Content Warning: Mild LGBTQ+ phobic language/humor
You know, I’m a grown up. And that usually means that I like things for adults. Not like I need porn all the time, I just like to enjoy things with serious subject matter and foul language. But, sometimes, just sometimes, you need something funny to let you unwind. So, yes, I’ve very late to this party, but I’m going to start talking about Komi Can’t Communicate.
Our story begins with Hitohito Tadano, a typical high school boy. And a bit of an idiot. Looking to start off things at his new school, he says hello to Komi as they’re getting ready for class and she ignores him. When they get to class, they end up seated next to each other. Before long, Tadano ends up alone with Komi and is able to communicate with her, using the chalkboard. It turns out that Komi suffers from harsh social anxiety and literally can’t speak to people. She wants friends, she wants to have conversations, but her condition prevents it. She reveals that her goal is to make 100 friends and Tadano promises to help her.
The next person they bring into the fold is Najimi who is… Genderfluid, I guess? They were a boy but now dresses like a girl (and later says they can’t be someone’s girlfriend because they’re a boy). They refuse to be friends with Komi because she’s “rude” but Tadano manages to get them to try, and they agree to walk home with Komi. During this walk, Najimi is accosted by some hooligan friends, the one that wants to make them his girlfriend, and we see Komi’s “superpower.” Let me explain a little bit: You see, so far everyone thinks of Komi as a “princess” or “goddess” even though she doesn’t talk. Part of that is because she’s quite beautiful but her quiet nature seems to let people infer things, filling the silence with something that usually benefits Komi. When the hooligan tries to force Najimi into a relationship, he drops his house key. When Komi tries to return it, she’s only able to get out a few words. The hooligan sees this as her making threats and he runs away. You see why I call this a “superpower”?
Anyway, next Najimi gets Komi to go to a coffee shop and get a very complicated drink. She can’t say what she wants but the “superpower” is triggered again and the guy behind the counter makes some super fancy thing.
The next “friend” Komi gets is Himko, who also seems to suffer from some social anxiety, but more of a cute, clumsy thing. Komi ends up stalking her and making her freak out but this does let her conquer her fear of talking in front of groups, before she runs away. When she’s finally able to talk with Komi, Tadano says they should be friends, but Himiko says that she isn’t worthy to be Komi’s friend, but she can be her dog…
The next little plot involves Komi getting a cell phone. It’s an old flip phone (god, I suddenly feel old) but now that she has friends, she needs it, right? We also briefly see her family; Mom, dad, Komi, and a brother. She also doesn’t speak to them. She goes to school and is able, through trial and error, to get everyone’s phone numbers.
After that, there’s an election for class president, and Komi ends up elected as class God. Yeah…
There’s some smaller plots in the rest of the volume, one of which involves Komi accidentally calling Tadano, and it is a cute as you can imagine.
All in all, this is a fun, slice of life, cute little manga series that I was surprised to enjoy. I’ll be slowly picking up the rest of the series as time goes on, because I need a little something that isn’t all dark and brooding or dealing with large, complicated subjects every once in a while, just to keep things nice and fresh.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Suggestion: In these dark days, sometimes, you need something light and fun to keep you sane.
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