The past makes you wanna die out of regret and future makes you depressed out of anxiety. So by elimination, the present is likely the happiest time. - Hikigaya Hachiman

hachiman: become human

Hikigaya Hachiman "It is better to be hated for what you are then love for what you are not" "All man are nothing but fools"

"Self Depreciation creeps people out if they don't know you well enough." -Hikigaya Hachiman

I relate very strongly to Hachiman, minus two hot girls developing feelings for me. Edit: I forgot about Iroha and the teacher, you guys win. Also Saika seems to have a crush on him too, which is incredibly based.

"wait, Jenga isn't a one-person game?!" -hachiman

when i finished the story i was like 'man.., forget the girls... just hook up with the teacher already fam'

Hachiman may not realise this but the teacher gave him a second chance at life by making him join the club.

the teacher is really one of the best teacher in anime and doesn't get the credit she deserve......it's rare to find an actual teacher in a romance anime that actually act like an adult and teach the mc throu her life experince ........and not just be another harem/fanservice bait ( even thou she's still best girl)

The two girls finding value in Hachiman is what makes this show part of the fantasy genre.

S1: Mehh nice guy, good thinking and weird way of approaching problems. S2: Weirdness doesn't change. Wait hold up what is your wisdom. S3: He can rap WHAtTT!!!

That dialogue from 10:47 - 11:05 really reminds me of this quote: "Of course I’ll hurt you. Of course you’ll hurt me. Of course we will hurt each other. But this is the very condition of existence. To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence." The quote is attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry alleged to be found in one of his letters to Natalia Paley.

Hachiman has got to be one of the strongest/interesting romantic comedy protagonist of the recent years, really glad you are making a video on him!

This is a depressingly accurate and relatable for a college student.

When it comes to losing, I'm the strongest. Yeah, bruh. I felt you.

The anime had ended. It was a long journey, some had to wait for 5-7 years to see Hachiman get his "genuine". Thank you Hachiman, Yukino and Yui. You guys will always have a place in my heart.

Hachiman is such a compelling character. You see the cruel and twisted logic he uses, and understand the source of it as a broken, depressed past. A past he tries to believe is normal. Self-depreciation is such an easy way out, such a nice, neat way of sidestepping your issues. And its easiness leads quite easily to the trap of ignoring your faults until its too late. You think everything is fine, when in reality its all in shambles. Self-sacrifice is easy when you dont value yourself, when you think your happiness is less important than the connections you so secretly desire. As a fellow loner, I feel for Hachiman, even if I disagree with his methods. His heart is in the right place, and his ability and desire to help others is admirable, despite his self-destructive ways. Or I could be just projecting my issues to him. Who knows.

No anime I've seen had ever made me feel the way I did with Oregairu. It's a pool of mixed powerful emotions for me.

this hits harder now that it’s over

I just love Hachiman's words of wisdom... Although i forgot most of them

Extract from the books "What I desired wasn’t to act friendly with anyone. What I desired was definitely something genuine. Anything else, I didn’t need. Even if you didn’t say anything, it would reach; even if you didn’t do anything, it’d be understandable; even if anything happened, it wouldn’t break. That illusion that was far from reality and foolish, yet beautiful. " For as much as Hachiman wants that ever elusive "genuine friendship" that he theorizes about and desires, he just as much wants to be understood without having to work for it and putting himself at risk of getting hurt. Towards the latter half of the series when he is given the superficial friendship that he loathed from a distance, he accepts his newfound "friends" very readily and easily. In the end, I think much of Oregairu is about showing that Hachiman isn't someone exceptional whose thoughts and actions are genuine reflections of the world, but the misguided defence mechanism of a young boy who has never learned to socialize properly and is afraid of getting hurt.

"A lone warrior, surviving hundreds of battles... when it comes to losing, im the strongest"

Hachiman: *breathes* "Depressed" 14 year olds: "He's literally me" Honestly didn't want Hachiman's complexity to be perceived as "He's literally me" by the surface level fandom

I also think people don’t realize, Hikki’s world view is most likely the authors world view. It’s why the author was able to paint such a picture with words that had a thousand meanings behind them, probably because the author felt this way and wanted to project it onto a character. I truthfully honestly admire this author because most likely this thought process was similar or just was his own

"Destroy the current world and create a new one and become the god of it" Is there a more badass line?

