It is February 15th, the morning before school, and poor Komi is simply mortified at the thought of facing Tadano again after their strange encounter the night before. Happy to skip the day and hide under the covers, Komi’s mom manages to lure the teenager out and send her on her way.
She helps viewers get better acquainted with the new characters of Akako Onigashima and Satou Amami, two unexplored friendships that are fortunate enough to make it onto Komi’s list. Tadano, on the other hand, almost finds himself booted off that very same list in the jam-packed penultimate episode of Komi Can’t Communicate Season 2.
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“It’s Just Ripped Tights”
Komi gets bombarded with embarrassing flashbacks from how things turned out on Valentine’s Day and is uncharacteristically awkward around Tadano, which hasn’t happened since Season 1. However, the day must go on, and the two find a way to work around each other as they continue with their lessons. Suddenly, tragedy strikes as Ren Yamai notice that Komi’s stockings are torn, revealing a minuscule patch of skin to the wandering eye, and for once, Ren’s primary goal is to protect Komi’s virtue. After squandering the idea of following Komi around the whole day and covering the faux pax from view, Ren opts to speak directly to the Class Goddess, conveniently offering up a fresh pair of pantyhose for her to change into.
The two girls bond in the bathroom as Ren shows her vulnerable side for a change, but the moment is soon lost when Komi’s discarded tights somehow land up shrouding Ren’s face. Flustered, Komi chases her friend in an attempt to retrieve her undergarments and, fortunately for everyone in the vicinity, the Class Goddess is in such a panic that she forgot to redress, and runs through the hallways with her legs completely bare, exposed for the world to see. Tadano ensures to make a mental note of the incident, which is likely to come in handy later on.
“It’s Just An Oni And Her Club”
Attentive fans may have noticed Onigashima before, as a member of Ren Yamai’s little clique of friends (more like an entourage, but okay.) She is usually a very carefree, easygoing gal, the typical girl-next-door who everyone wants as their bestie, but Onigashima is human after all and has as much right to a bad day as any other; and boy was today her day. After skillfully catching every red light on the way to school, Onigashima has the chance to (repeatedly) retie her shoelaces and spends most of the day failing to untangle her headphones. But who needs music, it doesn’t soothe the savage beast or anything significant…
Onigashima’s mood is so foul that day that even her close friends avoid her, and Ren insightfully warns Tadano to keep a wide birth in case Onigashima spontaneously explodes. Lunchtime is not successful in squashing the negative vibe, and tragedy almost strikes again when Onigashima’s earphones make a bee-line towards a warm bath in the sink. Fortunately, Komi has been paying attention and saves the day just in time, conveniently untangling the chaotic wires in the process. And just like that, Komi makes another new friend, and the pair spend the afternoon venting their frustrations at the batting cages.
“It’s Just A Pushover”
With a back-to-back introduction of new characters, Satou also gets her chance to shine, as the often-overlooked “other” desk neighbor of Komi in Class 1-1. Satou is an excessively sweet and generous girl, to the point of being a doormat as people soon realize her inability to refuse a request. From arriving at school early to clean the classroom alone to handing out her grandmother’s panties to perverted friends. Satou simply cannot find it in herself to utter the word “no.”
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Sweet Satou meets her match, however, when she attempts to assist Tadano, who has a habit of being too helpful himself. Practically grabbing an oversized stack of papers from his hands, Satou struggles to carry the load and nearly topples over, but Komi and Tadano are not far behind (and Najimi even further) to offer a helping hand. When sharing the burden, the task becomes manageable and Satou subsequently has a brain wave. By asking her friends for help now and then, not only will Satou’s life be easier, but more enjoyable too, with more companionship and less solitude.
“It’s Just A Fight”
Believe it or not, Komi and Tadano actually get into a disagreement, with the reason for their conflict being even more outlandish; bruised egos. Two of the timidest and most agreeable students of Class 1-1 officially but heads for the first time as they debate among themselves how best to solve Katou Mikuni’s shogi puzzle, but Tadano and Komi have vastly different opinions on the matter.
The pair spend the rest of the day brooding, with Komi even quieter than usual, and the tension is too much for even Najimi to bear. To lighten the situation (or more likely emphasize their discomfort), Najimi points out that Komi and Tadano must be pretty close to have such a petty (lovers) quarrel, and their anger is quickly replaced by embarrassment and beet-red cheeks.
Surprisingly Disappointing Execution
It is difficult to deny that there is definitely something going on behind the scenes of Komi Can’t Communicate, as the sub-standard animation presented to audiences in episode 10 is more than just a fluke, evidently continuing into Episode 11, and possibly further. Fans are usually blown away by the incredibly intricate artworks throughout Komi Can’t Communicate, but the past two episodes are lackluster, to put it mildly. The overall mediocre drawings are only emphasized by the choppy animation, where that classic three-frame-loop is much too overused.
Many viewers felt the storyline for this episode also felt rather rushed and disjointed, not following the usual rhythm of Season 2 so far. Komi Can’t Communicate has squeezed four stories into one episode before, but it is usually along a better theme with fewer, sudden character introductions thrown into the mix. From being love-sick puppies in the first installment to petty feuding egocentrics in the last, Tadano and Komi’s story seems to be all over the place, with way too many cooks in the kitchen, and is clearly not getting the justice it deserves.
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