Follow TV Tropes

Following

Funny / Komi Can't Communicate

Go To

  • The anime in general cranks the humor up to eleven thanks to the way it adds frenetic motion and voice acting to so many of the character's actions.
  • While Komi's Tareme Eyes are the visual shorthand for her social anxiety acting up, there's something hilarious about the fact that she basically turns into a chibi only from the neck up.

    Season 1 Part 1 

Episode 1

  • When it comes Komi’s turn to introduce herself, the entire class waits for it with bated breath, with one student having a boom mike out of nowhere. Naturally, this just freaks her out even more.
  • When Tadano overhears Komi talking to herself, she on reflex flees with such energy and speed that she knocks over several desks and chairs on her way out. She's later shown putting them all back where they go.
  • While Tadano and Komi's first conversation where she admits her inability to communicate with people is nothing but pure heartwarming, there are two particular Mood Whiplashes that'll get one a laugh:
    • After Komi is done telling Tadano her story in middle school through the blackboard, Tadano thinks Komi is crying, so he offers her a handkerchief... only for Komi to reveal it's just a case of coincidental hiccups.
    • When Tadano asks Komi what her dream is, her answer is to the point... except for one small detail that might cause the viewer to do the exact opposite...
      Tadano: Komi-san, what's your dream?
      Komi: Having a hundred friends... please don't laugh.

Episode 2

  • Tadano attempts to get Yamai, one of the most popular girls in class, to be Komi's friend. We get our first peak at Yamai's...personality as she leans in to whisper in Tadano's ear...
    Yamai: Who do you think you are addressing the supreme one by her name like that? You call her Lady Komi, you loser. Don't get carried away just because you sit next to her, you scum. Be grateful that you breathe the same air as her when you're just scum scum scum scum scum scum!''
  • Tadano is mistaken for a stalker, in about the cutest way possible.
    Child: Mommy, a stalker!
    Mother: Yes, a stalker.
  • At the end, Komi returned with her (wrong) order for Najimi, who rather confusedly notes that it isn't what they ordered. Cue Komi crying, making them and Tadano freak and promptly flat-out apologize, with Najimi saying it was supposed to make her more confident... in response, Komi sulks to herself, and Tadano/Najimi have a shared reaction worthy of their numerous schoolmates.
    "Komi's sulking! How cute!"

Episode 3

  • Agari psyches herself up to give the class the teacher's message, only for just one single syllable to escape her lips.
    Agari: Pa!
    Class: Pa?
    Agari: What?! What is "Pa"?!
  • Agari literally rapidly backing up from the suggestion of being Komi's friend, suggesting she be her "dog" instead as a howl plays in the background.
  • The whole scene with Komi experimenting with her new phone as she displays a huge range of excited squeals and panicked gasps, particularly after she accidentally calls Tadano.
  • When getting Komi and Tadano to join in the games, Najimi assures both that the group is happy to have them. Cue them looking to find the other students prostrating in awe at the idea of Komi joining them, to Najimi's bafflement.
  • The class has to decide on who should be class president. Najimi is the only one who doesn't vote for Komi...because Komi is overqualified and the vote instead turns into one for what a higher office for Komi should be, resulting in Komi being elected Class Goddess. Tadano becomes class president mostly as an afterthought.

Episode 4

  • The second portion of the episode opens with Tadano giving a typical introductory summary of himself as a protagonist only to be cut-off suddenly by Yamai kidnapping him. Then the episode seemingly restarts but with Yamai now acting as if she is a protagonist.
  • Yamai's... "antics" manage to somehow be equal parts hilarious and terrifying/disconcerting, especially with the sheer suddenness of her voice shifts from overbearingly cutesy to crazy serious/threatening.
    • She delivers a Precision F-Strike in English (partially censored by the sound of a gunshot) the instant Najimi assures her that they're just friends with Komi, then tries to play it off as a sneeze, which they don't buy at all.
  • A bit of a Mood Whiplash. Yamai falls to the knees and starts crying after Komi rejects her and she and Tadano leave... while Najimi is left alone with her wondering what to do and mentally calling Tadano for help.
    • The Latin Spanish dub makes it even funnier with this dialogue:
      Najimi: Why did they leave me Alone with the Psycho?! HEEEEELP!!

