It’s been a long time coming. Netflix in the United States has recently, finally started simul-casting select anime series, releasing new episodes weekly, shortly after they go live in Japan. Of these series, an immediate standout is the animated adaptation of Tomohito Oda sensei’s smash hit manga sensation Komi Can’t Communicate. This is a series I’ve been following since the beginning of this year, as I was curiously drawn in by the absolutely precious cover art adorning the print volumes ( I mean, just look at these!), and I would only be more won over with each turn of the page.
Here’s the elevator pitch: On the first day of high school, the mysteriously quiet Shouko Komi becomes immediately popular to her classmates due to her stoic beauty and refined elegance. Hitohito Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. Falling asleep in class, Tadano wakes up next to the legendary Komi and quickly learns why she’s so quiet: she has TERRIBLE social anxiety. She wants to make friends but struggles to even get a word out, giving all of her classmates the wrong idea and appearing standoffish. Tadano takes this to heart, making it his mission to help Komi make 100 friends!
Anyone whose dealt with social anxiety knows that it can be a seemingly insurmountable effort to even make one friend, let alone a hundred. This heartwarming story touches base on many of the all-too-relatable struggles of dealing with anxiety while also delivering a dose of hilarity, with some of the bits in the first few episodes making me laugh so hard, my next door neighbors were likely side-eyeing me wishing I’d shut up, lol. This series is equal parts funny as it is wholesome, and I found myself cheering for Komi as I would for a close friend.
The animation studio OLM has taken the director’s chair for this one, with recent works like Yokai Watch, Mix, and the woefully underrated Odd Taxi under their belt. The animation style is very pleasant and easy on the eyes, especially in the opener for the show, which you can watch above. The characterization and voice acting for Komi and the rest of the cast matches pretty similarly to what I had come up with in my head while reading the manga. One detail I loved was how Komi has these little ears that pop up whenever she is happy or excited! My heart literally melts every time this happens! I am starting to understand why Komi’s classmates have become so fiercely protective of her… I am steering into tangential territory here LOL, so let’s get back on track and talk about the plot.
With 5 episodes of the show available right now, each of the currently available episodes introduces a new classmate and potential friend, as well as a new social obstacle for Komi to overcome, like stage fright, overthinking, ordering a meal, asking for phone numbers, and more. I felt that the show very thoughtfully portrayed Komi’s struggles with social anxiety, and never got the vibe that she was being used as the punchline for a joke. Rather, I found her portrayal to be incredibly sincere, if slightly exaggerated at times, as is usually typical for anime productions. That said, it never felt like the author was portraying Komi in a cruel or belittling way. Following Komi’s journey to make 100 friends will only make you want to root for her more and more and you might even see a bit of yourself in her.
I won't spoil any further details, but I highly recommend checking out the anime for yourself over on Netflix as well as the original manga series ; with a lovely cast of characters, a painfully relatable premise, and plenty of moments that will tug on your heartstrings, Komi Can’t Communicate is well worth checking out, and even dipping in a 2nd time if you’ve already read the manga. With five episodes out so far, new installments will be coming to you live each Thursday, and I will be excitedly tuning in.
-- Stay tuned here at the Jo's Tomorrow blog for future anime reviews and all things animation; Happy Reading!--
