane Five's own dress designs causes Rarity to have a HeroicBSOD and shut herself in her bedroom for several days, considering leaving town, until they coax her out by completing her own unfinished dress and arranging with Hoity Toity to hold a second fashion show with Rarity's original designs.
** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsmagicS2E19PuttingYourHoofDown Putting Your Hoof Down]]", Fluttershy boards herself up in her house after her JerkassRealization for fear of hurting otherponies with her new aggressive assertiveness.

* One appears in the ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' episode "Rebirth", a shut-in 22-year-old man who has gained airbending and thus the Avatar's attention (since she needs to rebuild the Air Nomads), leading to a hilarious banter as she tries to convince him to leave his house, that ends up in questioning ''her'' life choices. [[SelfDeprecation He's also based on the animation director]]. The next season reveals that he eventually grew out of this and joined the Air Nomads, with his job being a tour guide for the Spirit Vine Wilds in Republic City.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': According to Yellow Diamond, [[spoiler:[[ThePerfectionist White Diamond]]]] never leaves her ship, and never lets anyone in aside from [[spoiler:her Pearl and Pink Diamond]]. Since she's also never left Homeworld in eons, it's also possible that she has spent that ''entire time'' in her ship. [[spoiler:She finally leaves Homeworld at the end of "Change Your Mind".]]

** Tina becomes one in "Ex Mach-Tina" when she sprains an ankle and is given a mobile screen so she could still attend class while recuperating at home. She finds that Jimmy Jr. opens up to her screen and stays in her room longer than she was supposed to in order to maintain a relationship with him. She is finally pushed to leave her room by her family, who are worried about her well-being (and note that she's starting to smell).
** "Roller? I Hardly Knew Her!" features an agoraphobic woman named Brenda, who was told by her therapist to start going into public places. She chooses Bob's Burgers because there's hardly any customers. At first she just sits inside her car in front of the restaurant, which has Linda and Teddy speculating why she's there. Eventually, Bob convinces her to come inside; she gets scared away by an overeager Linda.

* WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants becomes one for an episode following a sports accident and a vague threat from his doctor about an "iron butt."

* Dorothy encounters one of these in an episode of ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' when she's helping her mother Sophia volunteer for Meals on Wheels. The individual in question subscribes to the program to keep himself fed. However, this hikikomori is a middle-aged man (played by Martin Mull) whose apartment is basically a shrine to TheSeventies; he's secluded himself because TechnologyMarchesOn and it, and the world in general, terrifies him.

%%* Geo Stelar in ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'', though only for the first game.
* Mizutani Eri, one of the idols in ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster: Dearly Stars''. She used to be an Internet idol, but her manager coerced her into making a real-life debut as she was recovering.
* Henry Townshend of ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'' was TheQuietOne even before he woke up one morning and found himself literally locked in his own apartment. While his shut-in-ness is supernaturally enforced by a malevolent spirit, none of his neighbors show much concern that they haven't seen him for days.


