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This was a manga that I've seen people go nuts over for years. When I learned that this manga would get an anime adaptation, I was super excited! I would finally get to see what makes this series so loved and hyped by many.

And while it was still a decent end-product, I felt that the experience was a bit underwhelming and there could have been much more to it.

Story: 7

It's simple and cute and I feel it works. What you get is akin to other SoL romcom high school anime, with similar tropes and settings. Each episode usually focuses on Komi overcoming social situations ... she finds herself in and we get introduced to new characters along the way. It's chill and mostly focused on having a good time.

Art: 8

The art style and animation are very nice in my opinion. The animation stays consistent and there are some really nice scenes here and there. The art style is very charming and cute, and all the characters look unique and appealing, which helps make them memorable. It involves exaggerated facial proportions and features, which sometimes caused Komi and a few other characters to look a bit weird/alien to me, but overall, the anime does well in this department.

Sound: 8.5

Really nice soundtrack. The opening sequence has really nice instrumentation and a catchy tune that leaves you coming back. The ending theme is also very pleasant and nice. The acting for all the characters is very good and I especially loved the performance of Rie Murakawa. Aoi Koga also does Komi very well.

Character: 5

I'm going to be honest, this is where I feel the anime falls flat. There's a lot to say about the characters since this story is largely character-driven. It mostly focuses on three characters: Komi, Tadano, and Osana, but there are a lot of side characters too, like Komi's classmates and family.

Both Tadano and Osana are solid and likable characters, with Osana being my favourite character because of how funny and lively they are. However, in terms of the main character, Komi Shouko, she has a lot of problems. While the show is supposed to be about developing Komi's character so she can overcome her communication struggles and make friends, she rarely ever has issues when it comes to these social situations. And this is because she's pretty. Literally. Everyone Komi meets immediately loves her just because of her looks and how she presents herself, and she's treated like a perfect being because of this. As a result, when Komi does make friends or get through obstacles, it doesn't feel like she genuinely did it on her own, but rather because of her beauty privilege. You don't feel like she's actually made any progression in terms of overcoming her struggles, and it kind of ruins the whole premise of the show.

On top of her pretty privilege problem, Komi's actual communication disorder is more often than not treated as a joke or something for you to go "aww" at, despite the fact that she has a very concerning disorder that causes her to struggle with doing the simplest social tasks. "Komi finds herself in a simple everyday social situation, but her disorder is causing her to shake and panic because she's struggling so much to communicate, isn't that adorable/hilarious?". Here and there, it's fine, but this happens constantly. The anime says that Komi struggles a lot and desperately wants to overcome her problems, but it's hard to take her legitimate struggles seriously when it keeps being presented as cute or funny.

As for the supporting characters, while some of them are fine and likable, like Komi's family and Tadano's sister, the classmates are pretty bad and unlikeable. Every classmate of Komi's is obsessed with her because of her appearance, to the point where they worship her and chastise anyone who doesn't. They're all supposed to be distinct characters and parody off of common anime high school student tropes, like the popular cheerful girl and chuunibyou, but instead, every character feels the same because they all revolve around Komi, and some are so obsessed that they do some really creepy and weird things. None of them are likable or memorable and you would rather not see them on screen because of how annoying they are, which is a problem because these are the people Komi is supposed to befriend.

Enjoyment: 6

As I said, this anime is very character-driven. If the characters aren't good or you don't care about them, you're not going to find the anime enjoyable. And that's the problem I found. At the beginning of the anime, I was enjoying it because it was fun and the characters and premise seemed interesting. However, there's only so long before Komi's pretty privilege and overly obsessed classmates don't become funny anymore and are really annoying, and there are only so many times you can treat Komi's communication disorder as a joke before it literally becomes a joke. The parts I found most entertaining were the ones that didn't really relate to Komi interacting with other people (even though that's the whole point of the show). The best parts in my opinion were the scenes where Komi and Tadano were together. They have a very cute relationship where both are supportive of and care for each other, and it's fun watching these two bond. Osana is also a fun character to watch and is one of the reasons I kept watching this show. They are the comedic relief and a very good one at that, and they bring a lot to the anime as one of very few classmates of Komi's who's not obsessed with her and doesn't revolve their entire character around her.

One other problem that I find with Komi is the numerous text-boxes. Since we can not hear Komi's thoughts and feelings, it's difficult to convey it to the audience. To combat this, there are bodies of text throughout the episodes talking about her thoughts at this moment, and it really impacts the immersion. Many times you'll have to read these text-boxes and I sometimes find that they don't need to be there. The show believes that we wouldn't be able to infer what is happening if it is not spelt out for us, and while there are scenes here and there that benefit from it, there are other scenes where it is unnecessary and Komi's thoughts could easily be conveyed just through spending a bit more time on her gestures and actions.

Overall: 6.5

I find this anime to be a good relaxing anime to watch if you have nothing else. I personally think there are better options when it comes to the high school romcom genre, and I don't see why this manga was so hyped up. I found it to be an alright anime that had potential to be really good, but ends up falling flat due to poor execution. Hopefully season 2 will do it more justice.