Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi’s greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve. Luckily she meets Tadano, a timid wallflower who decides to step out of his comfort zone in order to help her achieve her goal of making 100 friends.
Najimi takes the role of Komi’s friendship mentor very seriously (sometimes), so when it comes to light that Komi has only made eight new friends this school year, Najimi steps in to remedy the situation. But can the friendly blind date Najimi sets up lead to anything but awkwardness when everyone there has a communication disorder?!
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.
I love the fall theme on the cover, it really pops in the bookstore and draws one to pick it up and add it to one's bookstore haul.
The cover is great, but the stories collected are mostly side stories and gag arcs that don't move the overarching goal of Komi making 100 friends. It is still fun to read, and in a series, any volume that has that ability gives it legs.
Komi needs more friends, at least according to Najimi (and the series’ raison d’être). Naturally, their plan involves throwing Komi in with an equally awkward bunch of students. There are also awkward secret societies, awkward requests, and Tadano’s surprisingly long list of skills.
For a series that’s now hitting nineteen volumes and still hasn’t crossed the halfway point of its ostensible goal to have Komi make 100 friends, it’s important to acknowledge the general consistency of this manga.
While it tends to frequently hover around a three and a half for me, I can reasonably expect at least one good laugh per volume and that’s more than enough to keep this on the reading list.
Now, it’s not all sunshine and roses, since Yamai makes an appearance and if every other one of her appearances has yet to make it perfectly clear - I hate her character with an equivalent passion to hers for trying to see Komi’s private parts (I will give that Komi finally recognizing that Yamai might not have her best interests at heart is a smart development for those sequences).
Everything else, however, manages to be pretty good to downright fun. Tadano has a lot to do this time and his appearance at parent-teacher meetings, yes, all of them, illustrates just how observant and positive he is.
It’s also kind of refreshing how accepting this series is for gender stuff. Beyond the fact that nobody’s mentioned Najimi’s gender in ages, Tadano spends a lot of this volume as his female alter-ego and seems perfectly comfortable with it for the most part (and Komi doesn’t bat an eye).
The first three chapters of this are big old duds, frankly, but once the hooded secret society meets to discuss their dating fantasies for the girls in their class it starts to get much better. There’s a lot of very silly ‘boys will be boys’ along with some definite queer content as well.
After Komi has her stressful Najimi-devised meeting alluded to in the opening of this review, she winds up with three new friends, and I love that the society immediately reconvene to pitch fantasies for them. It’s a cute way to integrate the new cast in.
This meeting is probably the biggest arc of the volume and also features a running gag of snacks from increasingly esoteric sources that I loved. It’s also a big tolerance message for one mean character that’s a nice sentiment.
There’s some great Manbagi content in here as well, with Komi and Tadano’s previous misadventure in the supply closet coming back. Sort of. And a very cute pictographic slumber party.
Speaking of new cast, probably the funniest section involves the other people in Komi’s class trying to get her contact info before the class changes. This section first completely dunks on its premise by having somebody point out that they could ask for the others no problem.
Next comes a parade of hapless minor characters, some better than others, but, yes, my absolute favourite tsundere makes a return appearance and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t so basic that the new clutzy character tripping and throwing her phone out the window didn’t get a full laugh out of me.
So, there’s a lot of good stuff here after a very rocky start. My absolutely favourite joke is that the guy who looks exactly like a Buddha statue and his entire family aren’t even Buddhists. For all the times this series stumbles there are just as many dumb and/or clever moments that it knocks out of the part.
3.5 stars - a little too uneven for the full four, plus there’s Yamai and that’s an automatic three anyway. Nonetheless, if you’ve been reading this series you know what you’re likely in for and that continues here to good effect.
An interesting volume as we see the boys and girls talking about crushes and who’s fantasizing for who, and more of our love triangle interacting. Later another semester come, and another group of students wanting Komi’s attention. A- (91%/Excellent)
Whaaaaaa??? Three five star volumes IN A ROW?! What is going on here?!?!