First we have season 3 announced and now we have a video by Aleczandxr about Hachiman suicide is indeed postponed

Yukino: *wears thigh-highs* Me: Welp I guess she's best girl

“If the truth cruel. Then lies must be kind. That’s why kindness is a lie” - hachiman

"But this state of affairs is interrupted by two young women..." Sadly Hachiman's story is very rare. In real life the most common outcome is the alternate where these people are left to their own devices. Everyone who eventually finds their footing in life has been lifted up by someone at some point in their lives,but the vicious thing about this condition is it impedes just that.

One of anime's best protagonists, and such an underdiscussed anime.

In this kind of genre. Oregairu is the goat for me. The wait is worth it.

My guy 8man using algebra in human emotions...

One of my favourite characters in anime. It's strange how well people can relate to him. Nice dissection.

Crazy how the show had almost nothing at stake but still managed to create so much interesting drama

not two young woman bro, 3 cuz sensei helped a lot, in my opnion she helped more

When I was becoming a true weeb back in 2016, I treated Hachiman as a philosopher; a way I believed I should act because of the pain of the past. I hung both of his essays on my wall and I read them everyday. That year I was a self proclaimed loner who avoided all friendships. When you said, “Those who outwardly mock the state of society from a detached position, may actually be more craving than one thinks,” looking on it now as an adult really really was me. Damn I’m really crying in 2019. It’s 1AM I gotta go to bed.

I think one of my favorite things about this series is how the story both confirms and denies a lot of his ideas about the world. He is right about some things, and in some ways he's completely wrong. They do that for all of the characters and I love that. He's a character that's overly cynical, rude, and rather elitist. He's creepy and people treat him like it. But, he does want to help people. He's not a bad person, and he will sacrifice himself for others. Yet he actively avoids becoming better, and everything else relating to change or fixing something. And I love it.

I really find Hachiman to be one of the few realistic Main characters in Anime and it is unfortunate that so many people can self identify with such a character but it is the way it is. :(

“It is impossible to not hurt someone. Humans unconsciously hurt others by simply existing. Whether you are alive or dead, you keep hurting people. Getting involved will hurt them, but trying not to get involved might hurt them too. But if it's someone you don't care about, you won't notice you've hurt them. What's important is your awareness of it. It's because you care about them, that you feel like you've hurt them. Caring about someone means being resolved to the fact that you'll hurt them. The more people care for each other, the farther out of reach certain things get. But that's not something to be sad about, I think it's probably something to be proud of.” -Shizuka Hiratsuka This quote basically reflects Hachiman’s entire character arc, which personally I find to be one of the most compelling and emotionally resonant in anime. His loner exterior is a facade to protect his fragile heart. His self-image and perception of the world are drastically warped through this lens. And yet, he still craves something genuine. Hiratsuka-Sensei is, with this short quote, essentially saying that the genuine he seeks exists in a place you can’t reach without taking that extra step. That kindness and caring aren’t weaknesses. Rather, one should feel pride in the notion that they can care for someone deeply enough to fear hurting them or losing them. Of course, it’s multi-faceted (there’s LEVELS to the subtext in Oregairu) but this theme is really rather beautiful to me. Hachiman learning to find value in himself and the relationships he cherishes isn’t a very complex character arc, and yet the simplicity of it is what makes it so... genuine. Oregairu really presents some of the most distinctly human arcs in anime - they’re often not grand, but rather the answer was always right there in front of them.

The anime portrayed his past in a joking, comedic demeanor to the audience. Because of that probably only a few fully understood what his torment felt like and only have a glimpse of idea towards it. Thank you for enlightening me. I love this anime and it's finally over. Thank God Hachiman found the genuine relationship that he longed for all this time.

SNAFU, an anime that’s so deep it encourages viewers to right essays in KZfaq.

