REVIEW: ‘Komi Can’t Communicate,’ Episode 24

Komi Can’t Communicate Episode 24 is a Japanese Netflix Original anime directed by Ayumu Watanabe and animated by Studio OLM. This slice-of-life comedy anime is an adaptation of the popular manga series created by Tomohito Oda. The voice acting cast for Komi Can’t Communicate consists of Aoi Koga (Love is War) as Shouko Komi, Gakuto Kajiwara (Fire Force) as Hitohito Tadano, and Rie Murakawa (Re: Zero) as Najimi Osana.

Komi Can’t Communicate Episode 24 wraps things up and brings season two of Komi Can’t Communicate to a close. Valentine’s Day has come and gone now. With White Day quickly approaching, Tadano wracks his brain to find a gift just right for Komi to return the gesture for Valentine’s Day. Searching for a grant that expresses his feelings towards Komi but is still appropriate to give her becomes far more challenging than he expected. Thankfully his younger sister Hitomi comes to his rescue. Now the only thing left is to find the right time to give it to Komi.

When it comes, I have to admit some of the previous episodes leading up to the season felt like they were lacking in specific areas such as animation and storytelling. Thankfully that is not an issue in Episode 24. The animation team held nothing back in this, especially when it came to Komi and her friends holding an eraser battle tournament. Fans of series like Beyblade or Pokemon will appreciate the animation’s nod to shonen anime.

Additionally, I felt the battle eraser scene is a prime example of what makes the cast characters in Komi Can’t Communicate so wacky and unique. For the second season, we met various characters that make up Komi’s classroom. Each character, some more eccentric than others, has their own unique personality and struggles, helping make this class of individuals so endearing. The eraser battle in Episode 24 was a great way to highlight these characters, their personalities, and how they socialize with one another. This scene also showed how everyone in the classroom seems to have bonded and grown closer. The various classmates have a less cliquey atmosphere than when the season first started.

The storytelling in Episode 24  shows why all of the build-ups from the previous episodes were worth the wait. This season’s overarching story and themes had a nice payoff at the end of Episode 24. While the first season primarily focused on Komi making friends and the challenges a person with social anxiety faces in various situations. In contrast, the second season focuses on Komi, Tadano, and other characters’ further bonds in friendships and exploring deeper feelings within themselves and towards others. 

For example, in his quest to find the perfect White Day gift for Komi, Tadano has to come to grips with his romantic feelings for Komi. With the help of his younger sister Hitomi, he can seriously admit, for the first time, that he likes Komi more than just friends. This allows him to communicate this to her through the White Day gift inadvertently.

I felt this moment was important for Tadano because, although it is clear, he finds Komi to be very beautiful from the moment they met. He has always pushed off the thought of ever acting on those feelings because he doesn’t think Komi would ever feel the same towards him. So the fact that he gave Komi candy and a gift for White Day was a step toward him acknowledging and acting on his feelings towards her. This moment also gives me some hope that season three will focus more on Komi and Tadano’s romantic relationship developing in the future.

Overall, Komi Can’t Communicate Episode 24 wraps up season two beautifully and gives a hopeful glimpse of the future that is to come. Episode 24 is a shining example of what makes this anime so unique. from the characters and animation to the storytelling and themes. Episode 24 does a tremendous job of wrapping season two with great animation, character relationships progressing forward, and an amazingly wacky eraser battle tournament that’s more entertaining than the name suggests. I can’t recommend giving this episode a watch to understand what makes Komi Can’t Communicate a one-of-a-kind anime.

Komi Can’t Communicate closes out the season with streams exclusively on Netflix.