The following contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Komi Can’t Communicate Season 2, “Winter Arrives,” now streaming on Netflix.
The highly anticipated second season of Komi Can't Communicate landed on Netflix on 27 April 2022. It is now winter at Itan Private High School, but the cold weather has not stopped Komi Shoko from her quest to acquire 100 friends! Tadano Hitihito and Najimi Osana remain loyally by her side, while a new, intimidating character is thrown into the mix. “Winter Arrives” is as entertaining as ever, as viewers watch Komi maneuver through the minefields of awkward social interactions.
It's the first day back after summer vacation, and there is a new addition to Komi's class of admirers. The tall, broad-shouldered, bleach-blonde boy goes by the name of Katai Makoto and, despite all appearances, he too struggles with social anxiety. Due to his Herculean physique, however, Katai gives off an exceptionally imperious aura, scaring the wits out of everyone he comes across. As with Komi, his classmates have assigned their own reasoning to Katai's silence, but unlike Komi, they did not give him the benefit of the doubt.
Newbie on the Block
Tadano displays his exceptional empathy skills and sees Katai for who he truly is - a nervous and anxious boy who feels cast out from the rest of the group. As it turns out, Katai is not a new student but, because of his overwhelming anxiety, he has been unable to work up enough courage to return to school for the past six months. Instead, he dedicated all of his energy to bulking up during the summer holidays, even bleaching his hair to complete the new look. Sadly, his efforts had the opposite effect, as the shy, sweet young man has become unapproachable and, quite frankly, terrifying.
The hypnotizing effects that Komi has on people did not fall short for Katai, who was so overwhelmed by her beauty that his knees literally buckled out from under him. Falling into the chair beside her, the pair become locked in a battle of 'who-can-freak-out-the-most,' before Tadano intervenes to break the silence and the boys become quick friends. Katai openly admired Komi, assuming that her intense staring was part of a lesson on the importance of eye contact, and ironically dubs her the "Ultimate Master of Communication."
"Studying at Nakanaka"
In the second segment titled "Studying at Nakanaka", the gang realizes that the arrival of winter also signals the beginning of exam season, so Najimi decides to organize a study group at Omoharu Nakanaka's house. Ren Yamai invites herself along (typical!) but immediately butts head with the hostess as the two compete for Komi's attention. Cute old school Pokemon battle references pop up as Ren and Nakanaka exchange catty words until it is concluded that only a video game could determine the true victor of their stand-off. Reminiscent of season 1, Najimi comes out of nowhere to win the game, subsequently earning herself the (unofficial) title of 'Komi's Closest Friend'.
Exploring Relationships
The season 2 premiere of Komi Can't Communicate displays a skillful summary of the first season, without leaving the impression of an uninspired flashback. New viewers are immediately made aware of Komi's awkwardness as she falls out of bed, flat on her face during the opening scene, alone in her room yet surrounded by photographs of all her friends. To remind fans of who all the important characters are, Najimi gifts Komi with a notebook and a task - to fill the pages with her friends' names. All the vital characters are introduced seamlessly into the storyline within the first episode as Komi collects the relevant details, however, a quick tally indicates that she still needs to make an additional 87 friends to accomplish her goal.
The theme for "Studying at Nakanaka" highlighted the question: Who is Komi's closest friend? Regardless of Ren and Nakanaka's personal competition, Najimi and Tadano are the forerunners in this race. However, it is unlikely that Komi wishes to keep Tadano as just a friend. Tadano proves himself to be Komi's most important ally yet again, as he was the first person she approached for Najimi's notebook task. This reflects back to season 1 when Komi was brave enough to get Tadano's cell number, which was also the first entry into her phone. During the exam, the two help each other out with stationary, able to sense that each has an issue, based solely on their ability to read each other's body language. Komi needs no words to communicate with Tadano because the cute potential couple is so in tune that proximity is sometimes all they need.
Najimi, on the other hand, appears to have no ulterior motives, as they are one of the few characters not seen fawning over or fantasizing about Komi. Arguably the most popular person in school, Najimi has an endless supply of friends, and yet still consistently makes time for Komi as she attempts to guide the girl out of her (dis)comfort zone. They always come up with interesting new ways to force Komi into situations where she has to try and communicate and, so far, Najimi's antics have been rather successful.
New episodes of Komi Can’t Communicate season 2 are due to release weekly on Netflix, with episode 2 airing on 4 May 2022.