I watched this anime after my high schooldays, and as I watched I pitied Hachiman. I knew that he was lying to himself and how hypocritical he was and that made me sad for him. But it wasn't until the end of season 1 (I believe) when I understood why I pitied him so much. His outward persona, his fear, his judgmental nature was the same attitude I had in high school. An attitude that is still attached to me, but less significantly. I claimed I didn't care what people thought, that I wasn't significant enough for anyone, family included. I kept to myself because I hated to interact, whenever I did express myself, people would start to despise me. One time an entire classroom did. Multiple times teachers have. I was so used to it and expected everyone to hurt me in some way. But if I had to and if I could, I would put on a friendly face and just smile until I couldn't hold it anymore or the interaction ended. I pitied Hachiman because I saw myself in his actions and outward belief. People have wronged me and stepped on me my whole life. Distrust formed and a terrible view of myself was made. If anything good was happening, I would question it, get scared, and sometimes even miss the comfort of sadness. Sadness, isolation, it all felt safe. I became virtually masochistic, allowing bad things to happen to me on occasion because, "Why fight the inevitable?", "If it happens, it happens," and, "It's expected." I expect bad things to happen, if it goes good for me, I retreat. Back to safety.

To bad life isn't a anime plot. Acting like this wont throw friends magically in your life.

A word on the 8man? You're too kind.

Finally Oregairu's themes get more of the recognition they deserve. It's always saddening to see people complain about the "drama" that "ruins" season 2 when everything had been building towards this sort of story from the very beginning. I liked Oregairu for taking a philosophy that the audience would certainly resonate with and then tearing it apart, though I suppose not all of the audience appreciates being told that they're wrong. Also wishful thinking, but I think a followup video regarding his interactions with and a vindication of Yukino would be promising. A lot of people didn't seem to understand how much their dynamic shaped each of the two and that a lot of conflict stemmed from both of them being too altruistic for the other. Again, disheartening to see people call her bland or blame her for the conflict in season 2.

Oregairu is an anime that made me actually think a lot of the story. Will always remain in my heart forever.

When people don't understand that he grew up without emotional support as a child while being bullied for being different from others (not his eyes, those came in/after middle school). It eventually shackled him to be a better person all around, not just at his core, his and Yukinoshita's places could be switched so easily.

I'm very excited, but also kind of afraid of season three. I' m super happy we're finally getting a continuation (and hopefully a conclusion) to the story, but I like both of the girls a lot and knowing one of them is inevitably going to get hurt makes me sad...

Loner is okay, because it can protect you from opportunist and advantage. Also keep eye on them, observe, and look the background. In school you will always see many "plastic" people.

Despite being a bitter pessimist, 8man was truly the nicest person.

Man , i really wanted hikki to end up with yui. I always hated that the softest one has to accept the hardest thing (in here , she has to accept that hikki would choose yuki). Her breakdown moments where she cried and her mother comfort her is the saddest part

< Hachiman is probably my favourite character in anime ever. So hyped for s3!

The lesson is if we accept polygamy is ok everything will be ok~

"It's okay to be vulnerable" Too bad we won't have the plot armour like Hiki did.

Just heard the first 2 minutes, I’m gonna watch this entire show real quick and I’ll be right back after lol

A SNAFU vid????? Did not expect it but so happy you did it!! This was very depressing but such a good video and now I'm gonna re-watch the whole series

Hachiman was too relatable for me back in the day. I am not that guy anymore but i think he helped understand many things about myself and others

"Literally me" fandom is on the comments.

“See?, it’s easy. I just created a world where nobody gets hurt.” Man cares so much about the people around him, love his character👍

