This was a particularly enjoyable read. The characters are eccentric but relatable and the artwork is done well. The author takes care to snare that ambiguous expressions (which Komi is full of) are explained, and the character interactions are engaging and lead you to root for Tadano’s success. Well done, I hope to see more of this in the future.

Komi can't communicate is an adorable 4-panel manga, where each group of 4 doesn't have its own mni-plot (the mini-plot is usually contained within each chapter), but each group of 4 panels DOES have its own joke or punchline or little quirky moment. Komi has crippling social anxiety that makes it impossible for her to talk to her fellow classmates. Or anyone, really. Meanwhile, her high school peers see her as the beautiful but aloof queen of their school, everyone thinking themselves undeserving of her attention and therefore no one approaches her.

Then on the first day of high school, wallflower Tadano-- despite swearing to fly under the radar for his high school years-- ends up alone in the same room as Komi. And realizes she's not aloof-- just very, very shy. They communicate through Komi's notebook-- which proves a struggle with anyone other than Tadano as Komi cant' do anything but shake violently with anxiety-- and Tadano promises to help her make a hundred friends before their high school years are finished.

The art style is very chibi at times, and even when it isn't, it's still very cute. The side characters all have small side-plots of their own, and both Tadano and Komi are very interesting characters. The relationship between them feels very organic and is very sweet.

I got this book for my 12 year old twins (boys). They love graphic novels/mangas so I though we would give this one a try. Their thoughts: It was great, I finished it in about an hour. The story was funny and kept me interested. The pictures were awesome and there was no swearing or anything bad. I can’t wait to read the next ones. We would both recommend it (weather you are a girl or a boy).

Okay, this was just way too cute. I've heard so many good things about it, and while it's generally difficult to review manga for most people this is one I'm going to recommend to pretty much everyone looking for something just to relax with. It's adorable, and really wholesome and relatable in ways that you don't expect. I'm definitely gonna be on the hunt for more volumes of this, this one's amazing.

So, I'm socially awkward (but an extrovert, I like social situations I just have trouble interpreting social situations and contexts. Sometimes when I finish a conversation I can make myself anxious wondering if I interpreted the situation correctly) so when I read the summary for this I KNEW I needed to read it.

First of all, let me say I don't want to give too much away because I believe if you love graphic novels or mangas, you should read this. Anyway, Komi is super cute and relatable. I love how the author shows both Komi's perspective and how people see Komi. It made me realize that what you think is going on made not be what is actually happening or being thought. It was very great and refreshing. There is also Tadano, who is so perceptive and kind! He genuinely tries to help Komi makes friends and helps her whenever he can which I love.

The other characters are all the typically weird Manga types, yet are their own in a weird way. There are not many considering this is only vol. 1, and I expect as Komi continues to try to achieve her goal of 100 friends you will see more so I can't wait to see what characters appear.

Overall, I will continue to read this Graphic Novel and will now search for Vol. 2 because I just love Komi and her friends.

As someone with some serious social anxiety, I was immediately drawn to the premise of this manga.  I thought it'd be cute and fun and maybe a little reflective of what I go through now, even as an adult. 

Granted, my anxiety isn't nearly as debilitating as Komi's is, but I could still relate in a lot of ways.  That moment when the teacher calls on you and, even though you know the answer, you're paralyzed by the fear of saying something in front of the class.  That I totally related to.  

The way Tadano vows to help Komi is sweet.  I was worried in the beginning that he was doing it only to win her affection or that he'd push her too far, too fast, but I was surprised that he did neither.  Eventually, I'm sure they'll become a couple, but for right now, as much as he adores her, he's good being her friend.  He's also very understanding of her limitations, even if he doesn't understand them in the least.  

Najimi, on the other hand... I'm not sure what to say about her.  She's very much over the top and is everything I love in an anime/manga character.  I know I've mentioned this before but the thing that has always drawn me to manga (and anime) is how ridiculous the characters can get (and still be considered normal).  Since she's really popular and has no trouble making friends, she might be exactly what Komi needs.  Also, I think she might possibly be trans, which is amazing.  I can't say for sure because I'm old and out of touch and don't want to make assumptions.  

