Komi Can't Communicate

Episode 12

Well here we are at the end of this sweet, adorable, and at times kind of frustrating road, but that's only temporary. Season two will come out in the future for more wholesome moments and hopefully less Yamai. Sorry to harp on that character so quickly, but after looking back at this whole season in full, I really can't help but feel that the show would've been much better off without her. While she did have one or two cute diva moments throughout the whole season, at worst she was just a cynical unfunny caricature of lesbians. Her one joke in this episode about confessing on top of a roof being met with total silence was a little bit funny, given how Komi just straight up doesn't know what to do with her any more than I think any of us do, but I won't lie that there's a little part of me that wondered if anyone could just snipe her from a distance right then and there.

Aside from her though, this episode wasn't anything big or grand, but that's ok. If anything, I think the season ended how it should've; with everybody just enjoying their time together—which is exactly what Komi was trying so hard to get since episode one. She probably never thought that she would ever have a chance to be working together with her whole class or going off to celebrate their success. The karaoke scene was probably my favorite with its little nods to the opening and ending scene in there. Komi being one of the only people that listens to Tadano singing because she no longer felt stressed about how well she would do also felt like a good summation of their relationship. I want these goofballs to get closer and succeed. I want Komi to find more friends so that she can be openly herself. I want the veil that a lot of this school has over their heads regarding who they think Komi is to be lifted so that they see not an almighty God, but a shy girl who wants to make 100 friends. Her friends have their flaws, like Najimi who really let their desires get the better of them. But then again, not all of our friends are perfect, and while I think the show takes that sentiment a little bit too far sometimes, it mainly keeps the focus here on people accepting Komi rather than the other way around. Everyone gets their own little moment this episode, which is nice. The ending gag with the season two announcement was also just perfect and much appreciated. In a show where communication disorders are one of the main sources of conflict, it's really nice that Komi literally gets the last word in this entire season. This show sometimes struggles with balancing a lot of the goofy over-the-top moments with more down-to-earth, realistic portrayals of stress and anxiety, but I would argue it's succeeded more than it faltered throughout these 12 episodes.

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Komi Can't Communicate is currently streaming on Netflix.