Komi Can't Communicate

Episode 5

Well after that rather disappointing previous episode that I feel focused on some of the worst aspects of the show, it's nice to see that episode five gets us back on track with more of the relatable wholesomeness that I think the show excels at. In fact, aside from a brief cameo here and there, Yamai barely even showed up in the episode; instead, we were able to see some other members of Komi's class show off a bit more, whether it's Agari helping to fulfill Komi's rather simple wish of taking her friends out to Ramen or newcomer Nakanaka exhibiting their own problems with communication. The latter felt particularly funny and heartwarming, as it shows how teenagers sometimes use heightened forms of reality and fantasy as a way to appear cooler to their peers or simply just combat their shyness. Nakanaka seems like a fun character and I'd like to see more interactions between her and Komi where she may not understand everything that is being said but still wants to exhibit that closeness like we see in the gymnasium.

I also wasn't expecting this episode to give us lore regarding why Tadano is the ordinary straight man that he seems to pride himself on. Usually in these types of shows, the author never really needs to justify that kind of character trait as it's just sort of become a staple of the medium. But here it was turned into a rather funny punchline and one that kind of makes sense when you think about it. Turns out Tadano wanted to be anything but ordinary when he was in middle school and that led to some pretty harsh experiences like getting turned down by one of the prettiest girls in school. So in order to combat that crushing blow, he decided to go in the completely opposite direction and just actively seek out to be the most boring and uninteresting character he could think of. It's actually really funny and his overall reaction to that story being recounted to him was probably my laugh-out-loud moment of the episode.

I really hope the show continues to feed us these more general, relatable scenes, such as subtly highlighting how happy Komi is when her friends visit her room for the first time. Again, you could consider that as little stuff that we take for granted, but for someone like her born into a seemingly extroverted family, that means a lot. I was surprised at the ending sequence and how it took up a whole other skit on its own, but it was a nice moment between Komi and Tadano that really highlights the unspoken chemistry between the two. At this juncture, I'm not sure if the show will push them as a romantic pairing, but I'm not gonna say no to more moments like that in the future.

Rating:

Komi Can't Communicate is currently streaming on Netflix.