When I first watched this anime, I immediately felt a strong connection with Hachiman, and I understood the logic behind all of his thoughts and actions. There's nothing in the series that he says or does that is in any way incorrect or dishonest (until eventually it builds up to his hypocrisy through the forced plot development of a fantastical harem romance). Obviously, I'm both older than the characters, and have lived my life in this manner since before Hachiman was ever conceptualized, it's not as if people who are hyper-rational, hyper-practical, self-centered, uncharacteristically empathetic, AND self-deprecating are really a rarity in this cold, dishonest, superficial world. Even though I consider the character of Hachiman to be an incredible representation of an actual person living a real life in the real world, where he fails completely for me is in that real world of his. It's very similar to our own, but it isn't actually our real world. He exists within a fantasy world, and the genre to which he pertains ruins the core sentiment behind his character. It's all well and good to say you do or do not relate to Hachiman in some or many ways, none of that matters, he's not real and doesn't exist in reality. The underlying messages about the duality of man, the prevalence of hope and empathy and supposedly genuine human connection, and love, all serve to fill the purposes of what the anime itself needs to be. A compelling and entertaining, fictional, romance story. And so, it turns the anime itself into a superficial façade. Religious beliefs notwithstanding, whether or not there is some almighty "author" or "story director" for our lives, we can't say, (though, even for those who believe there to be some higher force, many commit to the concept of "free will" so all of our actions are not being deliberately written for the purposes of a greater narrative). Hachiman, however, IS simply a character in a story, and everything about him and his life and the way events play out for him is simply storytelling and driven by the force to satisfy that entertaining romance story. He doesn't live in our real world, where the harsh truth is, despite what the message may be that "there will always be someone to care for you" or whatever, in reality that is a delusion. There is no entitlement to having anyone in the world care for or about you at all, and while it certainly can be influenced by your actions towards others, there is no reason to believe that "human connections" will prevail like they do in a neatly planned out fictional story. I agree with the idea that these superficial interactions, these cowardly tactics used to keep society in a stasis, they are just ways to avoid risking too much in exchange for a complacent sense of basic, hollow happiness. And it is stupid to not simply take the actions necessary to attain the happiness you seek. The problem is, not only is everyone not on the same page about honesty, but nobody has to accept your personal goals and affections because you don't have to matter to anyone. Simply being interested in another person and trying to make a connection with them, however sincere and genuine you may be, does not mean the other person has to care about you and repay your efforts to connect with their own. Simply put, some people, no matter how hard they try, will not have the connections they long for and will continue to lead lives of self-imposed martyrdom and self-inflicted humiliation to contribute to the world that has scorned them anyway. It's not about BELIEVING wholeheartedly that the world is a horrible nightmare that has no place for you, or BELIEVING that eventually someone will show genuine care. It's about HOPE, a fallacy of logic. Deep down, we all HOPE for certain things to go well, whether based on our efforts or based on our wishes. But it's the most irresponsible feeling one can have. Considering that the world IS actually a horrible nightmare with no place for some people regardless of their sense of empathy and longing for connections, then HOPE only serves to continually harm these people by misleading their thoughts, actions, emotions, and perspectives. The original perspective Hachiman adopted where he finally stopped hoping really is the most ideal way to live life if you are the kind of person Hachiman considers himself to be. Once again, however, obviously, Hachiman himself is not the kind of person he is originally portrayed as because the story demands it, and most people in reality are also not this way because they either have some intrinsic value to their existence, or at a minimum, cannot wholeheartedly agree with this entire way of thinking. Most people, at a bare minimum will at least cling to hope, or love, or some other pleasant-sounding concept to drive them, and that's fine, because most people have value. This sentiment I have of understanding and truly relating with the original character of Hachiman is meant for the few of us who have no hope, and it's not a bad thing. We will continue to work hard and care for others, we will continue to act on cynicism and rational sacrifice instead of perpetuating the falsehoods of interpersonal relations. And we will continue to lose, time and time again, so as to be prepared for the next inevitable disappointment and humiliation life throws our way, and not have to bear the full brunt of being demolished by the dishonest, uncaring void of a world we live in.

Relating to a MC in a series I've never seen is a new feeling. Do not like it.

This anime honestly helped me trough living some tough times in my life. I'm really grateful for this coming into my life. Sorry I know this comment is stupid.

I remember watching this anime a few years ago, and thinking Hachiman was such a pitiful grump. Fast forward a few years and now I too am a cynical and bitter highschool loner who tries to distance himself and avoid connections due to trauma from past events in his life. And Hachiman's monologues sound very close to my own monologues of depression and hurt. Funny how things work out, huh?

