In her first year in high school, Shouko Komi is the most beautiful girl in her class. Put upon a pedestal, the other students flock to her. The problem? She suffers from severe social anxiety to the point where she can’t even talk to people. Yes, you guessed it. Komi Can’t Communicate.
Luckily Komi gets a friend in Hitohito Tadano, the most average boy in class. Befriending Komi, he helps her towards her goal of making 100 friends. The main problem is that Tadano is the only normal person in their class.
With her fear of speaking struggling against her desire to be part of the group, Komi’s actions are open to a wide range of misinterpretations. But this anime is played for laughs, though the humor is not mean spirited. We do sympathize with Komi as she fights her phobias with the help of Tadano and his old friend Najimi, who used to be a guy. (I told you Tadano is the only normal person in the class.)
We get all the usual high school scenarios, such as the study group, summer vacation, culture festival. But they are all done here with a different twist. Slowly, Komi makes progress with each step, though by the end of season one she still has quite a way to go.
And the relationship between Komi and Tadano? You probably can guess to where it is heading, but it does not go anywhere in season one. Wait for season two. Obviously, Komi is developing feelings for Tadano.
Komi Can’t Communicate is a sensitive story. It is fun to watch, but it is rich on pathos. Also, anyone who has ever suffered from social anxiety, or ever felt nervous in a crowd, can identify with this anime.
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