Episode 5

  • Yadano Makeru introduces herself again, only to get tackled off the screen by the crowd of students ogling Komi in gym clothes and ponytail.
  • Najimi asking Komi for an invitation to her house. Komi is understandably anxious, and Tadano starts narrating how Komi feels to himself.
    Najimi: What's with your ability to read people's minds?
  • Tadano and Najimi are in awe at the sight of Komi's mother, who has the same stunning features and (initially) presence as her daughter... and are dumbfounded when she starts speaking, but cheerfully at that.
  • Najimi leaves to use the bathroom, but really they're peeking inside Komi's door to spy on Komi and Tadano in expectation of awkward conversation. What Najimi gets is instead 15 minutes of non-awkward silence.
  • Najimi then tries entertaining themselves by snooping through Komi's room for stuff Komi wouldn't want anyone to find, claiming sharing such secrets will make them closer friends. They just pull out Communication-books from under the bed, though Komi is still embarrassed about it.

Episode 6

  • The whole opening scene is a parade of amusement from start to finish. Tadano enters the classroom only to find Komi's anxious trembling (complete with cute sound effects) has already gone out of control. The cause? She's prepared a bunch of jokes and is nervous about how they will be taken. Tadano finds himself at a loss to how to react to her "dad joke" level of wordplay comedy. He tries to explain first that hearing the joke instead of reading it may help, so Komi proceeds to, slowly and silently, step outside the room and call him on the phone (once again though simply stating the wordplay with no context). Najimi enters to reveal they were also a "victim" (and thought Komi's joke was a coded death threat), and tries to get Tadano to show Komi how its done. However, his own attempt isn't any better. Yet Komi finds the one joke he attempts amazing to the point that she has stars in her eyes and ecstatic murmurs in reaction to it.
  • Komi wondering why she grows cat ears sometimes.
  • The beautician Karisu Masa is likely the first adult we see outside Komi's family who has known her for a long time, and it's shown that, despite her classy and professional demeanor, she isn't above having some friendly, good-natured fun at Shouko's expense, such as jokingly suggesting to give her a short blonde haircut, or plainly telling her assistant that Komi is just pretending to be sleeping when she sits there with her eyes closed, causing Komi to flinch.

Episode 7

  • Shouko's hair blowing in his face while on the water slide causing Tadano to develop "a new fetish/thrill" to the point that he's still daydreaming about her hair later.
  • Shouko decides to showcase her growing confidence by going to the library on her own, only to panic and jump back into the house, hiding behind her mom, at the sight of a cicada.
  • The sheer, overwhelmed expression of awe and terror the baby at the library shows upon looking into Shouko's eyes.

Episode 8

  • The Komi family goes on a trip, stopping by a graveyard to pay their respects to their ancestors. This exchange ensues:
    Shuuko: You've been talking to them for a long time. Have you been able to greet your ancestors correctly?
    Shouko: (nods)
    Gravestone: !?
  • The family meeting. Right on arrival, Shuuko and Ryouko greet each other by holding hands and jumping cheerily. Meanwhile, Masayoshi and his brother Sadayoshi just stand gazing at each other, with a caption (and the narration) saying "They get along".
  • A brief, single shot shows Shousuke physically struggling with his aunt Ryouko as she cheerfully tries to hug him. Meanwhile, Shouko is standing some distance away with a bewildered expression, with a caption stating that she still can't get used to such closeness with her aunt.
  • After laying her head on Yuiko's lap, Shouko tenses up when asked if she likes any boys, causing Yuiko to take Shouko's phone and ask who "Tadano Hitohito" is, much to her anger and Shouko's mortification. Meanwhile, Tadano sneezes while watching the anime's ending theme with his sister. It's even funnier when you realize that his name is a pun on "just another guy", implying that Yuiko is angry at Shouko for using a lame pseudonym to hide the actual name of the person she likes not knowing it's actually his name. Regarding her mortification, Shouko doesn't speak during this scene but we hear plenty of panicked squeaks from her as she tries to figure out how to get out of this.

