The following contains spoilers for Episode 12 of Komi Can’t Communicate Season 2, "It's just White Day," now streaming on Netflix.
It's been a month since the Valentine's Day drama, where Komi tracked Tadano down at his home to hand-deliver a batch of homemade chocolates in a previous episode of Komi Can't Communicate.
Now a gift is expected from Tadano in return for White Day, but he has the treacherous task of getting through Komi's parents first, and her dad certainly seems to disapprove of this whole ordeal. Back at school, however, friends begin to turn on each other as a full-out war erupts in Class 1-1 as everyone tries to claim the ultimate victory, while Komi is unsure about her role in the matter, as usual.
"It's Just White Day"
Komi is adamant that her Valentine's Day chocolates were just a friendly gesture and nothing more, but now that it is Tadano's turn to return the favor, he is not taking his gift choice lightly. Not wanting to give the wrong impression, Tadano recruits his sister, Hitomi, to help, as this delicate task is desperate for a feminine touch. She interrogates her brother to determine his intentions, seeing straight through Tadano's lies, as he tries to convince Hitomi that Katai is the recipient of the White Day gesture. The youngster proved herself to be the ultimate wingman once again, as she dashes out the door to purchase the perfect present on her brother's behalf.
The gift exchange commences as March 13th arrives, and it is all up to the boys to make a good impression. Komi gets another disturbing gift from Ren, in the form of a detailed, nude lollipop sculpture that Komi can...lick all over. Her present from Katai is just as absurd, as Komi receives her very first muscle magazine, adorned with half-naked, muscular men. Hopefully Katou didn't receive the same treatment, after the sauve and collected Katai smoothly slides a package onto her desk. Tadano loses his nerve at the last moment and ends up asking Katai out on a date instead, leaving Komi to go home empty-handed (besides her likely unwanted perverted presents.)
Saturday makes an appearance and Tadano still hasn't acheived his goal, but because he missed his opportunity at school the previous day, he now needs to visit Komi at her home. When he realizes that she is out on an errand, Tadano tries to make a run for it but is captured by Shuuko, Komi's mother, and dragged inside, left to wait in his paramour's bedroom. Alone and uncomfortable, Tadano makes an easy target for Komi's father, Masayoshi, who turns the intimidation factor on full blast, silently terrorizing the man sniffing around his darling daughter. Thankfully Komi barges in before anything hectic could happen and takes control of the situation, expelling her embarrassing father from the room.
Things between Komi and Tadano are slightly more awkward than usual, as the pressure of White Day intensifies. Tadano finally hands over his gift, and Komi is thrilled by the contents: a tub of luxuriously scented hand cream, and a single piece of candy. The smaller component of the present holds much more weight, as giving candy on White Day symbolizes a declaration of one's feelings, and the pair can officially hide behind the "just friends" banner no more. Finally, the cards are on the table, and Season 3 might finally have some romance in store for this cute couple.
It's Just Eraser Wars
It's been a few episodes since Komi Can't Communicate fans have had a good laugh (as the terrible animation quality in previous episodes is far from funny). The Class 1-1 Eraser Wars is just what everyone needed, as the typically dramatic competitive nature of Komi's classmates is exploited to entertain the masses. The goal? Knock the opponent's eraser off the table by flicking another one in its direction (without sending their own eraser out of bounds in the process.) The games begin and Komi finds herself up against Najimi, Tadano, and Yadano, who are all over-enthusiastic with their shots, leaving Komi to claim the victory. It is not long until the entire class is involved and a tournament is set up so that everyone can get in on the action.
Intense and theatrical, these epic Eraser Wars show the camaraderie between Class 1-1, which seems to have only strengthened since the school trip to Kyoto. Komi and Katai put their beginners' luck on full display and dominate the games, but overall, everyone appears to be having a blast. An effort is clearly made to include as many characters from Komi's class in the Wars as possible, instead of the usual formula of focusing on only a few at a time. It seems that OLM Studio has pulled out all the stops for this epic scene, and fans are truly grateful.
It's Just A Lonely Feeling
As the school year draws to an end, poor Komi starts to feel apprehensive about taking on the next year of high school, potentially without her new support structure. She tells Tadano that just the thought of it instigates feelings of loneliness within her, but even though Komi's anxiety has flared up substantially, she is still able to talk out loud with her friend. Tadano helps her to reminisce over the best moments of the past year with a beautiful flashback montage, and subtly reminds Komi that she can still make plans with her buddies, regardless of what class they end up in. They also still have the end-of-year celebrations to look forward to, which Komi is (in)conveniently in charge of organizing. The end may be neigh, but the journey is far from over.
An Abrupt Ending
Although it is a great relief to see that the animation quality of Komi Can't Communicate has returned to its usual high standards, most fans cannot say they are satisfied with Season 2's ending. Episode 12 depicts the last few moments of the school year, and Class 1-1 will likely be separated and spread out for the second phase. The gang would like to have one final bash to celebrate the completion of their first year of high school, but for some reason, the party is not a feature of the finale.
What better way would there be to wrap up Komi's story so far than with a gathering of all her friends, but instead, viewers are given a series of flashbacks projected onto a window; not the same effect at all. The final Class 1-1 party may have more drama than one episode can contain, but it seems strange to omit such an important event from the Season 2 lineup, as the last moments of Komi's first year at Itan Private High School. However, considering how amazing the Eraser Wars are presented, many fans are willing to let the strange storyline of episode 12 slide, as they are simply happy to see OLM Studios (apparently) back in the driver's seat again, producing top-quality content for Komi Can't Communicate.