Agari is probably the one I relate to the best.  She's a very nervous, very anxious girl.  While she has these problems, she can get past them when she needs to.  There's a scene where she needs to tell her entire class something and it nearly paralyzes her.  In the end, she finds the strength to get it out and complete the task she was given.  

Komi Can't Communicate is presented in a series of short, quick chapters that slowly introduces you to all the characters.  As you move through them, you can see Komi - and the rest - making progress, each with their own personal demons.  It's a very fun and personal sort of manga and I can't wait to get the next in the series.

This was really good! I've heard great things from my friends who had read this and I'm so happy I was approved for it. I will definitely be picking up the next volume soon. I enjoyed the art style and everything else about this.
Thanks so much NetGalley!

I loved this manga and I can’t wait to read the next volume. I thought this manga was just so precious and heartwarming with Tadano helping Komi learn to communicate and gain 100 friends. I loved the artwork and the character’s personalities and expressions. This manga was made up of short chapters where something different happened every time like Komi makes a friend or she gets a cellphone etc. It was a really enjoyable quick read!

Komi-san can't communicate is absolutely one of my favorite slice of life mangas. It's wholesome, it's interesting, and has enough comedy to keep you going.

I enjoy the stereotypes that we have going on here -- Komi is super pretty, but she's got socialization issues, while Tadano is the most generic schoolboy in the world. I previously wrote about the series before it got picked up, and I think this really encompasses what I feel about this series:

"I’d call this a bite-size read that leaves you satisfied after every chapter, where you don’t feel pressured to pick up the next one because you’ll forget the story otherwise. It’s a comic where you can put it down and come back to read when you need a nice break (or procrastinating writing your essay *cough*).

A touch of fluffy, a touch of lewd but not ecchi, a touch of weird and a touch of comedy make this for a fantastic read."

*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

<b>2.5 stars</b>

I like the idea behind this book but it just didn't click well for me. The story felt choppy and didn't flow smoothly, which immediately created distance between myself and the book. It felt like the book kept shifting from children's to YA with the scenarios and language used and this left me a bit confused and some questionable dialogue meant I didn't like this one and won't be continuing the series.

Komi has extreme social anxiety, which incapacitates her from speaking and making friends. Despite this, her schoolmates revere and adore her; she is uber popular. When a new guy at school meets her, he alone realizes the fear of socializing in Komi. He agrees to help her make 100 friends. And so the series begins.

While I’m all for people who are shy/introverted/nervous getting positive representation and modeling for how we can help them with their nervousness, there are two main things that bother me:
- Even though multiple people have difficulty speaking to others, none of them seem to realize that others have similar issues. I get it that they are teens and ego-centric, but it is just too much suspension of belief.
- The one new friend who wants to be Komi’s dog??? Maybe that’s something that is lost in translation, but it’s A) weird and B) demeans friendship, especially where one friend is popular (or rich or fits the beauty standard set by society) and the other friend is on the opposite end of the spectrum.

ARC Copy...probably the most fun part of the narrative is seeing the Komi's cold yet cool "goddess" as perceived by her classmate clash with her actual nervous-socially awkward personality and seeing the actual feeling highlight by her eyes suddenly popping out like a cartoon!

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 1, by Tomohito Oda is a young adult magna. 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 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!

Komi Can't Communicate is a graphic novel about finding your place in school, and I really like that it shows how different the way people feel can be from how they are perceived by others. I think readers of all ages can identify with Tadano on some level. He just wants to get through school unscathed, but things are not all that simple. In real life they never are either. Befriending Komi might not be good for flying under the radar, but it does help her start toward her own goals for school. I really liked that we get to see multiple perspectives, which gives the reader a bit of room to wonder how much of the story might be different from another view, and how much of their own worries or fears are fueled by similar assumptions and misperceptions. Aside from all that heavy stuff, there was also a good deal of humor and funny moments, and I found the read engaging and entertaining. I enjoyed the artwork very much, and think the line work did a great deal to add to the emotion and overall story through out. I thought the cast of major characters was well done and fun, and I look forward to seeing more. I did find the ending a bit abrupt, like maybe the last couple pages and back cover were missing from my digital copy, but that could have just been a clever hook to make me want the next installment even more.

Komi Can't Communicate is a fun and engaging read. I think most middle schoolers through adults would find something entertaining and relatable in the read.

