I often criticize comedies for their one-note character writing because it isn’t sustainable. Eventually, the jokes grow stale, and when most anime are over 4 hours in length, this is almost a guarantee. Having a comedy focus on the chemistry between the characters is a much better way to execute a show, because just seeing a group of friends interact is often enough to be entertaining. But KCC kind of defies this expectation. It certainly has one-note characters—I mean, one of them is literally described in a 3-word title, and at the culture fest maid cafe, one random otaku described several characters in just one word—so how did this show manage to consistently entertain me where so many other comedies of this ilk fail? Well, to be fair, one-note character writing isn’t inherently a bad thing, it just takes a great deal of creativity to keep the jokes fresh and interesting, and KCC somehow succeeds at it. It astounds how it finds new angles to tell the same joke. I laugh every time someone misinterprets Komi’s stare. Seriously, you’d think the writer would run out of ideas, but they just keep coming. Part of it is because of the show’s incredibly large cast. Komi’s “goal” is to make 100 friends, so that sort of implies that we’ll eventually meet 100 one-note characters. Having this premise set in a school filled to the brim with eccentric freaks is honestly a brilliant idea, because that means we’ll have a constant stream of new, whacky characters to keep the comedy fresh for a long while. But all of that won’t amount to much if it doesn’t have a strong core, and it has a pretty decent one.
First off, we got the MC Tadano. His whole schtick is that he’s completely ordinary—so ordinary that it perplexes me how he got into a school of nutjobs, but I’ll set that aside. While he may be a bland character, it isn’t to the detriment of the show. On the contrary, he’s the perfect conduit for us to observe these goofy characters. Boring self-insert MCs are only an issue when the story revolves around that boring character, and KCC isn’t about Tadano; it’s about, well, Komi. Komi’s character is an attractive premise. There’s something comforting knowing that even the most perfect of people have flaws and deal with their own problems, so Komi’s sincere efforts to overcome her weakness are genuinely heartwarming, and her inability to communicate makes her interactions with all these over-the-top characters all the more hilarious. But Komi alone isn’t enough to carry the show. She only really has 2 expressions: straight-faced and bug-eyed. She’s essentially a mute, which sometimes makes it difficult to connect with her. So I think the key ingredient that brings all of this together is Najimi. This genderqueer enigma is the most endearing character in the show and easily my favorite (I love how they wear a tie instead of a ribbon). We’ve all had someone like this in our friend group: the one that’s so likable and bubbly that they spread their infectious energy to anyone they encounter. Najimi, being so sociable and outgoing, is the perfect ice breaker to keep the group dynamic stable, allowing everyone else to just be themselves. But enough gushing about the comedy, it’s time to address the elephant in the room.
All of these traits are what made the manga good, not the anime. I’m not saying the adaptation is bad; it’s just standard and by-the-books. Nothing about the presentation wowed me. There might be some standout bits of animation, but for the most part, the direction is lifeless, and I’m not just talking about the plastic ren’py looking 3D backgrounds. Komi Can’t Communicate feels like another moving manga, and I think this style is boring. We constantly see text boxes show up on screen, which is silly to me. Why do we need to see onomatopoeias when we can already hear the SFX? The editing style makes it feel like I’m watching a string of panels rather than actual animation, and the amount of jump cuts in this show is jarring and obnoxious. One example that stuck out to me was the beginning of episode 6. Instead of Komi walking to the door, she magically teleports there. I thought it would’ve but cuter if she speed-walked to the door; it would’ve been a memorable bit of animation. But no, she has to teleport there because that’s how the manga panels look. The biggest detriment to the moving manga style is the pacing. With manga, the reader is in control of the pacing; they can skim if they want to, but this isn’t the case for anime. This makes some scenes drag out more than they should, and I’m left bored because of it. It’s especially grating in the more cathartic scenes. When reading the manga, Komi stuttering her words was kinda cute, but when I actually had to wait an eternity for her to say something, my patience ran thin. And the music really doesn’t help. It tends to overdramatize the situation. The goofy music sounds too goofy, and the sentimental piano sounds too sentimental.
But even if I think the manga is a better experience, I'd probably still prefer the anime; I love the voice acting and SFX too much. Speaking of voice acting, Najimi’s seiyuu is perfect. I mean, Rie Murakawa is proving herself to be an incredibly versatile actress. Just compare her Megumi role in Gochiusa, and you’ll see what I mean. I doubt I'll ever rewatch this show. I might've praised it for its funny one-note cast, but it doesn't offer much more than dumb entertainment. Depending on the person, the formula might get cumbersome, and the superficial friendships might be paper-thin. But I overall had a good time.
Thanks for reading!