One of the most underrated main protagonists of ALL time. But he's one of the best in anime history, I root for him, because deep down, he's TRULY a good person.

Holy shit....guess I'm not alone, sup dudes, hope yall are doing ok.

I just realized how much I criticize myself, sure I make music, sure I draw scribbles, sure I make some jokes, but in my mind I always think like: "man, that was so weak", "boo (you suck!)", "did you do it right? nah I don't think you did" until some one complements that creation or whatever and my mind is always like: "I can sense lies from this", "is this a new type of insult?" now I bet someone might say "hey don't do that to yourself" well I can't stop being pessimistic if being optimistic will just make you live on lies and illusions which tells you that everything will be ok

No anime makes me feel the way oregairu does, how does it not have the “psychological” tag I do not know

OMFG I am so happy rn. Oregairu is my favorite anime of all time and Hachiman is one of my favorite protags as well. Feel like it is a very under appreciated show and glad to see such an analytical person like you taking a stab at it

That was a really good analysis! Hachiman is one of the most well written characters who I can't help but relate to because of his flaws and philosophy.

Y'know, now that I think about it, whenever he recalls the pains of the past, he always covers it with cynical humour. As the watchers, we sometimes laugh, but its really sad once you remove that first layer of his true words.

Hikigaya Hachiman is one of the most well written protagonist in all anime

And this, is where Yukinoshita Yukino's role comes into play. Yes, Hikigaya wants to still remain in club with both girls, and he considers Yuigahama as a naive nice girl of his own preconceived notions of her. But Yukinoshita, he admires. He sees her way of life as the yutopian sword of one's own justice which slices through the bullshit and fake superficialities around her. Always honest, always beautiful, and never runs away from confrontations. She is his opposite, and He admires her so much for it that he thinks he's undeserving of her. But, as the club started to be a place which he doesn't hate, to the point of liking it and the people he's with, he started to seek genuine relations from it. And even though he's still trying, at least he doesn't think he doesn't deserve her anymore.

This is one of my favorite series only because of how much of a realist the main character feels. Even if a lot of us thought the same way he does, most of us don't really act based on that. I was lucky enough to make a small little friend group of people who wear their hearts on their sleeves just as me, and we're still the best of friends long after school has ended and we're progressing through our careers. I've been truly blessed to have such friends, let alone more than one.

"An experienced loner never falls for the same trap twice" those word will always hit hard for me

Comparing this with S3 episode 8 is so crazy, super glad to see his development

Most of the friendships i saw from the others in the college are ephemeral because if in the next year you end up in another class, then in the most cases those who you called friends wont talk to you anymore because that friendship wasnt real, wasnt genuine, they wanted something from you or wanted some kind of status, its just... Ephemeral.

I can relate heavily to Hachiman, and so I have something to add. He is very likely afraid he is misreading or misinterpreting the girls actions and thoughts towards him. At least before the park and aquarium. Sadly I cant see his philosophy as anything but correct, his starting situation is realistic. But its resolution to it is not. Life isn't that kind, and kind people who care for no reason don't really exist. What i'm getting at is this, the show is great. But the real life likely outcome for the life of someone like Hachiman is dying alone and not fostering any relationships through life. People aren't kind, and would never tolerate or welcome someone with the off putting personality traits of someone who has dealt with such similar overwhelming social isolation and/or depression (as one tends to follow the other and vice versa). The show is great, I love it. But I see too many people take it as advice or hope of some kind, maybe not even consciously. Don't. If you are in a similar situation, either give up on that last bit of hope you have, or take drastic measures to change your situation before its too late. No one is going to save you, no one is going to go out of their way to include you, no one will randomly fall in love with you, and the only resolution to a similar situation is action. Either give up or act.

in this time of pandemic crisis, I have to say, he's absolutely right. when everyone is panicking, the last thing they can think of is other people.