Episode 9

  • Najimi is at it again, asking Komi to help them give out tissues for a "Bocomo" shop. At first, things don't go well for Komi as she fails to attract the attention of pedestrians, until a girl who really wants tissues; Teshigawara Hoshiko passes by and gladly takes one. Suddenly, everyone wants a tissue from Komi, along with Yamai Ren suddenly showing up and organizing a line. At the end of the day, all the tissues are handed out and Najimi plans to give Komi a third of the pay as thanks. Komi pauses about the last part, seemingly forgetting about the bear mascot she was working with for the past few hours. Turns out it's a very sweaty and overheated Tadano.
    Tadano: I-It's friggin' hot!
  • Komi is so used to Tadano understanding her so well that when, in a dream sequence, he doesn't get what she is indicating to him she proceeds to write out "are you really Tadano-kun?"

Episode 10

  • During the scavenger hunt, Tadano is asked by Agari if she could borrow his jacket, and he does. Then he is asked by Yamai if she could borrow some hair. He is weirded out, but judging from him rubbing his head afterward, he complied to that too. Then Komi asks to borrow his headband, and he lets her. Finally, Osana asks to borrow his left shoe and 1000 yen. Tadano figures what they are up to and tells them they get nothing.

Episode 11

  • "The characters from episode 3 have made a return." Just the fourth wall breakage of it all.
  • Otori Kaede put to animation is charmingly surreal. Every word she says and move she makes is notably slower than the people around her, except when she suddenly engages in Offscreen Teleportation (the second time being during a heartfelt scene with Komi). Her disposition outright radiating light at times makes it seem like she doesn't simply have her head in the clouds but is walking on them.
  • How the narrator describes the sleeping characters as "corpses" that are only brought "back to life" after the rest of the girls (Najimi, Komi, etc.) bring back Onigiri.

Episode 12

  • When they go to the karaoke, Tadano asks Komi if it's the first time she's been there. She reveals that she came once before with her family, prompting him to ask if she sang. Komi then writes "No, my mom was the only one who sang", while we're treated to a flashback of Komi's mom singing and dancing happily while Komi, her father and brother sit quietly in the background.
  • As her turn to sing approaches, Komi's nervous trembling grows and grows in intensity (various characters misinterpreting it as her being invested in their own songs), until she looks like she just might vibrate herself out of her seat, or perhaps right through solid matter.
  • When it finally comes time for her to sing Komi can barely get a few squeaks out, yet her more fanatical classmates experience some kind of mass auditory hallucination and think she is singing in the most beautiful voice ever, "a song only the pure of heart can hear" as Yamai claims. The scoring machine still rightly gives her a 0, prompting the delusional members of the class to believe it's broken and Yamai declares she's going to call to lodge a complaint. Later on we see she in fact does as she's shown angrily conversing on her phone.

    Season 1 Part 2 

Episode 13

  • As a lead-in to the new Theme Tune, Najimi bends the fourth wall a bit to introduce the main concept of the series and setting, accompanied by dramatic and dynamic animation worthy of an action anime. Tadano's response is to wonder just what they are doing/who they are talking to.
  • As the new Theme Tune ends Najimi is revealed to have been playing it on their phone the whole time.
  • In Katai's mind Komi becomes a confident master of communication, enabling her voice actor to showcase an outgoing and dynamic (if still very quiet-voiced) Komi, including a cute Eye Catch where she uses a Finger Gun on the audience.
  • Nakanaka and Yamai engage in a battle of insults and attempts to get Komi's favor that is depicted as if it was an old style RPG battle, with text and screen effects noting if a given effort was effective or not.
  • Their world's version of Mario Kart is a super speed foot race.

Episode 14

  • In what will become a recurring gag for the series, Yamai is "purified" of her twisted desires, in this case by the pure beauty of a rainbow, only to revert right back to her usual perverse obsessions a couple of days later.
  • Upon sighting the boss cat Chocolate, Komi's pupils literally have the words "I love black cats" displayed in them.

Episode 15

  • Komi's response to her stomach growling is to hit her stomach in panic.
  • Najimi prevents Tadano from revealing to Katai and Komi that they both have communication problems, reasoning that it's funnier if they go on with their misconceptions (Komi believing Katai is a thug and Katai thinking Komi is his mentor).
  • Komi's struggles to buy sweet potatoes from a potato truck, all done with nary a word spoken by her or the seller (who at first mistakes her for some kind of ghost).
  • Weeks have passed, but something is just now being fully recognized by Tadano and bothering him. He dressed as a girl for the cultural festival and kept the outfit on for most of the day!