Komi Can’t Communicate (Volume 1) by Tomohito Oda, 189 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. VIZ Media, 2019. $10.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Tadano has a plan to make high school better than middle school: don’t make waves. And then he meets Komi. Komi is popular and intimidating until Tadano starts to understand that she’s just too nervous to talk to anyone. Now Tadano has a new plan: help Komi to overcome her inability to talk and reach her goal of making 100 friends.
Overall, this story is cute, but it isn’t substantial. The whole book is a series of silly and awkward interactions as Komi attempts to learn how to be social -- or at least speak a word or two aloud. After finishing this volume, I’m just not interested in reading any more. The mature content rating is for suggestive dialogue and actions in a few panels.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Komi Can't Communicate Vol 1 is a treat. Using high school as the backdrop, this is the charming story of friendship and having great goals and determination to better yourself. Tadano is a total wallflower, he's timid and usually always an afterthought. He comes into contact with Komi, the untouchable, beautiful classmates of his whom he mistakes for being super aloof and uncaring: the truth is--she's super awkward. Awkward to the point of being notoriously unable to make friends or even able to hold a simple conversation. Tadano becomes her first friend and thus the journey to open up, make small talk begins--she has a goal of making 100 friends! Again the story is super charming, the artwork is intense, the laughs are plenty. With this narrative, I'm sure it speaks to many readers with commentary on social interactions, anxiety, and yearning for more in life, and also growing up. With its minimal plot, I think this introductory volume would have been better served as a 2 in 1 volume or more backmatter and extras at the end to flesh out more of the story.

Tadano just wants a normal high school experience, but when he befriends the silent and aloof Komi, he quickly realizes he’s not going to get what he wants. Komi has trouble communicating (obviously, I mean, read the title) but she also has a goal of making 100 friends. Hilarity ensues.

Komi Can’t Communicate was an insanely cute story. The characters were authentic, relatable and extremely cute and likeable. Komi’s awkwardness was written and drawn very well and included all the cringe. The plot was a little non-existent, but Komi, Tadano and Osana were all so adorable that the flimsy plot wasn’t really an issue. The story was still wicked entertaining and I will absolutely read volume 2!

First impression, I thought I’m not going to like this because this might be one of those outrageously way out there manga or possibly perverted. Wow 😳 was I wrong. I loved the story, the characters are very funny and are relatable, and the illustrations are cute.

Komi Can’t Communicate is a cute slice-of-life manga. The main characters Komi and Tadano struggles with puberty and fitting-in combined with funny awkward situations. I can’t wait to read their adventure and how they would navigate their relationship and gain more friends.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing an e-arc for me.

This book has been kind of a meme in the anime community so i was intrigued to find out that it was available on Netgalley. I simply really just enjoyed it. No further comments.

Tadano manages to get into a prestigious high school and plans to spend his high school years NOT standing out. Somewhat timid, his plans are almost immediately foiled when he meets, and then is assigned to sit by, Komi. Komi is the most beautiful girl he's ever seen and is held on a pedestal by her fellow classmates. Her behavior leads her fellow classmates to believe that she is just aloof, and therefore cool. Tadano, however, discovers that she is not aloof but actually is so shy and anxious that she is practically crippled when faced with having to utter a mere word to another human being.

Komi asks Tadano to help her via writing on a chalkboard. Her goal, to make 100 friends. Tadano agrees to help her and offers to be her first friend, taking her total goal number to 99 more friends. He helps her make friends with another student he previously went to school with who may or may not be a cross dressing boy (unclear?). Gender fluid maybe... Why ask her to be Komi's friend? Cause that student is super sociable and makes friends with everyone easily. Tadano hopes she can teach Komi a thing or two.

All in all the story was alright. I would put it more towards a humor slice of life category. It's mostly written in small chunks that are basically different scenarios Komi is placed in where she attempts, and mostly fails, to communicate with other people around her. Art is decent, though I wouldn't say there was anything overly eye catching about it. Liked it well enough, but I wouldn't call it overly memorable.

Komi can't Communicate vol. 1 was kind of a miss for me. The storyline was original but I found myself getting bored. The artwork isn't my favorite and the characters don't really stand out. Unfortunately, I don't think I would continue this series.