Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 33

古見さんは、コミュ症です。 [Komi-san wa, Komyushō Desu.] #33

by Tomohito Oda

With Tadano’s loving encouragement, Komi is spending her final year of high school slowly expanding her comfort zone. Volunteering to be the class president, resolving to win the sports festival, even talking to strangers—is there anything Komi can’t do?!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Slice Of Life, Humor, Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2024

About the author

ODA Tomohito
Name (in native language): 小田智仁
Associated Names: オダトモヒト

Tomohito Oda won the grand prize for World Worst One in the 70th Shogakukan New Comic Artist Awards in 2012. Oda’s series Digicon, about a tough high school girl who finds herself in control of an alien with plans for world domination, ran from 2014 to 2015.

Reviews

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the series begins to wrap things up...the storyline has sort of gone sideways.
but it's still fun...with characters reappearing and Komi and Tadano becoming more comfortable around each other

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

As fellow marathoners may already be aware, the concept of ‘the wall’ is the point around 18-20 miles into a race where your body wants to stop moving forward and you have to mentally force yourself to keep going.

With three volumes left to go and my precious reading time being abused as I keep up with it, I have firmly hit the wall for Komi Can’t Communicate. There’s just… nothing much here for me.

The opening chapters are around 70 pages of utter drudgery as we get to see a sports day that is not especially funny. 70 pages that didn’t manage to crack a smile. Painful, even compared to the groin injury joke.

Tadano and Rumiko have a date, for reasons, and it is more than I expected poor Manbagi to ever get from the series, even if it’s also an excuse for the story to just crush her again. The ending is actually funny, so points for that.

The story with the old woman is okay, but feels like 50+ other chapters of this series you’ve already read. It puts in the effort to be a little different, presentation-wise, so I won’t get too mad at it, but it’s not as fresh as it thinks it is.

The side stories end up being really amusing - it says something that the best parts of this volume have no Komi in them whatsoever - Moe’s tendency to collapse after the simplest task is well realized in particular.

Komorebi has the chapter that actually has some real heart to it and that’s the one that works best overall. It’s also funny because of the presence of the overly enthusiastic Susumi and her overly enthusiastic dogs. Really, really great work here.

Komi does a group interview with a bunch of new characters and the whole thing works out despite not working out in a way that is ultimately very underwhelming. It’s on brand for the volume, at least. The Egyptian character and her backstory are a misfire across the board.

2.5 stars - it’s just wasting time, both its own and mine, and not enough of it hit well enough to make me really feel like recommending it. Ironically? No Yamai this volume.

[sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

em fa molta ilu que la komi ja pugui parlar correctament i adoro la seva relacio amb el tadano ;^;

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much time is given to the many side characters again, but at least Komi is at the center of a majority of the chapters, lifting this volume up from last volume's nadir.

At this point in the series, even the editor has given up on keeping track of all the characters. Komi's classmate, Ashitano, was "Jo" in previous volumes, but now she is "Moe." Kaoru Fustatsu is introduced on page 10 of this volume, but by page 58 her name has already changed to Kaoru Fukitsu. Another new character is Fukuyoka Muchi on page 8, but Muchi Fukuyoka by page 59. That's some hardcore tuning out there.

Editor, translator, creator, readers – do any of us still have our heart or mind fully on this series anymore? It has overstayed its welcome, obviously, and it is a shame that my reaction to finding out this week that the series is ending with volume 37 is one of relief instead of agony. Well, I guess there is some agony in having to watch this once-awesome series limp to its ending in this pathetic manner.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Zuli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨

[Des Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little bored of the sports festival stuff, but a lot of the other stories were wonderful! The Rumiko date, Hiki's story, the entrance exam, etc. Very sweet with lots of tiny resolutions.

[Ciel Dahlberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was too over the top, which I get was the point, but this volume didn't vibe with me.

[Mithun Sarker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent volume, nothing too important happens. Felt a bit like filler at times.

The things worth mentioning would be the sports festival, which was enjoyable. The group communication part was decent, nothing too special.

The Tadano and Rumiko chapter was great. I'm glad to see Rumiko getting better treatment that she deserves.

[Keira Mc · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general I didn't like the chapters in this one as much. But the one with the old lady was super cute. Ngl, Komi has sort of old lady energy

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another installment where the plot barely progresses

[Evalynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved seeing Komi grow in her interactions with Michita, the communications interview group (Setsuko Hatohori, Maruko Tadano, and Sankoichi x3/Sakura, Tsubaki, and Ajisai), and of course, Tadano. It was very relatable for me as someone who was very similar to Komi in high school, and who even also almost pursued a higher degree in a foreign language because of it. I know this series will end soon, but I am grateful I was able to collect it all as it released here in the United States. 💙 I remain socially anxious today, but like Komi, have grown leaps and bounds in communicating my needs, wants, and even in day-to-day interactions with strangers. My shy nature hasn't been mistaken for "cool reserve" or "snobbery" in a long while, but I still recall many instances where this was the case for me, too.