* ''VideoGame/MonsterLab'': "Who are you to ask De La Sombra to return to the outside world! It is far too scary- [[HypocriticalHumor er, beneath him!]]"
* Aeon from ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' universe is said to be a shut-in otaku. This example is particularly amusing because she's the game's ''goddess of time''. [[spoiler:We actually get a preview of her hikikomori tendencies at the end of Double's story mode, where she's revealed to have a bunch of doujin magazines and [[BreakingTheFourthWall a copy of]] ''Skullgirls''.]]
* Kaoru Watabe from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' was this prior to ''[=KoF=] '97'' due to her being confined to a wheelchair, which left her unable to communicate with other people. She slowly gets better by seeing Athena's determination on TV and sends a letter to her to cheer her and her teammates on. When she finally meets them, she is very happy and becomes friends with them, [[spoiler: even pulling a BigDamnHeroes moment on the Psycho Soldiers Team in one of their '''99'' endings.]]
* Murasaki from ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' is usually seen secluded in her room playing with her teddy bear, [[CompanionCube Bebeby]], or surfing the internet all day. If she's dragged out of it for shinobi-related matters like missions or training by her team, she's basically trying to convince them to let her go back to her room any chance she gets. Her online username is even ''cute_shutin''.
* Hidabat from ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch''. When he curses someone, he causes them to become one as well. He is a bat-like Yo-kai, with his Japanese name, Hikikōmori, being a pun on this and of the Japanese word for "bat". His wings are even patterned like a wrap-around blanket.
* Komali from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', whose original Japanese name is even "Komori." You first meet him holed up in his room holding [[PlotCoupon Din's Pearl]] and refusing to go out. He's a shut-in because his beloved grandmother died recently, and he won't give Link the Pearl because it was a gift from her. Going through Dragon Roost Cavern and calming down Valoo, who had been attended to by his grandmother, will convince him to grow out of this.
* Osana's stalker is called one by his sister in ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator''. He does venture out and meet Osana, who he is convinced is a conduit to bring Magical Girl Pretty Miyuki into the real world. He ventures out again to capture Osana's cat to hold it hostage. He's nuttier than the usual shut-in.
* Idia Shroud from ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'' is a shy, introverted man who dislikes being outside and prefers to stay inside his dorm and surf the internet.
* Jack from ''{{VideoGame/Plantasia}}'' is a grumpy recluse who hasn't left his estate in a few years. [[spoiler:He’s suffering from depression brought upon by the death of his wife Julie.]]
* ''VideoGame/LonelyWolfTreat'': Following the second game's DownerEnding, Mochi becomes depressed and spends the next few weeks cooped up inside Treat's house, never interacting with anybody other than Treat herself. Only after the fourth game, where she goes to the hot springs with Treat and her friends, does she start going back to her usual GenkiGirl self.
* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'': [[spoiler:[[PhysicalGod Raiden Ei/Raiden Shogun]] locked herself away in a small dimension called the "Plane of Euthymia", and leaving her responsibilities as the leader of Inazuma to three clans called the "Tri-Commission" and a puppet created after herself while she shuts herself away from the world.]] Because of this, she is sometimes made fun of by the fanbase or [[TheGadfly Yae Miko]] and called an "otaku" by the former. She's still relatively new to fiction, though.

* [[spoiler:Tsuyoshi]] in ''{{Series/Sh15uya}}'' is revealed to have been one prior to having been put into the virtual Shibuya.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'' had a one-shot hikikomori character who only went out on Thursdays to the convenience store and to buy video games. Once-a-day/week/month trips to a convenience store an ''extremely'' common hikikomori trait (as is only going out to buy games/anime/manga/etc).
* ''Series/TwinPeaks'' had Harold Smith who suffered from intense agoraphobia and couldn't go outside without suffering an intense panic attack.

* In the live-action ''Anime/HellGirl'' series, one of Ai's clients is a male hikikomori whose father has been murdered. The episode takes an unflinching look at his self-inflicted isolation and the pain it causes both him and his father. It's a TearJerker that conveys the ''tragedy'' of such a lifestyle better than any simple denunciation of slackers could.
* ''Series/{{Luther}}'' references the phenomenon by name when describing the Millberry Twin's emotional isolation. Their complete surrender to fantasy and total lack of healthy relationships fuels their violent string of crimes.
* The ''Series/CriminalMindsBeyondBorders'' episode set in Japan features one as the killer. Being physically large and sticking out in a crowd is considered to be part of his reasoning, but mostly he's just socially inept and doesn't really care to interact with people. Until his parents commit suicide, of course, and he decides to stage the suicides of the people he deems responsible. He isn't actually seen until the final confrontation, unusual for a universe that likes to show the killer committing the crimes, but an effective use of PaintingTheMedium.
* On ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'', one VictimOfTheWeek was a woman who had been raped repeatedly by the same man, and who had become a recluse [[BrokenBird in order to protect herself from being hurt again]]. She lived in a downstairs apartment, had an unlisted phone number, enlisted a neighbor to pick up groceries and such for her, and worked from home (except for one day a week, when she would have to turn in paperwork).
* Dorothy encounters one of these in an episode of ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' when she's helping her mother Sophia volunteer for Meals on Wheels. The individual in question subscribes to the program to keep himself fed. However, this hikikomori is a middle-aged man (played by Martin Mull) whose apartment is basically a shrine to TheSeventies; he's secluded himself because TechnologyMarchesOn and it, and the world in general, terrifies him.

