Kara Dennison
February 4, 2025 
Tomohito Oda’s hit manga Komi Can’t Communicate recently finished serialization, coming to a close on Chapter 499. While Chapter 500—a bonus print chapter—will technically be the final one, this marks the official end of Shoko Komi’s journey. And as far as we’re concerned, it’s a perfect ending to a lovely story.
What started as another rom-com about an unusual high school beauty quickly became a meditation on the nature of growing up and making friends. Komi has grown so much in this series. But it’s how she grew that makes all the difference.
Where We Started
Appearances can be deceiving, and Komi Can’t Communicate is proof of that. The series starts with the beautiful Shoko Komi entering Itan Private High School. Her appearance, combined with her quiet nature, lead her fellow students to admire her as a stoic beauty. But next-desk neighbor Hitohito Tadano quickly learns the truth. Komi has a communication disorder and finds it difficult to talk to people.
Komi has set herself a goal to make 100 friends before she graduates. Fortunately for her, Tadano is more than happy to be the first. And while their relationship will eventually blossom into more, it’s the friendship that kicks things into gear.
So Many Issues
As Komi Can’t Communicate continues, we quickly learn that Komi isn’t the only student who isn’t what she seems on the surface. The series is packed with characters with their own phobias, hang-ups, and constructed personalities. Like Komi, these many characters have positive points and points that people misconstrue. While Komi and Tadano tend to stay in the spotlight, these many characters offer their own lessons about growing up.
Central to the manga as a whole is the idea of what and how to change. For example, Komi wants to be “normal.” But very little about her needs to change. She’s kind, caring, and knows what she wants and what her boundaries are. All it takes is becoming comfortable with asserting that personality. And once she can, she can speak caringly to other students going through their own growing pains. In the final chapter, we even see her swapping positions with another student, seeing herself in their struggles.
And Life Goes On
Many of the story threads of Komi Can’t Communicate were handled weeks and months ago. Komi and Tadano are, like, together-together. College looms, but they’re ready. Difficult relationships have been either resolved or seem to be on a decent path forward. Ending with graduation—with Komi in the center of her massive friend group—feels right.
Has she changed? Yes, but not in the ways she expected to. She’s still her sweet, quiet self. But now she knows it’s safe to be that way. At the beginning of the manga, she was loved for an image imposed upon her by her own silence. Now, she’s loved in the best way possible: for everything she is. And that’s a great ending.
The Komi Can’t Communicate anime adaptation is streaming on Netflix.
