: Really, what is there to say about Komi Can't Communicate? This is probably up there as being one of the best anime adaptations this year with each episode really improving over each one.
The animation is simply beautiful and polished. The lighting and fluid movements are also top-notch. But I especially love the character designs of each character so much so, it would be relatively easy for each character to be identified with a silhouette.
But the main story is also really relatable: the social awkwardness and the desire to want to speak with other people but there are things that inhibit that such as shyness. But, really, you do want friends, and yet, how will you even hope to relay that?
The characters are what really give the show life. Tadano is described as "hopelessly average," which is true. When you have a whole school of students with different quirks and personalities, Tadano feels rather "vanilla." And yet, I feel that it works out just fine. Really, because of how much the students at the school treat Komi as a goddess or put her on a high pedestal, their flaws come from being unable to interpret Komi's true feelings in part because of their outrageous quirks. They are in love with the idea that Komi represents, and yet ironically, they are so woefully ignorant of what she is really like.
So despite that, Tadano is able to look past Komi's beauty to see someone that truly wanted friendship and he voluntarily assists her in her goal to get 100 friends. He does this again not because he is trying to score with her, but it is because he understands her. He also congratulates her whenever she would try to step out of her comfort zone.
For what little words she actually does speak, Komi is adorable with the show doing a great job at adapting her "bug eyes." The main humor comes from the classmates misunderstanding her behavior or actions by filling in the blanks when she actually had something else completely different in mind. Her goal of wanting 100 friends is just cute even though it seems relatively simplistic at first. But it shows how lonely and desperate she is with wanting to speak and only makes her relationship with Tadano all the more wholesome.
Then we have my personal favorite the based Osana Najimi. They are the most hilarious of the main cast of characters with their bombastic personality and trolling nature. Oftentimes, they do try to put Tadano and Komi into a situation to make them closer, but they are a good friend.
Supporting cast. As I said, they also have their own personalities and are about as entertaining as the main characters. There's Agari, a nerdy girl who gets nervous anytime she has to speak directly to others (and later decides to become Komi's pet due again to misunderstandings). There's one who believes herself to be in a rivalry with Komi, but Komi does not even know she exists. And, of course, we have a chuunibyou who is convinced that she knew Komi from a past life.
While I love a majority of the characters, the one I absolutely loathe is Yamai Ren. She is your typical yandere girl who is greatly obsessed with Komi, but it tends to go too far and is not funny at all. Really, that one scene where she discovered one of Komi's strands of hair is scarring. Worse, she even goes to drastic measures to be closer to Komi that I really wanted the outcome to be that Komi would befriend the entire class with her being tossed to the curb like the hot trash she is. At least from what I have heard the manga has her appear less.
The voice work and sound need no complex reason as to why they are good. Just really, the show is nearly perfect in its themes; relatability; animation, etc. Definitely a must-watch.
