Brief Description:
Hitohito Tadano is an ordinary boy who heads into his first day of high school with a clear plan: to avoid trouble and do his best to blend in with others. Unfortunately, he fails right away when he takes the seat beside the school's madonna—Shouko Komi. His peers now recognize him as someone to eliminate for a chance to sit next to the most beautiful girl in class.
Gorgeous and graceful with long, dark hair, Komi is universally adored and immensely popular despite her mysterious persona. However, unbeknownst to everyone, she has crippling anxiety and a communication disorder which prevents her from wholeheartedly socializing with her classmates.
When left alone in the classroom, a chain of events forces Komi to interact with Tadano through writing on the blackboard, as if in a one-way conversation. Being the first person to realize she cannot communicate properly, Tadano picks up the chalk and begins to write as well. He eventually discovers that Komi's goal is to make one hundred friends during her time in high school. To this end, he decides to lend her a helping hand, thus also becoming her first-ever friend. (Source: MAL)
https://myanimelist.net/anime/48926/Komi-san_wa_Comyushou_desu?q=Komi&cat=anime
US Release Date: 2021
US Distributor: Netflix
Rated PG (Netflix Rating), PG-13 (MAL)
Komi Can't Communicate is complete at 12 episodes.
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Violence: None that I can recall, though one character stoops to kidnapping, and she sometimes threatens people with knives.
Sex and Nudity: There is no nudity, however there is fan service. The characters go to the pool and there are fan service shots of all the girls through the eyes of male characters ranking them. Another character is shown with her chest bouncing and a male teacher comments on it. There are also infrequent dirty jokes. A character is almost assaulted, but the perpetrator is scared away by Komi.
Theological Themes: Komi prays at her ancestors' shrine. Komi was also elected class goddess in the student council elections. One character fits the lesbian stalker stereotype and is obsessed with Komi.
Problematic Themes: None.
One character is gender fluid.
Overall: I really liked Komi Can't Communicate. It's a lighthearted comedy that doesn't make fun of the anxious protagonist. Instead it pokes fun at the bizarre people and situations around our leads. It was very relatable for me, as I have social anxiety and have suffered from selective mutism in the past. Though I did find the idea that people are tripping over themselves to be friends with her contrived (though the classes' Komi cult is very funny).
Komi may be quiet, but she has a drive to change and improve herself. Watching her grow little by little was such a joy. Tadano is really ordinary, but he's awkward and kind. Watching him bond with Komi was really cute. Najimi was really fun, too. Honestly, I really liked the over the top-ness that came with their friendship. I don't think Komi Can't Communicate would have worked without Najimi to be honest. The side characters are mostly one note, though some of them are really fun. The only one who I didn't like was Yamai, the lesbian stalker character. Honestly, Komi should get a restraining order. Everyone is really expressive and I really like that.
The art is cute and I love the array of facial expressions the characters have. The way Komi's face changes is really cute, and I do like Yamai's creepy facial expressions. The music was average, though the art in the opening was really pretty and some of the best in the show.
For the age rating, I would say teenagers and up. While Netflix may say PG for suggestive dialogue, I think it kind of pushes the PG rating.
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