Komi Can’t Communicate Episode 10: Amidst new characters, Komi’s crush on Tadano grows

With the release of episode 10, Komi Can’t Communicate firmly established itself within the shoujo rom-com genre. While the atmosphere is refreshing with the series adapting a slice-of-life view into Komi's life, rather than focusing on Komi dealing with her inability to socialize, the anime seems to be focusing just a bit more on her growing crush on Tadano. It's not a bad thing, but it remains to be seen if the series will fall into the stereotypes that define rom-com anime or create something different.

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Highlights for episode 10 of Komi Can’t Communicate

Sports Festival

Episode 10 of Komi Can’t Communicate begins with the sports festival and the narrator’s usual message: the meaning of the Japanese title of the show and to heed that just because someone is unable to socialize, doesn’t mean they don’t want to

We soon see our usual horde of fanatics, spearheaded by Yamai, along with Agari, Najimi and of course, Tadano.

After a competitive senior, Netsuno Chika tries to instigate the protagonist, the whole 1 A class becomes even more fired up to win.

While she does not manage to win, Komi does manage to grab second position for her class, despite falling during the relay race. In fact, she even scraped together the courage to quietly cheer for Tadano during his race.

Her mother makes an appearance too, with a class-wide encore of Tadano and Najimi’s initial reaction at seeing their classmate’s mother: shock at her beauty and uncanny resemblance to her daughter, and even more shock at her speaking.

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Komi gets jealous of Onemine

Most of Komi Can’t Communicate episode 10 is peppered with moments showing Komi’s growing feelings for Tadano, who obliviously, does not notice. The designated “big sister” of their class, Onemine Nene, notices Komi’s timid jealousy during the second sub-part of the episode when Tadano is swamped with class president work and Onemine offers to help him, and Tadano tells Komi she can leave, not wanting to keep her waiting just for his sake.

When Onemine teases her later on for it, she only blushes and runs away, much to Tadano’s alarm. As Komi Can't Communicate progresses, Komi's crush becomes more and more obvious, so it is no surprise that several people including Najimi, Onemine, and even her grandmother, have already picked up on it.

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The keychain swap

Their interaction seems far from being a tale of unrequited crushes, as it becomes evident in the third part of the episode. Tadano has, from the very beginning of the series, noticed the little things about Komi, and this time is no different; he notices her looking at cat keychains while visiting photo booths along with Najimi and Yamai.

Knowing of her fondness for cats from the very first episode of Komi Can't Communicate, he wins a keychain, wanting to give it to her the next day. Unfortunately, he find out that she already went and got one the previous day. But before he can backtrack, Komi suggests they swap, only to immediately stuff the matching keychains into their bags out of embarrassment when Najimi calls out to them.

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Preview to episode 11

Rather than a proper preview to episode 11, the last segment shows the protagonist excited and giddy in a way that defines every schoolgirl with a crush, and her mother smiles seeing her finally be able to enjoy her teenage life like everyone else, despite her communication disorder.

Komi Can't Communicate episode 11 will air in Japan on December 16, 2021, and will be available worldwide on Netflix on December 30, 2021.