* Madotsuki, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/YumeNikki'', [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation or at least that's the most common interpretation of her]]. She has issues. She [[spoiler:would literally rather die than go outside. Her blood goes on to fertilize gardens upon gardens of EpilepticTrees.]]

* Endrance in ''VideoGame/DotHackGU''. As Haseo converses more with him through email, he reveals information about how he buys everything online, doesn't go out to eat (his mother cooks his meals), and lives with his parents even at age 20. Combined with the fact that he's almost constantly logged in to The World (he only goes offline to eat and sleep) and that he's borderline underweight make him a pitiable hiki indeed. He's at least willing to change; he says he'd leave his home to meet with Haseo, for instance.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': The Pokémon Sewaddle (Japanese Name: Kurumiru) evolves into Swadloon (Kurumaryu), the appearance of which is based on the Hikikomori archetype (specifically, of the "Hikikomori hiding under a blanket" stereotype). Swadloon specifically eats fallen leaves, much like the "fed by slices of food slid under the door" stereotype of severe Hikikomoris. Furthering/cementing the comparison, it evolves into Leavanny ('''Haha'''komori) via ''happiness'', which is one of this generation's CuteMonsterGirl Pokémon (much like Lopunny is in Generation IV).
* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
** People with Apathy Syndrome in ''VideoGame/Persona3'' seem to become this from the normal people's point of view, although there are some who can be seen in streets.
** ''VideoGame/Persona5'' has Futaba Sakura, who became this after her mother's death [[spoiler:and Futaba's (mistaken) belief that her mother blamed her for it]]. She gradually breaks out of her shell with the party's help and eventually becomes your team's MissionControl.
** On a similar tangent to Futaba, Hikari from ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'' is so traumatized to the point that [[spoiler:she closed herself in her room and it's heavily implied that she barely even gets out before the game's epilogue.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', most folks assume Mister House is basically one of these, what with the whole "communicates solely via robo-messenger", "your character is the first one into that hotel in generations" and "hasn't been seen by anyone since the Great War" schticks. If you work for him, or basically just ignore him, you're free to think the same. [[spoiler:If, for any reason, you attempt to kill or otherwise disable him, you find out he's basically been inside a life-support pod for over two centuries that's hooked up to his entire hotel's security and control systems, as well as remote-access to any of the mass-produced robots he supplies]].
* [[BadassAdorable Merrill]] of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' becomes one in Act 3 of the game as she becomes more and more obsessed with the Eluvian; she only leaves the house to buy food, and one of her friends even starts having groceries delivered to her to make sure she actually eats. (However, it isn't as bad if Merrill is Hawke's LoveInterest, as she lives with Hawke and thus does go outside sometimes.)

* The titular ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' spends all of his time in a WhiteVoidRoom with nothing but a sketchbook, a laptop, a tissue box, and his pet cat Mewo. At least until he finally decides to enter the colorful world of his neighbors and befriend them, but even then it takes him a while to open up. [[spoiler: His real-life self Sunny is in a similar boat, due to being in a state of deep depression over a tragedy that caused his real-life group of friends to disband.]] One of the game's routes is even called the Hikikomori route, and the name of both the game and the title character is derived from the term, as well as from the Latin phrase "memento mori".

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'', Red (the protagonist from [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue the previous game]]) appears as a FinalBoss on Mt. Silver. It's revealed that he's been there ever since the end of that game (so about 3 years, and counting periodic returns, by some estimates a total of 8 years). During this time, he didn't tell anyone where he was going or why, and made no contact with anyone (not even his mother).

* The main character of ''Manga/{{Holyland}}'' Yuu, used to be this before street fighting.

