Thoughts on Komi x Tadano
From some of my favorite couples/pairings of 2021 such as Lumity and Senpai x Nagatoro, I am just invested in Tadano's relationship with Komi.
I can see why many fans wanted an anime adaptation of Komi Can't Communicate; it is a genuinely wholesome, enjoyable show with a cast of characters with unique quirks. There is Agari who gets extremely nervous around other people; then there is the total trash fire that is Yamai Ren who is the most disgusting character I have ever seen; to the MVP and based Najimi.
But the main duo has their own moments. Komi herself is adorable. She wants to speak to others but is unable to due to her communication disorder. Honestly, she comes off as a "pure" girl with her endearing goal of making 100 friends. However, because she is unable to communicate, that does lead to hilarious instances where others either misconstrue her intentions by filling in the blanks.
Tadano, the "ordinary high school boy." He is a real bro. Which gets into why I love his interactions with Komi so much.
It would be clear to anyone else that Komi does not enjoy all that unwarranted attention from her classmates oftentimes expressing a level of unease with dealing with people like again the trash fire Yamai.
But what I am getting at is that, on a surface level, people are enamored by her because she is beautiful. And, yes, that goes without saying that she is perty. However, this comes off as truly disingenuous. They don't really care about what Komi's actually like or what she's really about. To me, it looks like one of those instances where some boy who is big on the campus would want to score a girl not because of actual feelings for her, but as a prize to further demonstrate that they are the top dog.
That doesn't help that they put Komi on such a high pedestal where they volunteer her as having an imaginary ranking above being a class president or representative: again something that Komi clearly does not enjoy, but they do not have the inkling to think about it.
He actually did what others had failed to do: becoming her first friend and taking the time to help her with dealing with her communication disorder. From there, he is the one who would help "translate" her thoughts due to understanding her behavior and inner self. When she voluntarily decides to step out of her comfort zone, he praises her for her accomplishments ever so small.
But most important, Tadano actually treated Komi like a person without that "goddess" baggage. And that is why I love this couple.