Well, we’re back with Komi-san. I’m sure you’re wondering why. Or maybe you aren’t. Either way, we’re back here for a few reasons. The first is the new Komi-san anime that came out not long ago and I need that sweet, sweet algorithm boost. The second is that I’m not ready to start reviewing some other stuff and Komi-san is pretty easy to talk about. Plus, after the last thing I reviewed, I need a break. Oh, wait, we’ve got a fucking Yandere in this one! Fuck!
This volume starts with some sort of sports day and health check thing. I know some stuff about Japan but I’m not sure exactly what this is. Anyway. We’re also introduced to Yadano, who’s very competitive and wants to beat Komi. She doesn’t, being shorter, heavier, with worse sight and so on. In the end, Komi easily beats Yadano at everything, without even realizing that Yadano was competing with her. It’s a little creepy but kind of funny.
Next up, we have Najimi asking if they can hang out at Komi’s house. Komi is overwhelmed but agrees, and we meet Komi’s mom for the first time. Shuko looks just like Komi, but with short hair. My heart be still. She’s also the exact opposite of Komi, with a hyper friendly personality and stating that she’s eternally 17. This is also the first time that Komi has brought friends home. Soon, Najimi and Tadano enter Komi’s room, with Najimi touching, looking, and otherwise just ignoring cultural norms and exploring. Meanwhile, Tadano is trying not to have a panic attack. I like how Tadano is very in tune with Komi and respects her boundries. However, I do think that Komi needs a friend like Najimi, who is going to push her outside her safe zones and really start to be the person she wants to be. Between these two, Komi has a good set of training wheels, so to speak. Najimi slips out of the room and watches Tadano and Komi… Just being normal and polite, without saying much, having expected them to awkward. Of course, this is just a little side bit but Najimi does discover Komi’s collection of “How to make friends” type books and Tadano realizes that Komi is always alone in pictures.
And now for our Yandere… Ren Yamai is in love with Komi. In the creepiest way you can imagine. She’s jealous of anyone and everyone who gets close to Komi, as she thinks that Komi should belong to her. Even though they haven’t even spoken. Yamai needs help. And maybe a prison sentence. But today is Yamai’s big day! She’s finally going to talk with the love of her life, Komi! And she does! But, let’s be honest, Yamai is a bit… Extra? Is that the word the kids use? Anyway, we discover why Tadano isn’t at school. It’s because Yamai kidnapped him, tied him to a chair, and put him in her room. Yeah. The Yandere is strong with this one. Did I mention that Yamai’s room is covered in creepy pictures of Komi? Because it is. Najimi, suspecting that Yamai might be responsible for Tadano’s disappearance, invites herself (themselves?) and Komi’s to Yamai’s house. Yamai removes all of the pictures of Komi and puts Tadano in the closet, telling to keep quiet. He doesn’t, starting to bang around, and Yamai threatens him again. As soon as Yamai leaves, Najimi checks the closet and discovers Tadano. Yamai returns, with a knife, and gives this speech about how Tadano is scum and Yamai is a better friend than he’ll ever be. And Komi does not take this well. She takes Tadano and leaves. And drops “I decide who my friends are” on the way out. Leaving Najimi alone with Yamai…
The next part is about Komi worrying about Tadano and what happened with Yamai. She tells him that Yamai was wrong about him being a “bottom feeder” and that she thinks that it might be better if Tadano isn’t her friend, because it put him at risk. However, Tadano points out that he chooses who his friends are, too. And they still want to be friends. The crisis is averted when Najimi brings Yamai to apologize to Tadano and to Komi. Of course, Yamai does one of the those backhanded apologies, but Komi and Tadano do agree to let it go. After which Yamai threatens Tadano that she will bury him if he tries anything with Komi.
The next part of this volume is about Komi in her summer uniform and then food. This is where we discover Agari’s secret passion for food. She takes them to a very popular Ramen joint where the cook has a communication disorder as well. Najimi and Tadako have trouble with the process but Agari and Komi get it just fine. We also have a whole thing about Komi putting her hair in a ponytail and I now wonder if the whole country has some kind of hair fetish. This would not surprise me, to be honest. There’s a few more little bit here, mostly about how Tadano is crushing hard on Komi but won’t ever act on it.
Finally, we have the best part of the volume and the introduction of one of my favorite characters in this series: Nakanaka. Nakanaka is “going through a phase” as the manga puts it but really what this is, is Nakanaka is a nerd, an otaku, a dork, and she lives in a fantasy world, in order to cope with her inablilty to make friends. However, she does try to reach out to Komi, in her own way. And Komi is okay with it. When it comes ot gym class, everyone wants to partner with Komi and no one wants to partner with Nakanaka. Except Komi. There’s a page where you can see that Nakanaka is kind of falling apart, with no one wanting to be her partner, but Komi offers to be her partner. While everyone grumbles, Komi doesn’t care.
The volume continues with Komi and her friends going clothes shopping, for her. Najimi turns it into a “battle” with everyone having to find an outfit for Komi. Najimi chooses a Chinese dress, Yamai picks something that would look much more appropriate on an adult, Najimi picks something that looks like a librarian would wear (yes, they went twice), Agari picks something kind of childish, if a little cute, and Tadano picks out a dress that Komi loves, too. You know these two are going to end up together but it’s nice to see all the ground work laid out.
The volume ends with Komi getting a haircut and everyone failing to notice. Except Tadano. It’s just a trim but he knows his lady. Okay, I joke, they’re not together but you know it’s going to happen (I’ve heard it has in volumes currently in Japan and we have a lot more to go through before we get there).
This volume is mostly filler. And that’s fine. We still need to get to know Komi and her friends before moving the story along. It also helps build up the characters, getting us ready for the changes that we know will come. This is a little slice of life story but time is marching forward.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Suggestion: All hail
the holder of the Dragon Force, Nakanaka!
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