Forum - View topicKomi Can't Communicate (TV) (all seasons).
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Season 1 - Komi Can't Communicate (TV) Season 2 - Komi Can't Communicate (TV 2) Genres: comedy, romance, slice of life Theme: school, social anxiety Plot Summary: Shouko Komi is the most popular girl at Itan Private High School. People are awestruck by her beauty, grace, and stoicism. But after homeroom introductions, Hitohito Tadano discovers that Komi isn't withdrawn because of her esteemed popularity. It's because she possesses extreme social anxiety and has trouble communicating with others. After managing to exchange words via chalkboard, Komi reveals that it's her dream to make one hundred friends. Tadano becomes the first and promises to help with the other ninety-nine. S2 - Apr. 6, 2022 (Wednesdays; Netflix) |
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Beltane70
 Posts: 3970 |
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So looking forward to this! Funny that ANN has the wrong first name for Tadano, which is Hitohito instead of Shigeo. Apparently, he was named Shigeo in a one-shot of the manga, but was changed when it became a full series.
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11440 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Fixed! Thank you for noticing. I actually have not read any of the manga, yet, but have heard so many good things about it. I have this running joke with my gf that she sometimes gets lost in her own world and becomes completely oblivious and/or awkward to situations and people, so I got her into reading this, and she likes it a lot. I should see if my comparison holds any truth. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15573 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 1
I had been really looking forward to this series, feels like years since I have been hearing about it. I myself have social anxiety, so I have been expecting some level of sympathising. There also happens to be a particular other character that I have been hearing about, with a rare in anime trait. I probably could have read the manga before now, but an oncoming anime felt like the right time to start. Granted, looks like this is one of those Netflix series, so still being able to watch this is going to have certain implications. Anyway, I enjoyed the first episode, the chalkboard scene was pretty good. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11440 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 01: I Want to Talk
Summary: (Summary is the premise. Future episodes will get their own unique summaries). ---------------------------------- Comments: Been hearing so much about this manga, but never brought myself to read it, yet. I usually find anime to be a more complete experience because of the obvious advantages of color, motion, music, voice acting, etc., so long as they actually adapt the source material well. That being said, I can see why this is so dang popular. I feel the social anxiety theme is very well presented, here. If you're not socially anxious, Komi's actions can seem quirky and ridiculous. And if you are socially anxious, they're still quirky and ridiculous, but also relatable. The idea of making her so vulnerable is rather ingenious because her anxiety feels real, and you can't help but empathize for her, as everybody has probably felt a form of shyness at some point in their lives. It also doesn't hurt that while her actions borderline on absurdity, there's a certain tenderness that also attracts you to her plight, making the supposed journey even more fulfilling. Art-wise, the manga actually has a good amount of detail and backgrounds in it and relies on a lot of grayscale, which is aptly carried over in the anime. The anime doesn't appear to have any pure blacks, which gives the art direction a more vibrant tone, overall. The animation is reserved, mostly, for comedic body movements like when Komi is trembling or Tadano reacts to her awkwardness. And I was really impressed by the chalkboard scene, as they put a lot of detail into the writing movements and even the chalk dust falling. Sound-wise, Yukari Hashimoto's score (of Toradora! and March comes in like a lion fame, to name a couple) does exceptional work creating some great "feels." She uses a mix of piano and orchestral strings for much of the background score, but has a very moving melody when the two main characters are sharing their words. I'm very much looking forward to more of her compositions for this one. In terms of voice acting, Komi (Aoi Koga) and Tadano's (Gakuto Kajiwara) seiyuu are, yet, more unknowns to me. And it's not like Komi says much, anyway. But Kajiwara and the narrator, played by Noriko Hidaka (Akane from Ranma, Kikyou from InuYasha) give the show a kind of solemnness, which I think will help balance out the humorous and heartfelt moments. This will probably be the top rom-com of the season given its general popularity and downright quirkiness. It's also just serious enough and endearing that I think a lot of people will find it very accessible. Hopefully it won't suffer that "caught-up-to-the-manga" syndrome. ---------------------------------- Caps:          
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Beltane70
Posts: 3970 |
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With 22 volumes of the manga so far, I don't think that the show will have to worry about that for quite some time, if the anime adaptation even runs long enough to get there. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15573 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 2
This was the character I had heard about, Najimi. Specifically it is that I had heard of them described as non-binary. Within this episode alone they have been described as a boy in middle school, and a girl or more feminine in High school, that they now are wearing a dress. But notable that they are still wearing the male jacket and tie. They tried to push that they are a girl, when asked about their presentation, but also defaulted pretty quickly to saying they were a boy when turning down the guy. If so, the available subtitles were a little uncomfortable via using just feminine pronouns, rather than perhaps more neutral. |
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Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 10015 Location: Virginia |