* Daito and Shoto from ''Literature/ReadyPlayerOne''.

** Satori Komeiji also counts, since humans' and other youkai's hatred of her being able to read their minds caused her to isolate herself in the Palace of the Earth Spirits with only her many pets for company. Even then she spends most of her time in her room, reading and writing books. It should also be noted that it's mostly self-inflicted - if she'd just stop talking about the whole mind-reading thing, much fewer people would hate her.
* Geo Stelar in ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'', though only for the first game.

* In ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', Vera Misham has spent over seven years living alone with her father in an art studio. Their only contact with the outside world is through a mailbox. When Vera is forced to leave, she is extremely quiet and shy: when the protagonist tries to meet her, she hides out of his sight for a half-hour before he realizes she's there.

-->'''Dr Lee''': In every respect,his brain is perfect for this project.\\
'''Sweetheart''': ...except for its actual personality.\\
'''Dr Lee''': Should've thought about that "no friends" part.

[[folder:Web Original]]

* In [[Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest SOTF-TV]], Harold Finston Smythe could easily be a Western example of this trope. While he does go to school, he finds the experience traumatic both due to extremely poor social skills and being seen as a [[StalkerWithACrush stalker]] by most of his classmates. As a result, he could easily be described as a geeky shut-in who spends most of his time on the computer otherwise. When he gets to the island he doesn't [[AxCrazy take it]] [[LonersAreFreaks well]].

** In "Suited For Success", the failure of the initial fashion show using the other Mane Five's own dress designs causes Rarity to have a HeroicBSOD and shut herself in her bedroom for several days, considering leaving town, until they coax her out by completing her own unfinished dress and arranging with Hoity Toity to hold a second fashion show with Rarity's original designs.
** In [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsmagicS2E19PuttingYourHoofDown "Putting Your Hoof Down"]], Fluttershy boards herself up in her house after her JerkassRealization for fear of hurting otherponies with her new aggressive assertiveness.

* In ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse2007'', Prudence runs away from home to New York after escaping an abusive boyfriend. After she sees that her would-be crush Sadie is already in a relationship with Jo-Jo, she withdraws into the closet, later joining a peace rally and then Mr. Kite's circus where she performs as Henry the Horse before joining the band for the rooftop concert finale.

* ''LightNovel/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'': [[InsufferableGenius Ryuunosuke]] almost never leaves his room because of his dislike of people, though he does go to school to have enough attendance to pass the year.

* ''WebAnimation/OnTheEdge'': Nobunaga Sato from the episode ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q9QG77fdI0 Kurebayashi cries for an unfortunate mother...]]'' was a college graduate who applied for work in a hundred companies and got rejected by them all. The bullying he received at the company that did accept his application (a printing factory) drove him to become a shut-in.

While ''Hikkomori'' was initially considered to be specific to Japan, the phenomenon started to the observed in the West around the time of the 2007-08 financial crisis, which forced many precarious young people to move back in with their parents. The country also has a competitive university entrance competition and business culture that many younger people found themselves disillusioned with in the wake of the crisis.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo9Kp0o7ZNg Karin]] was a shut-in for four years, until she personally meet Kuroki after chatting with him through video games. The two fall in love and tries to get married, despite Karin's parent's objection. However, the two learned that her parents already "married" her to a dying, old man for his wealth and supported her lifestyle so that she wouldn't know the truth. The old man's son helps the two annul the marriage, allowing them to be together.

* ''LightNovel/HighschoolDXD'':

* ''LightNovel/MushokuTenseiJoblessReincarnation'':

* Sophia in ''LightNovel/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'' is a medieval version. After having enough [[AlbinosAreFreaks scorn over her appearance among the high society]], she isolated herself to avoid the hurtful words of other nobles, as well as [[DontLookAtMe not wanting others to look at her]], although befriending Catarina put an end to this. This is also why she becomes a romance novel fan as she started reading those out of {{escapism}}.

[[folder:Meta]]
* If you spend enough time on this website, [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife then you've probably become one by now.]]
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