Synopsis 

On the road to one hundred friends for a communicationally challenged Komi, there are several obstacles that she must overcome in volume 2. Tadano has proven himself to be a true friend to Komi, but can he help her find more true friends that are not obsessed fans or enemies? In this volume, Komi must learn to navigate this strange concept of making many friends, specifically the right kind of friends. Not the type of friends that are either always in competition with her or openly stalking her and attempting to isolate her from her other friends. 

Review and Recommendation 

Volume 2 of Komi Can’t Communicate was a bit of a rollercoaster ride of a read. At the heart of the story, there is a lot of depth to Komi's struggles making new friends. She doesn’t want to fill her list with a hundred random people she claims are “friends.” She’s genuine, and at times, when she feels she’s hurting other people, she wants to isolate herself to protect them. Thus, by doing so, she has a deeper understanding and meaning of what true friendship means. How this theme of true friendship was delivered in this volume was a bit extreme. There’s a kidnapping involved, but the characters still manage to come out unharmed physically. These intense moments in the story are woven in with the mundane activities of average teenagers that Komi has never experienced, such as getting ramen, shopping, and having friends at her house. More of the lore of the untouchable Komi is revealed, and the reader, as well as the other characters, discovers that Komi is very alone and bored. Because her communication disability hinders her, she hasn’t done anything with her life. Specific plots in the story reminded me of my struggles growing up and being afraid to communicate with others. I thought the series would be more linear, with each chapter building on one plot point from start to finish. I’ve noticed that the plots are more random, similar to an anthology or comic strip. By the end of the book, the threads all come together for one central theme. I still feel this is a beautiful book, and I was excited to dive more into the story of Komi and her friends. This volume does have a few extreme moments, but it’s still delightful and a great read. 

*Spoiler Alert* (A spoiler alert is being issued because there are mentions of specific plot points that relate to the rating of this review.) 

Cautions 

Several plots in this volume might be triggering or too mature for younger readers. There are a few suggestive images, innuendos, and strong language. However, the plot I found to be too mature was the stalking of Komi and the kidnapping of her friend Tadano by the character Yamai. This plot point did lead to Komi realizing she needs to be careful and selective with whom she allows to be her friend, but it’s a very intense segment that might be triggering. I think this series is best suited for teenage or older readers.