Jokes aside, this was a really great volume. I specifically loved the chapter where Tadano compliments all his classmates, that was really sweet and genuinely heartwarming. While I don't love Komi's three new friends, the soft-spoken character is hilarious. I love how she's still soft-spoken even when using a megaphone, sheer genius. Finally, the first part of the sleepover chapter was adorable and I loved it.
Always curious to see what happens next, here's hoping next volume's a winner too.
Another volume dedicated to making the slice-of-life rounds of the ensemble cast. Komi has made 40 friends so far out of her goal of 100, which explains how I was able to tally 49 named characters appearing in this book alone. Are we really going to have regular volumes where we scroll through the lives of 60, then 70, 80 and 90 characters at a time? I'm not sure I can handle that . . .
Somehow, it's still entertaining even though we are only given just a few breadcrumbs about the central love triangle between the roll call of faces. It's enough to tide me over for now, but we need another status quo shake-up soon.
Winter break is almost here again! We have a fun sleep over and meet many new characters as well. Komi is becoming less shy,and I really like the growth of all the characters here.
We don't need to be personally introduced to every single one of Komi's 100 friends these gag characters with one weird defining trait are really getting out of hand.
As the semester draws to a close, the usual anxieties follow. Will new friendships last? Will the parent-teacher meetings turn toward disaster? Will study sessions for final exams be at all productive?
KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE v19 settles comfortably into the slice-of-life vibe that many readers likely wish permeated much of the manga from the start. Away from the madness of school festivals, the gimmicks of outdoorsy trips, and the panicky, contrived chaos of seasonal outings, sometimes it's the casual, schoolyard antics that are the most entertaining.
When Tadano and Komi are roped into an awkward, all-ladies singles (friendship) meet-up, it's no surprise every person present has a quirk or two that shifts the whole group dynamic sideways. When Manbagi hosts a study group ahead of exams, it's no surprise the girl's bubbly demeanor is a comically awkward contrast to each of her study partners' stoic intuition. When the club of pervy peers hold another secret session of "Who Would You Date?" it's no surprise these lonely characters' more simplistic fantasies are also the most charming. And when Tadano is strapped to a chair and forced to play interpreter during parent-teacher conversations, it's no surprise the guy delivers on-point resolutions for each student in his class.
The scene with Tadano-as-interpreter is actually quite sweet, as readers finally have proof-in-context that everybody in the class knows and acknowledges Mr. Average's deftness and social sensitivity.
For example, when Ase's mother asks if her timid daughter is doing okay, Tadano acknowledges the sweaty girl's bashfulness, but quickly highlight's the girl's supportive disposition, her "leading role behind the scenes at the culture festival," and other areas that demonstrate her personal growth. Tadano isn't trying to stand out, he's just pitching in. The same goes for when Isagi's father shows up. The student council president's father is a lawyer, and he threatens Tadano for (possibly) thinking his daughter is cute. But Tadano stays cool. Not only would he "never do that," he says, but "she wouldn't date anyone like that either" because of her personal moral code. Tadano's sincerity and frankness immediately silences the room. It's pretty cool.
New characters include Arisa Anchi, an aggressively honest girl who appears ready for an altercation at any moment (but is genuinely nice); Yukari Kogoen, a very literal soft-spoken girl; and Saki Tsuzurafuji, whose indecisiveness and penchant for overthinking often inhibits productivity. The puns speak for themselves: Anchi's full name roughly translates to "truth hater," which matches the girl's bitter reluctance to admit when she's wrong; Kogoen is a derivative of kogoe (lowered voice; whisper); and Tsuzurafuji is a cornucopia of linguistic trickery, as tsu is a grammatical disjunction, zurasu is a verb indicating shifting or staggering movement, and fuji is an archaic, expressive noun indicating flippancy.
Alas, Komi makes some new friends and is likewise enlightened to a new set of quirks that will surely make socializing a wee bit more difficult (e.g., imagine Komi, Tsuzurafuji, Otori, and Kogoen dining out together).
