“Komi Can’t Communicate” is a Netflix anime adaptation with shining visuals, laughable comedy beats, topped off with a dash of dramatic appeal. It’s your heartfelt slice of life, romantic comedy, and coming-of-age story.

The original source material was written and illustrated by Tomohito Oda and was first released as a serialized book on May 18, 2016. It was originally a one-shot that had been published in the manga magazine, “Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen” Sunday on Sept. 16, 2015.

The anime first aired in Japan on Oc. 7, 2021; however, it was released “worldwide” in mid-October. Compared to Japan’s weekly update schedule, they’re significantly ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to episode update schedules. It’s unfortunate that we must wait longer, though, that doesn’t undermine the series.

The first episode involves Tadano who states his goal to read the room and not stand out. He ends up being seated beside Komi Shouko, the most admired student by both boys and girls, even though it’s just the first day. He attempts to talk with her, however, she glares at him with a tense expression.

Near the end of the episode, Tadano catches Komi speaking and in a clumsy turn of events, he learns that Komi has trouble speaking to people. Komi explains to him on a whiteboard with chalk, how frustrated and desperate she wants to speak, but her extreme social anxiety keeps her quiet and makes her freeze up and come off as having a cool demeanor. Tadano then decides to help her with her goal of making 100 friends.

During each minute of the first episode, the art work and audio composition is shown wonderfully, even if the show uses CG with it’s classroom’s desks. During the whiteboard scene, it’s lighting, and original soundtrack blew away any hint of comedy, focusing solely on how impactful Tadano was to Komi as he spoke with her on the whiteboard; the two filling up the entire whiteboard with their written conversation. 

The second episode introduces Najimi Osana, a person described as a tease and practical trickster who also has around 500 million friends. Her special skill is being able to make friends with anyone within minutes of meeting them. Their gender is also unknown, being referred to by all pronouns.

Tadano goes to them seeking the favor of wanting them to befriend Komi, in which Najimi denies, afraid of Komi’s frightening mask and past failure to become her friend back in second grade, which left her bedridden for a week due to shock. 

Najimi finally agrees to Tadano’s request and walks home with Komi. While walking home the two bump into Najimi’s former classmate who confesses to them and tries to assault Najimi after they’d rejected him. Komi, noticing how the man dropped his key, attempted to give it back, though, as she struggled to speak to him, she unintentionally scared him away with her intimidating frozen facade. When he’s spooked off, Najimi decided they liked Komi and agreed to be her friend.

Compared to the first episode, this one uses more comedy than dramatics. However, that doesn’t downgrade the episode in the slightest, the humor lands and it gives us a peek into how each character will vary and have something entirely unique about them. 

“Komi Can’t Communicate” has stunning visuals that never let up, shining in each episode and every page in the manga. It wouldn’t be right to spoil anything else in this show, it’s visual appeals and comedy would tell anybody what they’d want to know about the show. The dramatics, the humor, the art, each piece of media brings up the Netflix anime, “Komi Can’t Communicate”.