Komi Can't Communicate

Komi Can't Communicate is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tomohito Oda. It began as a one-shot in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday in September 2015, then serialized from May 2016 to January 2025. The story follows Shoko Komi, a stunningly beautiful high school girl who suffers from severe social anxiety, making it nearly impossible for her to speak to others. Her silence is mistaken for aloofness, elevating her social status. When her ordinary classmate Hitohito Tadano realizes her struggle, he becomes her first friend and helps her pursue her dream of making 100 friends.

The series is a coming-of-age romantic comedy and slice-of-life manga that treats social anxiety with compassion and humor. It celebrates small victories, like expressing gratitude or affection, as significant triumphs. The cast includes quirky characters who both help and hinder Komi's growth. The manga has been praised for its positive message about empathy and acceptance, though early volumes faced criticism for problematic elements, including a stalker character who is still offered friendship.

Published by Shogakukan in Japan and Viz Media in North America, the series has 37 tankōbon volumes released from September 2016 to March 2025. By January 2025, it had over 16 million copies in circulation. In 2022, it won the 67th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category. The franchise includes an eight-episode live-action drama (2021) and a two-season anime adaptation (2021-2022) produced by OLM, both available on Netflix. [edit]