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With the Fall 2021 anime season over, it is about time to have to say goodbye to one of the most popular anime. Komi Can’t Communicate (Tomohito Oda, 2021-) debuted on Netflix in America, with many viewers adoring the twelve-episode anime. It follows Shouko Komi, a socially anxious high school student living in Japan, as she tries to communicate with her classmates. The anime quickly found an audience due to the fact that many people found relatability in the anime plot and characters. The “slice of life” anime was enjoyable and relatable, as it demonstrated an aspect of mental health that so many people are experiencing today, anxiety. The other characteristics of Komi Can’t Communicate came together to form a relatable show that many people can enjoy.
What Is Komi Can’t Communicate About?
The socially anxious Shouko Komi is a high school student who dreams of making one hundred friends; however, her classmates mistake her timid nature for a relaxed reserve. That changes when she makes her first friend, Tadano Hitohito, where he vows to make Komi’s dream come true. Throughout Komi Can’t Communicate, Komi befriends new characters that have unique personalities.
As she starts to make more friends, Komi gradually comes out of her shell — even uttering a couple of words to her close friends. The anime follows the ‘slice of life‘ formula where Komi and her friends do ordinary things throughout their everyday lives, whether that would be going to the library, putting on a school festival, as well as the always classic beach episode. It may appear on the surface to be a typical anime, but Komi’s social anxiety makes it pertinent to the ‘slice of life‘ genre. Social anxiety hasn’t been a plot element in anime, making Komi-san unique.
Other anime with socially anxious protagonists is No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular, also known as WataMote. However, where WataMote uses the unsociable loner plot for laughs Komi Can’t Communicate uses it in scenarios that viewers can relate to.
The Colorful Cast Of Characters
Komi Can’t Communicate has a strong cast of characters that help Komi in her quest to find one hundred friends. Like Shouko Komi, the characters seem genuine and conceivable. They have faults and desires that lead to their personalities, creating memorable plot threads. Since the anime is a ‘slice of life,’ the characters should be able to carry the show on their own, which it does.
Shouko Komi
Komi has severe social anxiety rendering her silent when speaking to her classmates — or anyone else — always being timid throughout the twelve-episode anime. However, despite being socially anxious, Komi still wants to have friends to share those experiences with someone. Essentially, that is what the entire plot is about. Komi-san‘s plot hits close to home as a socially anxious high school student wanting to be sociable and interact with her many peers. One of the elements that make Komi relatable is that many can, unfortunately, identify with social anxiety and being socially anxious. Social anxiety is a disorder that many people face today:
“Nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder.”
(( McCarthy, Dr. Claire. Anxiety in Teens is Rising: What’s Going On? American Academy of Pediatrics, Professional Association of Pediatricians, 30 April 2019. )).
The anxiety disorder can be caused by: social media, a threatening world, or the pressure to succeed. These aspects can create a condition in many teenagers that share similar elements to Komi. On top of these root problems, quarantine is another prominent conductor in creating social anxiety in young adults and teenagers. Since the pandemics start in 2019, many parts of the world have been quarantined. These social restrictions keep people inside the safety of their own homes and away from big crowds. Social distancing and distance learning prohibit the function of communication amongst friends and peers, causing many to have some form of anxiety disorder.
Several reports from different parts of the world find an increased risk of anxiety, depression, feeling lonely, and a reduction in the quality of life among adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown.
(( Xiong, Jiaqi, Orly Lipsitz, Flora Nasri, Leanna M.W. Lui, Hartej Gill, Lee Phan, David Chen-Li, et al. “Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health in the General Population: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Affective Disorders. Elsevier, August 8, 2020.)).
In the midst of the pandemic, many can relate to Komi’s introversion. Even though Komi suffers from social anxiety, she still seems like an authentic character with flaws and desires she must overcome. The rest of the characters are similarly authentic.
Tadano Hitohito
Tadano Hitohito is Komi’s first friend and is genuinely a friendly person. Tadano is the main driving force that helps Komi achieve her goal as well as takes the time to look out for her. Whenever she feels overwhelmed or distressed, Tadano is always there to calm her down to make sure she’s ready to take on the world. In the episode “It’s Just the Pool. Plus More,” (( Oda, Tomohito, and Yumi Suzumori. “It’s Just the Pool. Plus More.” IMDb, 18 Nov. 2021. )) Komi and her friends go to a public pool to enjoy their summer break. While having fun, Komi injures her knee and is forced to spend the remainder of the day out of the pool. As Komi sits alone on her towel, Tadano comes to comfort her by making sure she is not lonesome or upset. It is safe to say that the world would be better if we all had a friend like Tadano.
Osana Najimi
Komi’s second friend is Osana Najimi, a lethargic but good-hearted student who wants to have fun. They are the complete opposite to Komi, where they can communicate with anyone and become good friends with them in a matter of an instance. Osana wants to see Komi succeed in her goal, causing them to push Komi out of her comfort zone. In “It’s Just a Childhood Friend. Plus More,” (( Oda, Tomohito, and Hitomi Mieno. “It’s Just a Childhood Friend. Plus More.” IMDb, 14 Oct. 2021. )) Osana asks Komi to order her a sandwich at a store near their high school. Despite knowing she has severe anxiety, Osana forces Komi to communicate with strangers to try to get her habituated to conversing.
Komi Can’t Communicate further illustrates this theme by having Komi pass out free samples or by making her become a waitress for their school festival in order to interact with customers. Osana forces Komi to interact with others in scenarios she creates for her.
Yamai Ren
There are other characters in Komi Can’t Communicate that feel different. For example, Yamai Ren is a stalker who worships Komi; she has an assertive nature that wants to spend as much time with Komi while not allowing anyone else to spend time with her. Ren even goes as far as to kidnap Tadano because he was getting too close to Komi in the fourth episode, “It’s Just Physical. Plus More.,” Yamai forces Komi to learn that maybe not everyone should be her friend and that she should be careful who she befriends.
Agari Himiko
Agari Himiko is a scholar who lacks any conviction in herself, causing her to be effortlessly pressured into doing tasks — another character that is relatable. The two friends can be easily pressured by their peers causing the pair to get in situations they’re not comfortable with. Agari is typically unnerving in these scenarios, whereas Komi is thoroughly persistent to take on the task. A nod that shows its viewers to be yourself when making friends.
Komi Can’t Communicate Is An Anime That Relates
Komi Can’t Communicate (2021-) brings awareness to anti-social disorders by giving a plot about the desire to have more friends while also having a character that cannot accomplish that goal. These components come together to deliver an anime that many can enjoy and relate to. Komi Can’t Communicate is a restorative anime that deals with social anxiety and gives viewers coping with similar problems the courage to get out of their comfort zone.