'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ren Yamai is one of the most divisive characters in all of Komi Can't Communicate. She's essentially a Yandere who gets a bunch of screentime, meaning that fans see her flaws quite frequently. At the same time, there are also moments where she's more likable.
There is no shortage of scenes focusing on her best and worst moments. After all, she's one of Komi's main friends in the anime thus far.
Note: This article will focus on what's been shown in the Komi Can't Communicate anime (but only up to the 15th episode). It won't focus on some important manga scenes.
5 moments where Yamai was the worst character in Komi Can't Communicate
5) Hot Dog on a Stick
There is a scene during "It's Just a Festival" where the divisive Yamai bought a "grilled hot dog on a stick" and wants Komi to eat it. However, it's done in a far more suggestive way than it would seem based on this premise. The animation makes it pretty clear what it's supposed to mimic.
It's a harmless gag even if a bit strange. Najimi takes a bite instead, which disappoints Yamai, who proceeds to walk on with her friends, albeit in a disheartened manner. Still, it doesn't compare to some of her more obsessive scenes.
Funnily enough, she wanted Komi to eat a hot dog in the Culture Festival episode.
4) Staking out Komi's house
Yamai desperately wanted to see Komi in a bikini in Komi Can't Communicate. She even went as far as to stake out her residence for eight days (clearing disturbing nearby passersby). It's only a single line in the anime, but it's definitely not something to admire.
Yamai is also disappointed when Komi only has a generic school swimsuit, which leads the former to get her a new swimsuit. To her credit, the new bikini isn't as absurd as one would think.
3) Meeting Komi for the first time
First impressions mean a lot when forming a connection with somebody else, and Yamai quickly established herself as one of the worst characters in Komi Can't Communicate. There was nothing wrong with her having a crush on the show's main protagonist.
However, it's followed by her observing Komi perform several mundane actions, with Yamai making a very questionable gesture afterward. She then picks up a strand of her crush's hair, admires it, licks it, and then keeps it in a zipper storage bag.
2) Kidnapping Tadano
In the fourth episode of Komi Can't Communicate, viewers get a closer look at Yamai's true self. She wasn't important at all in the previous episodes, so there wasn't much to expect from her at this point.
However, that quickly changes once viewers see her kidnap Tadano because he's too average for Komi.
She's extremely envious of Tadano, mainly because she isn't as close to Komi as him. She even tells Tadano that she would bury him near the mountains, so it can be a little bit jarring seeing her become Komi's friend and a prominent character early on in the series.
1) Trying to look up Komi's skirt
Part of Yamai's yandere tendencies includes an obsession with Komi. This obsession borders on creepy, which is most prominently noticeable when she's trying to take a degenerate photo of Komi.
However, no matter how hard she tries, it seems as though there is some sort of miracle that prevents her from accomplishing this task.
It's fortunate that she fails to take a good photo, but that doesn't change how creepy and uncomfortable the idea is. This moment definitely highlights some of her worst aspects as a character regarding her obsession.
5 moments where Yamai wasn't so bad in Komi Can't Communicate
5) Rooftop Confessions
There is a tradition at Itan Private High School where people would head to the rooftop and yell out their confessions. It would usually be a proclamation of love, and Yamai, unsurprisingly, does one for the main character of the series.
She mainly talks about how special Komi is to her and how she wants to marry her one day. It's cheesy but far less disturbing than some of her other interactions with these characters. The audience cheers on, as virtually everybody at the school worships Shouko Komi.
4) I Love You Game
One of the cuter moments involving Yamai in Komi Can't Communicate was the "I Love You Game." The game's premise was simple. One player would say "I love you" to another and hope that they would blush or otherwise make a noticeable reaction. She just used it as an excuse to tell Komi that she loves her, which is far milder than her usual antics.
It was also amusing seeing her fail to admit it for the first time, simply because she was too head over heels with the idea. She would make a better attempt after Najimi gives a good one but to no reaction from the popular titular protagonist.
3) It's Just a Fantasy
There is a segment in Komi Can't Communicate where Sonada, Chiarai, and Shinobino fantasize about having dates with various women (and Najimi).
The above image comes from one of Sonada's fantasies, where he is having a romantic date with a Tsundere Yamai. They have a minor argument, which leads to Sonada giving her some heart-shaped earrings for their one-month anniversary.
She acts flustered, although it is pretty much out of character. Tadano even remarks how they don't know her true self. She's more of a Yandere in Komi Can't Communicate than a Tsundere.
2) Photo Stickers
Komi Can't Communicate fans get a different view of Yamai's character in the Photo Stickers segment. She talks about how she was into photo stickers back in junior high and was referred to as a "photo-editing master." Best of all, she's completely normal in this segment.
She doesn't creep on Komi much (she calls her cute, but that's innocent by her standards) and does some amusing poses with the rest of the gang. If somebody only saw this part of Komi Can't Communicate, they would likely be fooled that she's completely normal and sane.
1) Rivalry with Nakanaka
Like many characters in Komi Can't Communicate, both Nakanaka and Yamai wish to be Komi's friend. They have different reasons for wanting to be her companion, but the important part is that they have fun chemistry together.
They're polar opposites in some ways, with the juxtaposition of their differences being the entertaining aspect.
What makes this good for Yamai is that it doesn't focus too much on her creepiness or Yandere tendencies. Instead, viewers get some genuinely enjoyable moments that will only continue as the Komi Can't Communicate anime progresses.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.