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@DuskyPredator
I haven't had a chance to see the anime yet, but based on the manga, Najimi does not actually claim to be non-binary. She shows no intention of clarifying the issue and clearly enjoys the confusion. However, since she clearly is presenting as female and claims to be a girl, feminine pronouns are probably the most appropriate. Her choice basically. Turning down a guy by claiming to be a boy is just Najimi using the confusion to her advantage. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15573 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Although, half their uniform is the male one. By the forst episode, the ambiguity and confusion. I do think that on a question of whether someone "identifies" as non-binary could come down to how aware of it being valid in the first place. And as it stands it isn't a single thing, the only real thing is not quite to fit in a binary box of male or female. Not knowing much myself, maybe they are just a trans girl who able to more socially transition in high school, or some element of exploring their gender. But if you are saying that they use "the confusion" to their advantage, it is not a super binary thing. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15573 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 3
It is a bit of delay by other means, but being released weekly on Netflix convinced me to just go by it. The episode introduced a girl with her defining trait being her anxiety, in a more general sense than Komi's more social kind, between the two of them there is a lot to feel relatable. Especially relatable in the episode was when Komi accidentally called Tadano, where I certainly have had that fear of if hovering over that name I could accidentally call them. Also, that one girl really is getting included with the boys in admiring Komi, even over the general worship that got Komi declared a god. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15573 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 4
So about that girl that was included amongst the boys, Yamai. Good reason for that in her being a lesbian that is way too obsessed with Komi, like straight to licking her loose hair. Also kidnapping Tadano with the intention to get rid of his body in the forest or sea. Yamai did say sorry, and perhaps there is something there about being affected by feelings out of her control, but perhaps careful with being close to her. There is also another girl that seems to have deluded herself into a rivalry with Komi. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15573 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episodes 5 and 6
A couple of good episodes. In particular I took empathised with the haircutting plot, because with my social anxiety I am a total wreck for going get my hair cut, Komi apparently pretending to be asleep to not have to talk totally gave me a laugh. And a hairdresser who doesn't actually seem to pressure for the sort of small talk that they expect you in those places, while understanding what you want. To be real I still generally need someone to go with me still just, just because I find the communication so hard, it did used to be a bit easier when I went to a barber as there is some less pressure, but after realising I hated the general masculine presentation it not quite an option anymore. Clothes shopping plot too, the anxiety with the shopping experience has been an element that has probably hampered my ability to explore myself a bit. I did like that Komi seemed to be at home with the ramen place, the chef being quiet himself and able to understand her. Also, Komi trying to make jokes, I think that can say something about people missunderstanding that people who are really quiet can actually really into trying to be funny. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15573 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 12 (season finale)
Admittedly I took a while to finish this off, in fact I just the final episode left after weeks, I think it kind of fits that I have been afraid that it would disappoint me, because this has been a show that could mean a lot to me. And I really liked the last episode, Komi didn't just suddenly be able to get out of her problem, but she managed to improve much more on before. I might have also really liked this final arch for having Tadano crossdressing, much appreciated. I have said from the top that I had been looking forward to this show, due to my own pretty bad social anxiety, and the bit at the end about being dedicated to those with that difficulty, it hit me really hard. Granted, it is not Watamote, which purposefully went for a much more unflattering depiction of social anxiety, but the wackiness could be fun here too. Najima for instance, who usually could be half the fun, and as relevant to my interests. Them being a chaotic enby scumbag using dirty techniques to promote the maid cafe, and bathing in a tub of money, is a total vibe. My rating for the show, is going to be Excellent (9/10), it just really hits me in a strong way. |
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter Exempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4630 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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I just watched it through last week. I should have commented while watching... I had a couple small specific criticisms, but I can't remember them now.
It treads such a fine line being understanding and trivializing. Can you empathize at the same time you're being charmed by a social failing? Should you be charmed? My favorite small bit of the manga (of the 4 books I've read), by far, was the part where Komi can't go to sleep because she's anguishing about the petty embarrassments of the day but then remembers Tadano comforting her by explaining how one of the things she misunderstood is something quite normal. Unfortunately, that bit didn't translate as well animated. In themanga, you really get the sense of how comforting his small gesture was too her. In the anime, it's almost as if it should make it worse- as the focus seems more on him embarassing himself. But over all... Yeah, probably excellent, "don't miss" stuff. At the end I really felt annoyed that it will almost certainly not get a physical release anytime soon. |
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