Shouko Komi is a stunning young lady with a terrible affliction, whereby her extreme social anxiety practically renders her mute in Komi Can't Communicate. Thankfully, Komi manages to befriend an intuitive young man named Hitohito Tadano, who makes it his mission to help Komi overcome her fears and make 100 friends in the process.
However, the sweet and good-natured Tadano has made some drastic changes to his personality since middle school, ones which he would prefer to keep secret... Fortunatley for fans, Najimi is always around to spill the beans, especially if that means making fun of Tadano in the process!
What is a Chuunibyou?
Chuunibyou theoretically falls into the Puberty Syndrome category (as in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai) and usually affects young teenagers at a Middle School level, and is also referred to as Eighth-Grader Syndrome. It involves submerging oneself into a fantasy world whereby one becomes the hero of their own storyline, embued with magical powers that give them the upper hand over everyone else. Usually melodramatic and egotistical, the Chuunibyou is not usually well-liked, as their lies and deception are outlandish and transparent and their fantastical explanations seem to see no end.
The first person to use the phrase Chuunibyou was Hikaru Ijuin in 1999, and the term caught on like wildfire. According to the Chuunibyou User Manual, those afflicted with this syndrome typically fall into one of three categories:
- DQN Class: These guys are serious 'wannabees', insisting that they are hardcore miscreants who shouldn't be messed with. Katai Makoto shows traits of a DQN, tough in appearance but actually a big old softy inside.
- Subculture Class: These great pretenders attach themselves to a popular trend for the sake of their image while having no actual knowledge of that particular subculture. Shinobino Mono displays elements of this, as the 'Class Ninja'.
- Delusional Class: The most popular and easily identifiable Chuunibiyou have a warped sense of reality whereby their self-appointed superhuman powers form the basis of their personality. Nakanaka is a classic example of this, even falling into the stereotypical trope of hiding a Magical Eye underneath an otherwise useless eyepatch.
A Young Tadano
Believe it or not, Tadano was once an arrogant Chuunibyou, however, it took only one unfortunate event to change his life, seemingly forever. 'The Incident' in question is briefly mentioned in Komi Can't Communicate Season 1 episode 5 in a flashback to his middle school days when Tadano's heart belonged to another. Once an overly confident young lad, Tadano was virtually unrecognizable with his slicked-back hair and suave swagger. Apparently, the Chuunibyou aspect of Tadano's characteristics gave him a warped and inflated sense of how effective his skills with the ladies are (everyone has met that type before!)
Arrogant and believing himself to be unstoppable, Tadano did not even stop to consider what would happen if his unstoppable plan to 'get the girl' backfired. So self-assured that the grand declaration of love would be well received that Tadano did not prepare himself for rejection, which likely made the whole ordeal that much more brutal. Although it is unclear if there were any witnesses (besides the peeping Tom of Najimi), it is doubtful that Tadano's vandalism of the school grounds did not go unnoticed, and the humiliation factor must have been palpable. Unfortunately, he did not get the bad-boy rebel reputation that could have helped him save face, but instead slowly withered into the background, resigned to being just another normal classmate.
Tadano's Crush
Before Komi, there was Kawai (which literally means "cute"), the most gorgeous girl in Tadano's class. However, unlike Komi, fans don't see much interaction between Tadano and Kawai, and the strong impression is given that, despite his Chuunibyou confidence, Tadano only ever really admired Kawai from afar. On the other hand, it is evident that Tadano's affections were not a secret, as Najimi showed no confusion at the mention of "Operation L", and seemed to be genuinely excited for their friend to finally make a move.
After painstakingly painting the sports ground with an oversized declaration of "LOVE", Tadano approaches Kawai and is about to make the speech that he has probably practiced a million times before in the mirror. Unfortunately, Kawai does not even give him the time of day to finish talking and quickly cuts Tadano off to inform him of how lame and "cringey" he is, with no attempt made to empathize with the poor guy.
From that moment on, Tadano pledges to never stand out again, determined to always fade into the background, demanding minimal attention and rejecting his Chuunibyou ways for good. And this is the apprehensive version of Tadano that fans get to know and love, only a mere shadow of his former self.
Change for the Better?
Having confidence is important for anyone, but particularly so during school years where judgment and identity crises run rampant. There is, however, a fine line between being self-assured and being narcissistic, and regrettably, the Chuunibyou regularly fall on the latter side of that scale. If Tadano remained in his former state of glory, he may have been more popular at Itan Private High School, as he would fit in quite well with his eccentric classmates.
Chuunibyou Tadano could have easily joined Shinobino, Sonoda, and Shigeo as a rebel without a cause, embracing the DQN Class of Chuunibyou. Alternatively, Nakanaka and Tadano could have bonded over their shared love for the fantasy world as delusional Chuunibyou. It is also quite possible that the formerly confident Tadano would not have let the aggresive Ren Yamai push him around as much as she now does. But what about his relationship with Komi?
Tadano and Komi
If money were on the table, most fans would probably bet against Chuunibyou Tadano scoring any kind of points with Komi, as she would most likely be completely overwhelmed by his eccentric characteristics. In the Komi Can't Communicate Manga, a strong emphasis is put on the fact that Itan Private High School prides itself on the fact that it collects oddballs and misfits, and as a result Class, 1-1 is filled with exceedingly colorful personalities. This undoubtedly puts even more pressure on Komi, whose social anxiety seems to flare up more depending on how erratic a person is.
Tadano is arguable the first (and only) person that Komi has spoken to because of his quiet, reserved nature that overflows with empathy. In an attempt to be "normal", Tadano has unexpectedly gained a new ability, becoming a true Chuunibyou with the power to read the room and use body language to gauge people's feelings. He has shown on countless occasions that he can adequately assess his classmate's true intentions, seemingly possessing the skills of a mindreader.
It seems inevitable that Komi and Tadano will eventually start dating, and fans simply cannot wait to see what their relationship dynamic will be like! However, the added status value of dating the Class Goddess could possibly affect Tadano's ego, granting him a newfound tenacity that could threaten to revert him back to his former Chuunibyou state, possibly causing a rift between the two lovebirds. This scenario will hopefully be avoided, as Tadano's insightfulness will undoubtedly kick in and forewarn him of the negative effect his actions could have on others.