Komi Can't Communicate, Vol 1 by Tomohito Oda

Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But all that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t aloof—she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends!

My Thoughts

I've been thinking about reading Komi Can't Communicate for months now, so I was delighted to receive a free copy through Netgalley. This manga is about Komi, a beautiful high school girl who is so shy and socially awkward, she's unable to even speak to her fellow schoolmates. Tadano also suffers from social anxiety, albeit a milder version, and while at first bowled over by Komi's beauty, realizes that they have many things in common. Through notes written on the blackboard, Tadano finds out that Komi secretly hopes for 100 friends.

I thought that this manga was just okay. I'm just not the right demographic, although I appreciated the irony of all the other classmates thinking that Komi, based on her looks and "regal" manners, is infinitely cooler than any of them. Some of them also assume that she's extremely popular. None of them have any idea how isolated and lonely Komi feels.

Social anxiety and severe shyness could be quite serious topics, but this manga is comedic and light. Komi is elected "God" of the class, starts a friendship with a girl who instead wants to be Komi's dog (which makes me feel a bit uncomfortable), and saves another friend from unsavory bullies through a comedy of errors.

Ultimately, I'm not sure I'm going to continue on with this series. There are a lot of other manga series out there that click with me, and this one just wasn't a good fit.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.