One of the Best analysis of the character, if not the Best, congratulations

He IS ME back in highschool the only difference was I didn't have anyone, no Friends, no one even after graduating I have dead fish eyes as well lol

As much depressing the anime is, he have two girls interested with him. I have none.

hang on hang on bro might literally be me

"When it comes to losing, I am the strongest " -- Hikigaya Hachiman

The teacher in snafu in large part reminds me of my wife. And in pretty freaky way i see myself in hachiman in more than just personality traits to actions and reasons for said actions.. even more comical is that the reason i fell in love with my wife, (our age gap is the same as with hachiman and the teacher too, shes 40 i am 23.) Is that she was the first person to actually see my true face and thats her reason of her falling for me too, to quote "it was your eyes, something about them told me you were a kind hearted and strong person." Taking the plunge to open up is a road riddled with difficulty but not impossible. Its why i love the character of hachiman really.

Ah yes S3 hype got you too

My second favourite anime. While watching it I realised how complex it felt and was annoyed at my self for not fully taking in the dialogue and trying to interpret what it all meant. This video makes me appreciate Hachiman even more as a character even though I already loved his character. I think the way the story goes I didn’t truly take in the dialogue because of the comedic aspect of the show, your video made me realise how deep Oregairu really is and appreciate the complexity of it. I’m currently reading the Light novels so after I read a number of them I’ll watch the show again and really try and take it all in. Thank you for the video, it was fantastic! 👌🏽

This video was really amazing. You accurately described this character. I think almost any of us can relate to how he feels this anime really describes how hard it is to rely on someone. To some extent it also shows that even if it's hard maybe relying on someone is somehow the right thing to do. Even if it's not for forever maybe just for now it's enough.

Hikigaya and Lelouch is always my favorite protagonist. CHANGE MY MIND IDAREYOU

Things started to go crazy between them when Haruno directly exposed their facades. "You guys, are starting to get boring"

Hachiman is a really sad character. His all personality and ideas are realistic and this makes him more sad and relatable. I can't understand why people didn't like second seasons drama. I think drama was already there from the first season. I got bullied in my all middle school life, maybe thats why I was always felt sad for him from the first episode to the last episode. When people looking down on you after some time you start you looking down on yourself too. 'why am I like this?' 'why can't I make friends too?' 'Am I weird? Is that why they are mocking me?' 'I hate myself' I literally hated myself for a long time and I'm still insecure about myself. When someone tries so be friends with me I'm always feeling insecure because I can't shake off the 'I don't deserve this' feeling out of myself. Its like a chain. So I can really relate with Hachiman. Change is good but its hard.

To be honest, Oregairu is the only anime which I can fully relate when it comes to seeing society with realistic disgust. It's because ever since I was a kid, I was a loner too like Hikigaya. I'm always being bullied to the point that I was once an optimistic otaku then turn to a suicidal and pessimistic otaku. Ever since the first episode, I didn't expect that this anime would ever placed somewhere special in my heart. I knew it from the start that Hikigaya is a stoic based on his beliefs. I'm totally agreed to his words that makes me relate so much to him that even before I watched this anime that I'm always fighting problems alone and a person who self-depricated for the sake of avoiding such problems that could ever lose my own sanity.

Totsuka Saika is still the best waifu tho

I watched the series in my teens and never understood the characters ... Sooo, Thank you for clearing things up

this is my 6th time watching this I just return every couple of months

"but why do you care"? the line i used when on the rare occasion somebody tried to help me

Anyone: "basic human kindness" Me: is this romance?

This analysis seems like a masterpiece much like how Oregairu is. Thanks for the quality content in uploading, you earned yourself a subscriber. Also, the third anime season is confirmed!

that's what i am exactly. self deprecation is what i always live for cuz i think that it's better to be a loner than being with dillusional people.

This is the best video essasy on an anime I have heard in my life so far. This video summarized, not the story of Oregairu, but the emotional journey of Oregairu, and I thank you for this. This anime has always had its spot in my heart. I did not understand the true meaning of the anime on my first watch, but I knew that this anime was special. I watched the anime a second time when I got a little older and understood its meaning, but I could not definately define what it was. This video essay took the words out of my mouth and pieced everything together. This video essay was everything that I found special about this anime. Thank you.

Hikigaya Hachiman is my most favorite rom-com protagonist of all time. I really like him because of his awareness of reality and society which makes him relatable. And the anime is really underrated.