Komi-San Can’t Communicate (from now on Komi-San) is going to have an adaptation on October 2021, so I decided to spit my thoughts about its manga source and how I received its (so far) 301 chapters.
As a little summary I’d say that Komi-San is a fun and wholesome manga that can be easily enjoyable, that portraits in a sweet way how teenagers struggle with their social struggles. Even though if you are expecting a lot of romance, evolution and a lot of things happening, well, this might not be your best read. I’m gonna deepen a little bit more about all of this in their respective categories but, in general, I could say that Komi-San can get relatively easily repetitive. That being said, let’s start talking about Komi-San parts!
The plot isn’t a strong point in this manga (so far) and it’s made on purpose: the story is centered towards our main protagonist: Shouko Komi. It’s, in fact, the definition of a slice of life. And don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing, it simply makes the plot not as important as it could be in another shows.
As I said, the plot in Komi-San is simple but still does its work. It consists on Komi’s view of life (most of the time) and how she tries to make friends while she has to fight herself and her communication disorder. This all starts with her meeting the other main protagonist, Hitohito Tadano. Since this point we’re living the daily lives of Komi (and sometimes of some other character) with not too much twists on it.
Little twists occur, and to comment them I have to spoil a little bit. First spoiler is related to first part of the manga:
Now, the next one is about chapters, approximately, 170 – 301 (chapters so far released when I’m writing this!):
In general plot is okay and does its work, but lacks some development and fresh new ideas. I like it, but it’s not the strong point of this manga.
Characters on Komi-San are, in my opinion, very unbalanced. While most of them are enjoyable (hmm hmm Yamai Ren), the vast majority are pretty much the same through all the 301 chapters I've read. The best example of this is Najimi, pretty much the same as the beginning. Having this said I'm gonna highlight the characters with most development (oh, surprise, they are the protagonists!) and why I like them better or worse:
1- Shouko Komi: The absolute protagonist and proabably best character of the manga. She has a communication disorder and we can see how she struggles to overcome it. In the very first chapter she can only communicate via a chalkboard and with time we can see her big little steps on this. She's absoultely kind, friend-caring and honest, and one of the characters with better development. I can really understand her and watching her progression makes me happy. The spoiler ahead is for chapters 200-301:
2- Hitohito Tadano: The main male protagonist of the series, a total wallflower. He hasn't evolved pretty much like Komi has done, but still has a fair amount of development and it's a pretty relatable character. He wants to get unnoticed but at the same time wants his friends (aka Komi) to be happy and comfortable. He's pretty much the only one who can understand Komi in this manga (with Manbagi's permission) and he makes a good tandem with her. Again, the spoilers ahead are for chapters 200-301:
3- Manbagi Rumiko: He appears late in the show but easily gets better and more important than most characters, showing it's evolution from a stereotypical Manba Gyaru to a pretty relatable person with the need of expressing herself but at the same time with lots of fears and unsecurities. She's the character who appears the last but still one of best evolved in the manga. Of course, the spoilers ahead are for chapters 200-301:
4- Other Characters: I put the spoiler tag because it would be difficult to talk about more characters without mentioning details. Again it's for chapters 200-301:
In conclusion the cast is fun and enjoyable but beyond the main characters they are pretty much one-dimensional. This being said I like the protagonists a lot and they're the ones making this manga as wholesome and funny as it is!
I'm not an expert on art (especially having read little manga) but I think that it appeals the show. It's clean art with the capability of doing little changes when it's necessary. I think it's perfectly adapted to the manga without making nothing outstanding.
Concluding, I really liked this manga as a whole but lacks some details that could make it even better. The read is really, really fun if you're aware of its little general progress and development but want to chill a bit (or don't know anything about it and dive into it, like I did!).
Also I'd like to comment how this manga focuses in communication disorders and struggles. It's not a harsh one (like I heard Inio Asano does) because it does not try to do it that way. The definition of it is wholesome but even so portraying it in a decent way.
Personally, I think it's a good read if you have time and want to laugh and make simper smiles. Be aware of its little repetitive side, but I'd recommend it if you like slices of life!
Thank you for your time, and hope you enjoyed my review!
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EDIT (updates on chapters after 301):
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