Episode 16

  • The group, sans Tadano and Najimi, compete to try to get Komi to sit next to them. Of course, she opts to just sit with Tadano.
  • Yamai has agonized over the perfect gift for Komi, only to decide the gift should be herself. Thankfully, the idea is shot down immediately. She later contemplates stuffing herself inside the giant cat plush in the belief it would let her legally live with Komi.

Episode 17

  • The snowball fight is treated like a life and death match, with Yamai betraying her team only to be Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves by Komi.
  • Akira has a tendency to cry when she's happy. Cue her loudly crying as she competently deals the cards for her and Komi's game.
  • The New Years crowd automatically parts to allow Shoko through, her grandmother remarking on how convenient it is to have her with them.

Episode 18

  • Najimi seemingly has an energetic conversation with Komi on the phone, only to reveal afterward that Komi didn't actually answer the phone. They then seem almost ready to repeat the joke after Komi plainly calls them back.
  • Otori is surprised it's already the New Year, apparently since Christmas she's been doing nothing but watching a recording of a fireplace.
  • Komi is so flustered by Najimi walking in on her trying to hold Tadano's hand that she shakes her head "no" when Najimi notes her presence, only to shake it with such fervor that her head looks like it's about to fly off when Najimi asks if she's trying to say she isn't there.
  • Naruse is such a big deal (in his own mind) that he gets his own special, over-dramatic preview for his official introduction in the next episode. "The time has come," gets repeated in English letters on the screen twice.

Episode 19

  • The normally stoic Narrator becoming very animated while describing Komi's panic over Najimi possibly seeing them holding Tadano's hand in the previous episode.
  • The "flashback" of Komi's perspective of Najimi appearing in the room is hilariously over the top with Najimi filling the screen and seeming to eat the viewer as they run in.
  • Komi stays up all night writing a letter of explanation to Najimi for her holding Tadano's hand, debating with herself on what to say or if holding hands is even a big deal (she quickly concludes it's a big deal to her if nothing else). The text of the letter when she finally decides on what to say? "I was checking his pulse."

Episode 20

  • While each of the student groups on the train is introduced to us, Najimi can be briefly seen joining in to hang out with every group.
  • Naruse and company's impromptu modeling show is accompanied by the rising crescendo of Also Sprach Zarathustra in the background, the music peaking when Komi arrives and looks on in adorably confused shock.

Episode 21

  • Sasaki denying she was the masked yo-yo user to the point that it reaches Blatant Lies.
    • Further, Sasaki initially believing Komi really was being accosted by ninjas.

Episode 23

  • Yamai reacting to the slight tear in Komi's stockings - first rushing forward on all-fours like a ghost from an eastern horror movie, then resolving to "naturally" cover up the tear by standing behind her while bouncing back and forth in a crouched position, an Imagine Spot of Komi's stockings torn to shreds. Finally, Yamai decides to give her the "spare pair" of Komi's brand of stockings she always carries with her. As Komi is getting ready to change into the new stockings, she hands Yamai the old pair and the camera pans down... then back up, to show Yamai wearing the old stockings on her head, to Komi's shock and horror, followed by Komi chasing Yamai (still with stockings on her head) through the halls and past Tadano.
    Tadano: W-what's going on here? Should I stop her?
    (camera focuses on Komi's legs as the scene goes into slow motion, with the words "Komi", "Uniform", "Bare Legs" flashing by in order before resuming; Tadano is transfixed)
    Narrator: He got a good look at them.

Episode 24

  • Katai's White Day gift to Komi is a book on gaining muscle mass, because, in his mind, this is the only thing in which he surpasses her, and thus, has anything to teach her. As he walks away, Komi sits staring in embarrassment at the book filled with images of muscular men.
  • The little game about hitting and pushing each other's erasers goes from 4 people (with Komi in them at first) to the entire class getting into it, and it immediately turns into a tournament with everything and an announcer.