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since the end of the serialization was announced, I started to look at the Komi graphic novel volumes in a different light.

I was mostly going to the motions of reading the serialized chapters. The series lost its spark, and it was shuffling off to its inevitable end. Getting another chance to read the stories collected in volume 33 again, I was able to look at it with a different lens.

Some of the shorter arcs collected were filler material, but knowing that this will be last sports festival for Komi and her classmates, her last competitive run against Makeru hit different this time.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomohito Oda delivers another hit. This volume I feel makes up for some of the characters who have been neglected the previous two volumes...and in some cases helped further develop them. The cast has grown greatly over the course of the previous 32 volumes, and it is magical to give people their shine along with progressing the story. Lots of little shocks, like Tadano goes on a date with someone who's name isn't Komi. heh heh So much to enjoy in this lighthearted volume. I felt the gas was not pressed on this one but that's part of the charm.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5
This volume has two great mini arcs. The first centers on the Sports Festival at the school while the second focuses on Komi participating in a university admission group discussion. Both are focused more on the friendship aspects of the series as opposed to Komi and Tadano's relationship. They both allowed Komi to showcase how she has grown and is pushing herself to do better in social situations.

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this volume, it was fun. Sports day is always an exciting string of events and I think this one played out really well. I will also note that we got names for the rest of Komi's 3rd year classmates so that is a good sign on the making friends train. I also thought several other of these chapters were fun, the old lady and the group interview discussion in particular were great fun.

[Ray Rappisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The old lady that stood outside and greeted Komi for over 2 years is the type of things this manga does as no other, heart warming and sweet. The sports festival was typically funny as heck and Todano’s date with Manbagi was unexpected and a possible closure? This volume is a return to near perfection!

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never know what is going to happen in this book, I've honestly given up at this point and am just here for the vibes. I like seeing Komi and Tadano hanging out, they're relationship is so cute even if most of the story is just a series of random many series.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Komi Can’t Communicate, Volume 33 (4 to go?) by Tomohito Oda is already in the “mopping up” stage, nothing new to say. The series has a terrific core--introducing a range of communication issues that young people struggle with and suggesting ways to cope/overcome these challenges, all while trying to be fun and entertaining--but it feels like it has run out of gas. For me, at least.

The first 70 pages or so deal with a sports competition that class rep Komi suggests her team should win, despite their having little athletic ability. And then of course they do, because in the various competitions Komi engages in, she has been shown to win--she is the prettiest, the nicest, she gets the sweetest boy, Tadano, she gains friend after friend, and so on. (Later I will consider what having 100 friends--her main goal--may really be about).

Anything worth mentioning?

*Manbagi gets permission from Komi to date Tadano, as part of her process to decide whether Wakai is right for her, eh, because there is no way Oda is going to make that switch at this point in the series. Readers would revolt.

*Of course we have to find more friends, cuz we go to get to 100 and we were at 79 last issue--so do the math, 5 per issue, but who would remember them? Or care, at this point? (Maybe in retrospect ten or fifteen would have been a better goal, Oda?)

*I liked a brief story of a widow Komi meets who needs someone to talk with (a communication issue). I liked that one quite a bit, maybe because it goes in a different direction, in age, and because I am. . . elderly?

*There’s a communications group, which is important--therapy, help, something we didn’t see from/in the school early on. Not a memorable story, though, except that it is necessary to mention as intervention, but it feels like an afterthought.

*A chapter on Komorebi with Susumi and her dogs works pretty well, but again, these are peripheral characters.

So this is mostly a wrap up, mostly side issues. We are done with Komi and Tadano and have nowhere to go.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume wasn’t as interesting to me than others. At times I wish there were more scenes of the main characters and couples, but some of the side stories were fun. Any Komi and Tadano scene I love, so even the little scene of her laying on his lap and falling asleep made me happy.

[Andrea Hubbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 Stars

[jennylis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

egypt.

[Zachary Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. The chapter with Tadano and Rumiko was so good. That’s some good material!🎉

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sheepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a nice read as always

[Q-Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Komi making and handing out the pompoms is adorable.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of this seems to be episodic meandering that's kinda lost the plot, but every volume delivers one or two scenes that hold all the heart and humor that made the series great in the beginning.

[Cammy Back? who knows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t go wrong with a volume of komi can’t communicate <3