WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Komi Can't Communicate, now streaming on Netflix.
Komi Can't Communicate introduced fans to protagonist Komi Shoko, a high school student who lives with extreme social anxiety and a communication disorder. Throughout Season 1, fans learned that despite being popular with students at Itan Private High School, she actually had a very lonely childhood due to her inability to interact with others. It wasn't until her classmate, Tadano Hitohito, caught on to this fact that she was finally comfortable enough to share her struggles.
In Episode 1, Komi expressed a desire to make 100 friends. Tadano became her closest friend with his childhood friend, Najimi Osana, becoming her second best friend. Through the two of them, Komi befriended a few other classmates and gained new experiences such as shopping with friends, playing video games, doing karaoke together and participating in a school festival. While Komi made significant progress over the course of Season 1, there are still questions fans would love to see answered in Season 2.
Why Can't Komi Talk?
While Season 1 of Komi Can't Communicate revealed the entire Komi family has a genetic predisposition for anxiety and communication disorders, it's never explained why that is. This is especially true when realizing that none of the family members experience their struggles in the exact same way.
Komi's father and uncle, for example, are silent most of the time, but her father can actually speak to his daughter when needed and is shown to be pretty articulate. Her paternal grandmother is highly articulate, with her cousin Akira also being able to talk. Her brother Shosuke doesn't speak, but that is more due to standoffishness rather than anxiety.
Given these variations, it does beg the question of what ultimately caused Komi to develop extreme social anxiety along with a communication disorder. While Season 1 consistently hints at adverse childhood experiences as the main culprit, hopefully Season 2 explores Komi's background in more depth.
Does Tadano Like Komi?
Another major development that's consistently hinted at in Komi Can't Communicate Season 1 is the romantic attraction between Komi and Tadano. At best, it's been confirmed through Komi's actions that she very much loves Tadano in that capacity. Her writing "When I’m with you, I enjoy our time alone as well" in the dirt at a summer festival is as clear cut as it gets. In case there was any doubt, she was briefly jealous of their classmate, Onemine Nene, helping Tadano out with his responsibilities as class president.
The bigger question, of course, is whether Tadano feels the same way about Komi -- and for the right reasons. In earlier episodes, Tadano was attracted to her physical beauty like everyone else. Since discovering her communication disorder, however, he started acting like a big brother to her, often protecting Komi against being exploited by others, including Najimi. He is consistently depicted as being respectful toward her, and tries to fulfill as many of her wishes as possible within reasonable boundaries.
By the Season 1 finale, Tadano awkwardly invites Komi to the dance floor during a school dance, but only because he realizes she wants to participate. Needless to say, he finds himself apologizing for his forward behavior, even though Komi doesn't mind. Hopefully, Season 2 will explore whether or not Tadano recognizes Komi's feelings for him and reciprocates them.
What Is Najimi's Gender?
The most gender-fluid character in Komi Can't Communicate is Osana Najimi, though it's hard to tell whether they actually identify as non-binary or if they're still figuring out their gender since they are still a teenager. At best, it's shown in the flashbacks that Najimi dressed as a boy and even used male pronouns, possibly indicating they may have identified as male when they were younger.
As a high school student, Najimi wears a female school uniform with a male tie, which confuses Tadano at first. When asked about the change, Najimi states they are female and even presses their hands on their chest to show they have breasts. While Najimi still uses male pronouns and tells male suitors that they are male, it looks as though they have settled primarily on a female identity.
Apart from wearing female clothing, other evidence of Najimi's female identity is the fact they use female changing rooms and washrooms. Their female friends -- including Komi -- also refer to them as "Najimi-chan," which is more commonly used on girls than on boys. This could also potentially indicate they might be transgender. Whether or not Najimi is established as non-binary or transgender is something fans hope to see explored in-depth in Season 2.
Will Shosuke and Hitomi Interact?
While they didn't get a whole lot of screen time, a seed was planted in Season 1's penultimate episode that Komi and Tadano's respective siblings could end up interacting in the future. If Komi Shosuke and Tadano Hitomi do interact in Season 2, fans can most likely expect a completely different dynamic from their older siblings. Whereas Komi and Tadano are always awkward around each other and experience different levels of social anxiety, Shosuke and Hitomi are their siblings' polar opposites in that regard.
Shosuke is shown to be aloof and a bit hardcore in his standoffish behavior. His main reason for not interacting with others appears to come from him feeling that most people aren't worth talking to. A big part of that may be due to the fact he's aware he is good-looking and doesn't want to be objectified and worshipped like a god by others.
By contrast, Hitomi is shown to be completely outgoing and looks like the type who would immediately form a crush on Shosuke if she ever met him. Knowing what she does about Komi through her brother, she also looks like the type who would task herself with fixing Shosuke's communication disorder -- probably by wrongly assuming he also experiences the same paralyzing anxiety as his sister. If they do interact in Season 2, it will surely be one of Komi Can't Communicate's most hilarious relationships.