    Manga 
  • Chapter 130: As the new school year starts, Komi sits next to Manbagi... and immediately does a Double Take. This is even funnier given they eventually become each other's closest friend.
  • Chapter 167: Komi attempts to do radio exercises alongside the local children... but, being Komi, she does them from behind a tree. Exercises include "Stretching arms and legs", "Lateral bending", and "Avoiding a cicada".
  • Chapter 239 sees Komi attempting to make rice balls as a midnight snack. After a surprising number of tribulations, she finally gets everything together... and then her mother picks the worst possible time to walk in, jokingly telling her Komi will get fat eating rice at night, the surprised Komi almost dropping everything (the rice ball in her mouth).
  • Chapter 306 has a light bit of dark comedy with Yamai Ren being so disgusted/against Komi and Tadano dating that she coughs up blood simply by trying to say the words when asking them if it's true. Tadano confirms it to the adulation of the rest of his class (calling him a stud) only for Ren to smile and declare twice that she is going to kill him (with a sharpened snack at that).
  • Chapter 338: It takes the whole chapter and then some to convince Hitohito's mother (Jeanne) and sister that not only is he not gay, his girlfriend is Komi (and no he is not paying her to say she is). Course, by the end of the visit (chapter 340), Jeanne is utterly charmed and eagerly wants Komi to be her daughter.
  • Chapter 359: Komi enters Berserker Mode, due to being unable to properly voice her feelings about Tadano's popularity. This is represented in standard fashion - faceless mouth and many hands flying around.
  • Chapter 362 has the love gossip meeting turn to the topic of kissing (or smooching, as Katou and Sasaki insist on calling it). Komi is a bit confused as to why the three girls (Katou, Sasaki and Manbagi) want to do it so much, and all three reply simultaneously (in bold text) "because we're carnivores," with a caption under them helpfully titling them as "sisters of lust." They press Komi on whether she feels "the force" (of lust) as well, and declare she does after seeing the way she blushes.
  • Chapter 363 has Komi and Tadano admitting they are interested in kissing "to a reasonable extent," which leads to Tadano kissing her hand goodbye after walking her home. Komi's reaction after Tadano remarks she may want to wash it is to declare loudly (by her standards) "I won't wash it! Ever...!" She proceeds to have an adorably frustrated freakout in her room, using the hand Tadano kissed to get an indirect kiss on her lips, only to freak out even more and start hitting her bed with her pillow. Her mother observes and just happily tells her to come eat dinner when she's done.
  • Chapter 368 starts with Komi completely unable to focus on anything because she can't stop thinking about Tadano kissing her hand for the first time. She ends up going out to get groceries. After she leaves it's shown that her dad is also completely unable to focus anything because he can't stop thinking about Tadano, so he and Komi make gyoza together.
  • Chapter 373 is a long string of hilarity, be it Komi's parents loving Tadano so much that they want to study alongside him and Komi, or Shuko demanding Tadano tell her in great detail how he confessed:
    Shuko: I need love stories if I am to remain eternally 17!! Now give me your youth!!
  • Chapter 374: After trying (and failing) to pay attention to their studies, Komi and Tadano muse over whether kissing will help alleviate their feelings of thinking about the other constantly. Tadano says he doesn't know, having never kissed someone before... before admitting that a few chapters earlier he gave Masayoshi a kiss of life at the sauna. Komi's response? Laughing adorably at the absurdity of the situation.
    Komi: So, you smooched my dad... and confessed to my mom.
    Tadano: Yes, that is exactly right... I'm so very sorry.
    Komi: ... pff... So, things like that actually happen.
    • Additionally, while thinking about whether today's the day they will smooch, Tadano's thoughts take the form of him in the painting Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog.
  • Chapter 411: Komi dons the white dress Tadano picked out for her for the first time in quite a while. She feels like the dress has gotten smaller (while the reality is she has gotten bigger), but rather than the dress' height or width being an issue it seems to be another location that feels tight as she proceeds to check around her chest.
  • Chapter 427 features Komi realizing she's gotten into kissing withdrawal as she thinks over and over again about how much she wants to kiss Tadano, having a fit of cuddling (or perhaps more) with her cat pillow as she basically squees over how cute Tadano is and how much she likes him (the pillow being drawn as looking scandalized afterward). This then leads to her over-dramatically weeping at what she's turned into, and resolving to try to be "cool" when she next sees Tadano (proceeding to spend the day with him as "cool" Komi, only to end up losing her cool at the end).
    Narrator: Shocked at what an immoral woman she has become... she wept.


Top