Name: Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1
ISBN: 9781974712120

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! -- VIZ Media

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1

This was an amazing manga! (speaking for all of them) It made me cry so many times. It really made you think about other people. Like people with the same condition. How hard it is to see others talk, and not join in with them.

Pros- It was absolutely breath taking! I got hooked when I read it. The author for it, had a brilliant mind. I like the way it had the social anxeity, but also threw in a normal boy/girls life. (except for Komi's prettiness) 

P.S. It had the best ship ever. Komi and tadano are amazing.

Ari 💙💛

This was an amazing manga! (speaking for all of them) It made me cry so many times. It really made you think about other people. Like people with the same condition. How hard it is to see others talk, and not join in with them.

Pros- It was absolutely breath taking! I got hooked when I read it. The author for it, had a brilliant mind. I like the way it had the social anxeity, but also threw in a normal boy/girls life. (except for Komi's prettiness) 

Cons- Nothing.

P.S. It had the best ship ever. Komi and tadano are amazing.

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. Timid Tadanao is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. He lives to blend in with the background. 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!

Komi Can't Communicate

Sarah Sammis

The scenarios fall into a couple different types. The first is Komi being in a situation where she'll be expected to talk and how she gets around that expectation. The second is how she is perceived: either gorgeous and aloof or stern and angry.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. It’s time for the national health exam at Itan High, and the excitement of eye exams and height measurements have fanned the flames of competition for plain jane Makeru Yadano. She’s determined to beat the class idol Komi in the health test, and Komi’s total obliviousness to their impassioned duel just feeds Makeru’s determination. As the epic battle heats up, how will Komi handle her first rival when she’s barely made her first friends?!

Despite my misgivings about Yadano as a character and her apparent carte blanche to be a creepy stalker / kidnapper, I'm still rating this volume five stars. The focus is still primarily on Komi as she navigated high school and works towards her goal of making one hundred friends.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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. With the whole student body keeping its distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. Summer is about to begin, and Komi would love to be able to spend the long, hot days of vacation hanging out with her new friends. But even though she’s made great strides in her personal quest, her communication issues are still strong enough to ruin her fun. Thankfully just thinking of her dear friend Tadano is enough to help her calm down!

for essentially a "bathing suit" issue, it doesn't go for the usual gags. There's no boob talk. There's no boy trying to see things he shouldn't. It's just high school friends having fun over the summer.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2023/comm...

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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. With the whole student body keeping its distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. School is out for the summer, and Komi is still getting used to this strange new world of having friends. She’s discovering that friendship doesn’t automatically save you from awkward situations with people, but the more time she spends with her friends, the easier it all seems. And to her astonishment, for the first time in her life Komi isn’t anxious for summer to end.

Summer homework, buying a sandwich, sports festival. Of the three scenarios: homework, Subway, and the sports festival, my favorite is the festival. It has the best comedic timing and doesn't rely on other characters fetishizing Komi.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2023/comm...

Komi’s friendship quest just hit its first major obstacle—the green-eyed monster! Tadano and a girl named Onemine have been hanging out a lot lately, and Komi doesn’t know how to deal with her sudden flood of jealousy. She can’t explain what’s wrong, so she ends up spying on them from the shadows. Will her creepy peeping lose her a chance at a new friend and push Tadano away? -- VIZ Media

Komi Can’t Communicate

The first couple of chapters involved the obsessed student again trying to look up Komi's skirt. That she's also female doesn't make this scenario any less cringey.

Thankfully volume 5 ends on an incredibly funny note: a cross over with Sleepy Princess in the Demon King's Castle.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2023/comm...

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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. Komi and her friends had an eventful culture festival, so Najimi suggests that they all go to karaoke to finish off the day with a song. Komi loves hanging out with everyone, but the stress of worrying about singing in front of them is threatening to ruin the whole outing for her. Can Komi find a way to overcome her fear, or will karaoke end in misery?

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 6

Komi Can't Communicate, Volume 6 by Tomohito Oda (2017) spends most of its time on what if stories. The boys in the classroom spend their time playing "who would you date" and imagining scenarios. It's an entertaining diversion from the repetition of Komi trying to socialize given her anxiety.

https://pussreboots.com/blog/2024/com...

altlovesbooks

"I'll be your first friend and help you make 99 more."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review!

I'm such an awkward person in real life. I really identified with Komi in this manga, because I really like the idea of talking with other people and have things to say myself, I just can't always get that across coherently. 