3.5 stars* I feel like Komi is a bit hit and miss these days. The last three volumes have been more of a miss, I gave all 3.5 stars. I still find it a comfort to read though when I need a palette cleanser or just read something with minimal effort so I still appreciate having it to go to. I do miss old Komi though, I feel like originally the series started off with a clear vision and it was a sweet and fun little adventure but now it feels like Tomohito Oda is just trying to grasp at content and the content being made isn’t very intriguing or exciting. I really don’t like most of these new characters, they don’t stick in my memory like the past ones did, they don’t seem as unique and loveable. Sometimes a chapter just gives me the ick, like the continued story about the guy’s fantasies about female characters, instead of you know showing us these guys make awkward cute steps to woo their crushes hearts, we’re reading about some questionable fantasies behind their backs… idk I’m hopeful for old Komi roots to come back because I miss it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
quick review najami thinks that komi’s 8 friends that she made this year is low so najmi set a meet up with with strangers for komi to try to know them better. afterwards the teacher introduces four way talks which is the child, child’s guardian, teacher , and the class president tadano to talk about their futures , everybody’s impressed on how tadano explains them and then after komi has a sleepover study session and before winter break a whole entire class wanted komi’s phone number and they all tried and one succeed afterwards komi understands what they wanted from them and komi gave her phone number to them … the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This series has been such a comfort read. I’m so amazed by the mangaka that can create all these characters with different personalities as well as make them all look different so you don’t get them mixed up with someone else. There’s been some series that have less characters that I get mixed up because they look too similar. They need to take a lesson from Tomohito Oda.
Vol 18 and 19 just did not hit 🥲 I have faith that these two volumes are just filler and we are going to get to the good stuff but UGH I want the happiness back that is this manga
At this point it's hard to keep all these supporting characters straight, and I know it's only going to be harder as they enter their third year of high school. But everyone is so entertaining and funny, I forgive them 😂
But for real, Tadano would be an amazing teacher, and he proved that in the parent-teacher conferences. He is so observational and notices his classmates' strengths and weaknesses, he would definitely do the same as a teacher 🥲
I love “Komi Can’t Communicate”. I was introduced to it via the Netflix anime and was desperate to know what happens in Komi and Tadano’s second year of High School. I was not disappointed! Komi’s goal to make 100 friends is such a sweet journey and Tadano is just the cutest character. I love characters that are shy and quiet because I relate to them more. Later in the series other characters are obviously introduced, some that I’m not too keen on, not because they are bad characters, I’m just not a fan of them.
I really liked this volume, and I’m excited about where the series is headed. I like the focus on Komi, Manbagi, and Tadano. Overall, every chapter was solid in this one.
➽ After the previous emotionally intense volumes, we're back with a more lighthearted volume. That doesn't mean there's no tension, as Volume 19 starts off with Komi struggling to reconnect with Agari, a friend and former classmate. After months of not speaking, things are awkward, and both girls overthink where they stand. I liked seeing everyone's advice and how much Komi tried to strike up a conversation. I honestly miss seeing Agari a lot, as she's so relatable! Afterwards, Komi is confronted with the fact that she's only made 8 new friends this semester. Communication Master Najimi sets up a dubious Blind Friendship Meetup with a bunch of girls. Komi is nervous to get to know someone new, and the atmosphere is awkward at first. I liked how they slowly connected, and Komi put herself out there by writing that she's searching for new friends. Anchi initially seems like your typical Twitter troll who lives to constantly critize everyone and is therefore shocked to receive acceptance from the group!
➽ I really liked this volume as it had many great moments,such as Komi's new class desperately trying to get her contact info or the study session sleepover at Manbagi's place. It was also sweet seeing Tadano present at the Teacher-Student conference to hype up his classmates! No matter if most view him as ordinary, Tadano once again shows that he sees the heart of people!
