GOT
MANGA?
SUMMER READING GUIDE
#GOTMANGA
Overview
Komi Can’t Communicate, written and illustrated by Tomohito Oda, is the
story of two high-school students, Shoko Komi and Hitohito Tadano, on their
quest to find 100 new friends for Komi – and help overcome her social anxiety
while learning to communicate along the way. Set at Itan Private High School,
the first volume centers on Komi, who is viewed as the class “princess” but
whose secret social anxiety causes her to be almost entirely mute, and Tadano,
an awkward newcomer who becomes Komi’s unlikely ally and makes it his
mission to help her make 100 new friends. As these characters grow closer,
they find themselves facing new challenges and fears as they navigate quirky
relationships that they could have never predicted. Through their experiences,
Komi Can’t Communicate offers readers a humorous, compelling, and original
take on social anxiety, the power of friendship and determination, and the dif-
ferences between reality and perception.
How to Read Manga
In keeping with the original Japanese comic format,
manga is read from right to left—so action, sound
effects and word balloons are reversed to preserve the
orientation of the original artwork.
Key Themes
• Communication
• Anxiety
• Friendship
• Perception
• Courage and Determination
• Coming of Age
Key Characters
• Shoko Komi is the titular character of the book, with
her quest to make 100 new friends and overcome her
social anxiety framing all of the book’s events.
• Hitohito Tadano is a main character who doesn’t
like to stand out. When he realizes that Komi needs
help, he becomes her first friend and helps her on her
newfound quest.
• Najimi Osana is an old friend of Tadano’s whose
power is an uncanny ability to make friends, who
quickly befriends Komi and agrees to help her.
• Itan High School Classmates include the perpetual-
ly nervous Himiko Agari, who becomes Komi’s third
friend, an enigmatic figure named Ninja, the leader
of the so-called “cool girls,” who is named Yamai, and
many more!
COMI-SAN WA, COMYUSHO DESU. © 2016 Tomohito ODA/SHOGAKUKAN
Komi Can’t Communicate
Reading Club Guide
CREATED BY: POP CULTURE CLASSROOM