We meet our girl Komi through our main character, Hitohito Tadano, on his first day at a private academy where he's eager to make a new impression at a new school. He ends up having a locker next to Komi, and also sits next to her in class, and finds her elegant, aloof, and hard to talk to. Turns out, she's actually none of those things (except elegant I suppose), and literally can't talk to people out loud. There's a heartwarming image early on after Tadano catches onto what's really wrong with Komi of the two of them having a chalkboard conversation side by side that really stuck with me after finishing the manga. Komi wants to make more friends (100, specifically), and Tadano declares himself her first friend and pledges to help her make more. Several other characters are also introduced in this first volume, each with their own particular quirk or social issue, some more convincing than others. 

The story is super sweet and super lighthearted so far, which while not necessarily realistic in a severe shyness sense, does create a lot of "aww" moments throughout the manga. I enjoyed my time with this first volume, and likely will pick up the second just to see where things go from here.

leif

super cute and im enjoying komi, as a person and tadano as her first friend, they seem like such a sweet pair and it was such a good start to the series, cant wait to read more

Zahra Robson

Honestly the book wasn’t that bad, I actually quite enjoyed it but it did feel a bit long in some parts I don’t know if it was my brain not focusing hard enough but i was getting myself easily distracted in long parts cause I was always expecting the next page to be the last then it wasn’t but…

I am actually obsessed with this plot, I do find it quite interesting and unique how they display everything

Jessica Lynn

mighty dragon 

Fraser Simons

Endearing but a little too silly and fanservicey at times, for me.

Ken Yuen

This series was pretty funny. I like how each of the characters' personalities/quirks/issues are reflected in their name. Like Komi is short for "communication" or Tadano Hitohito just means "ordinary person". The scenarios are amusing and the awkwardness kind of relatable? Enjoying this!

The awkward hilarity continues!
Really like these scenarios too

Awkwardness so relatable. Very fun though!

Everyone is so awkward, I love it. So funny and relatable

Another amazing volume. Cat cafe. The boys imagining which girl to date. Makoto Katai is my new favorite character, he's the king of the misunderstanding. So funny. Otori is pretty funny too, although I'm having trouble pinning down her gag. She's very my-pace? Also, the maid cafe story isn't in this volume, but the repercussions continue on into this volume. There's also some sweet moments too

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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. Komi’s friendship quest just hit its first major obstacle—the green-eyed monster! Tadano and a girl named Onemine have been hanging out a lot lately, and Komi doesn’t know how to deal with her sudden flood of jealousy. She can’t explain what’s wrong, so she ends up spying on them from the shadows. Will her creepy peeping lose her a chance at a new friend and push Tadano away?

So funny. I like how Komi's side super power is to be perfect at whatever she attempts (that isn't communicating)

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. Najimi declares a last-minute Christmas Eve party to be held at Komi’s house, sending the friends into a flurry of gift shopping and Komi into anxious worrying. But when her friends all turn up with good cheer and a giant stuffed animal for her, it turns out Najimi wasn’t just being impulsive—this is Komi’s surprise birthday party too!

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 7

I think this series does a fantastic job at actually representing the mind space of introverts

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. It’s time for the school trip to Kyoto. Komi has never been on a school trip before, but she’s not worried. After all, she’ll have Tadano and her friends at her side! But then she’s assigned to be buddies with two girls she doesn't even know who don’t seem very nice. Is Kyoto ruined, or will Komi be able to make new friends all on her own?!

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 8

A trip to Kyoto, how fun! A change of setting and dynamics which adds new friends to the mix. Loved the reference to Sukeban Deka. Continuing in the tradition of funny names, that character's name is an anagram of Asamiya Saki who's the main character of Sukeban Deka.

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. Valentine’s Day is a total minefield for people with communication disorders, but this year Komi has a secret weapon to combat the stressful holiday—friends! Armed with a chocolate cake she baked with Onemine and Otori, Komi is ready to give Tadano a Valentine’s gift. At some point! Before the day is over! She swears!

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 9

A Valentine's day story! Love this cast of characters, I'd read anything with them in it

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. 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! With the whole student body keeping their distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach. Komi is starting her second year of high school, and she’s feeling a bit melancholy that all the good times of the previous year are now behind her. How can anything else compare? But when Komi runs into a new girl with outrageous fashion sense crying in the bathroom, she’s able to put all her wonderful experience in making friends to good use and reach out to another person in need. Komi has leveled up!

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 10

Manbagi appears! It's funny to read this now because the live action drama just started a few weeks ago and is mostly based on this volume. Looks like it came out in 2020 too, so there's some people masked up.

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1

Reviews

Highlights