Komi Can’t Communicate anime introduces a new character in episode 2. Najimi Osana, Tadano’s childhood friend, is the next in line to become Komi’s friend. But just who is Najimi?
Najimi Osana is everything Komi is not. Popular, well-spoken, very sociable, and the perfect choice for Komi’s 2nd friend. After being turned down by nearly everyone in their class, Tadano turns to Najima. Najima knows a lot of Tadano’s secrets, but for Komi, Tadano is ready to risk it.
As it turns out, Najimi is a mischievous being. It’s not quite clear what their gender is. Tadano mentions they used to dress as a boy in middle school, but Najimi we meet is wearing a skirt. Their cheerful personality seems to attract not only friends but also trouble at times. Komi’s inability to communicate comes as a shock to Najimi, who first met her when they were children. However, they quickly realize what’s up and decide to help her.
Najimi’s witty comebacks are the highlight of this episode and their whimsical personality takes the spotlight. The season premiere promised a lot of interesting characters, and Najimi is that for sure.
Komi continues struggling in episode 2, but she still makes some progress, even if it’s not intentional. We get a glimpse of how isolated she is since she doesn’t spend a lot of time with people her own age. Not having friends is one thing, but Komi doesn’t seem to understand the basics of human interaction (like Najimi teasing Tadano). Najimi mentions she was like this in elementary school, and it will be interesting to see if the anime will explain what triggered Komi’s anxiety.
We know from the previous episode that Tadano has soft spot for Komi, but at the moment it doesn’t appear to be anything more serious. Komi certainly doesn’t think of it that way, so we will probably get a chance to see how their relationship develops. For her, it’ll be small steps towards making new friends. And for Tadano – well, he is just trying to find his place under the sun.
Komi Can’t Communicate is a part of our weekly anime polls, so if you loved episode 2 make sure to vote for it. The anime is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
All images via Netflix.
©Tomohito Oda, Shogakukan／Itan Private High School