WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Komi Can't Communicate, "It’s Just, I Wish I Could Speak," now streaming on Netflix.
Komi Can’t Communicate aka Komi-san wa, Komyushō Desu made its worldwide debut on Netflix with Episode 1, “It’s Just, I Wish I Could Speak.” Based on the popular manga series of the same name by Tomohito Oda, the first episode introduces the main characters of Hitohito Tadano and Shoko Komi. Both are first-year high school students at the elite Itan Private High School, who also suffer from extreme social anxiety. This also appears to be the thesis of the entire series.
When Tadano is first introduced, he is very self-conscious of the fact he is an average academic performer and doesn't believe he can excel at a school like Itan. In fact, he's surprised he even got accepted at all given his academic history. He desperately wants to fit in, but also doesn't want to rock the boat and get noticed for his flaws. As such, he hopes to survive his first year completely unnoticed. He also meets his classmate Komi on the first day of class but notices she won't speak to him or anyone. This only adds to his anxiety.
When Komi is first introduced, she is very quiet and reserved and is immediately noticed for her beauty by her classmates. Komi is calm and collected when she keeps to herself, but immediately freezes the moment she is the center of attention. This can take the form of a classmate talking to her, or worse, a teacher calling on her to read a passage from a book or answer questions during a class discussion. Komi's paralyzing anxiety prevents her from being able to speak to others, including the teacher.
After class is dismissed for physical education, Komi and Tadano stay behind. When Tadano attempts to talk to Komi, she tries to run away from him, but immediately stops when he asks her if she has trouble talking to others. This strikes a chord with Komi who then proceeds to answer his question by writing on the chalkboard. Tadano then realizes that the key to talking to Komi is to do so within her comfort zone, which is through written communication. This results in them having their first conversation.
Through a series of written messages, Tadano learns that Komi actually wants to be able to interact with others and make friends, but is immediately frightened by the thought of how others will perceive her. She has a history of being misunderstood by people who mistake her anxiety-induced silence for arrogance, which isolates her even more. As such, Komi hates being noticed by others, which makes her very similar to Tadano. This facilitates a friendship between the two, with Tadano taking it upon himself to help Komi make 100 friends.
Though Episode 1 focuses exclusively on the two lead characters, it does send a very clear message about the paralyzing nature of social anxiety and the different ways it can manifest as informed by the lived experiences of the individual. Since Tadano and Komi are both Japanese high school students, part of their anxiety is informed by cultural pressure to succeed academically. Tadano is very self-conscious of how hard he's expected to work at an elite school like Itan, which further exacerbates his anxiety.
Komi is conscious of the pressure to succeed academically as well but appears to be more strongly burdened by a different cultural pressure: the ability to connect with others as a girl admired for her beauty at her school. This alone presents its own unique challenges because she is expected to please others and achieve popularity through looks alone. As someone who values more meaningful relationships where she is valued as a person, not meeting this expectation leaves her vulnerable to social isolation and being bullied at worst.
Anxiety stemming from the pressure to succeed and the pressure to please others are two of the types of social anxiety explored so far in Komi Can't Communicate. As the series progresses, it's likely other forms of social anxiety will be explored with some of the other high school students who will make up the main supporting cast.