INFORMATION ➽ CW's: Anxiety ➽ Representation 🌷 Social Anxiety
I didn't realize that this manga was split into Volumes so I didn't review them, but I have read all the way from Volume 1 to 19, as I am currently on chapter 258 and after a bit of digging that is near the end of Volume 19. This is one of my favorite manga's, I watched the first episode of the anime, and although the art was beautiful and really good, I prefer the manga because I find it much faster and gave me more time to digest the emotions and not have to wait for the dialogue to keep rolling on when I already finished reading the subtitles.
Some parts I really liked is how wholesome and caring the plot is. A large cast of characters, but you never feel like its too much, each character has a specific purpose when it comes to the overall underlining plot and never gets overwhelming or repetitive, with each new face bringing a fresh wind and flavor. Characters are all likeable too, even if they are given a few looked down upon qualities, these always become they're selling point and you will love them for their flaws included.
The main genre is romantic comedy, but it isn't cliché and isn't at all rushed. With romantic parts sprinkled just enough to allow the reader to know what the overall conclusion will be. The friendships are all so wholesome and I have nothing but praise and compliments for this writing.
The expressions, comedic elements, and storyline are phenomenal and I would give this infinity stars if I could.
2.5 Stars* I picked this up as part of my continuation of the series. “Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 19” continues to follow Komi and her new found friends. In this volume Najimi takes Komi back under her wing and becomes Komi’s personal friendship mentor. Najimi is aghast to learn that Komi has only made eight new friends this year, and decides to set Komi up on a blind friendship date to reignite Komi’s friendship goals. I was very happy to see this series get back to its roots and have Komi focused on making friends. I empathize that meeting new people can be overwhelming for Komi, but this was her goal. Najimi is such a great friend for Komi, and a really wonderful balance to Komi’s meeker manner. We saw the return of the sexualizing of Komi by a certain character in this volume. There is just something very off putting and demeaning about these scenes that really rub me the wrong way. I am intrigued to see Komi continue to fill out her friendship notebook in the next volume.
This volume didn’t break any new ground, and in fact suddenly introduced a bunch of new classmates to expand an already over large cast, but it was also filled with humorous incidents that moved the story slowly forward. There are forty friends now, and although the mangaka is better at balancing the extra cast with the main cast in these later volumes, there is still something lost. The romance between Komi and Tadano is long, long forgotten. Komi even felt to me as if she were a guest in her own manga as other characters, including Tadano, received far more narrative attention.
And yet, I still enjoyed the volume. It was funny and well paced.
Terlepas dari leluconnya, ini adalah volume yang bagus. Secara khusus menyukai bab di mana Tadano memuji semua teman sekelasnya, yang sangat manis dan benar-benar mengharukan. Memang Tadano orang biasa dengan aura tipis namun sungguh pengamat yang baik. Meskipun tidak terlalu menyukai ketiga teman baru Komi, karakter bermulut pedas, karakter yang selalu dilema, dan karakter kawai namun bersuara (sangaaaaaaaat) 'halus'. Saya suka karater terakhir bagaimana dia tetap bersuara lembut bahkan ketika menggunakan TOA!!! sungguh jenius LOL. Akhirnya, bab menginap sangat menggemaskan dan saya menyukainya.
Selalu penasaran untuk melihat apa yang terjadi selanjutnya, sudah 40 teman dari target 100.
Thank you Edelweiss+ for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Another great installment to this series! New friends are introduced and there is more development among older friends. This volume had me chuckling at the newcomer's antics and I particularly enjoyed the boys' girlfriend fantasies. (They're really silly.) Tadano still remains my favorite character and I also enjoyed the praises of his classmates in this volume. I'm really looking forward to the next book!
This was definitely more of a filler volume, but there was really cute chapters to enjoy. The sleepover chapter was cute, and it was nice to see Komi, Manbagi and their friends just being normal teenagers together. But the chapter that took top prize for me were the parent teacher meetings that Tadano for some reason was asked to sit in on, which turned out to be amazing, because he just handed out incredibly insightful, and nuanced compliments to all of his classmates, which made them all see him in a new light.