Shoko Komi is on a mission to overcome social anxiety and improve her communication skills, but a part-time job has pulled her out of her comfort zone.
Kodoani.com – WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 9 of Komi Can’t Communicate“It Was Just a Country Kid,” currently streaming on Netflix.
For most of her life, Shoko Komi has struggled with human relationships due to extreme social anxiety, which also makes it difficult for her to communicate with others. Since becoming a freshman at Itan Private High School, with the help of classmate Hitohito Tadano, Komi has been committed to overcoming extreme social anxiety and improving her communication skills. me. Her ultimate goal? Form and maintain meaningful friendships.
With the help of Tadano and her childhood friend Najimi Osana, Komi has started to enjoy new experiences such as inviting friends over to her house, going to the water park with them, shopping for clothes, playing games, etc. game and join the summer festival. with them. While Komi has cherished all these moments with her new friends, in episode 9, she is pulled out of her comfort zone when Najimi invites both her and Tadano to help them have a concert. performed in front of a retail store on a weekend.
On a typical day, Komi struggles with going into a cafe or a fast food restaurant to order, as doing so requires interaction with staff. Although freezing cold and shivering is something she experiences in all social situations, being served by others takes her anxiety to a whole new level. In this particular case, she was worried about ordering wrong or not being understood by the staff. When she found herself in a position where she had to be the one serving others, Komi’s anxiety grew.
While helping Najimi with their part-time job distributing tissues to passersby on the street, Komi found she lacked the confidence needed to successfully attract uninterested customers. Even though she decides to give it all, her forced self-confidence is immediately destroyed when people ignore her and walk past her, making her feel like a failure. At one point, she found herself on the verge of tears, partly because she couldn’t help Najimi fulfill their quota and partly because it reinforced her inner belief that something was wrong with her and that she wasn’t “sane.” often”.
It wasn’t until a salaried woman found herself in dire need of tissues that Komi was finally approached by someone, interestingly she was noticed by others. Thanks to the salaried woman who drew attention to both Komi and herself by blowing her nose in public (something most Japanese don’t usually do), many decided to approach Komi for free tissues. charges and a single line of people formed in the street. This boosts Komi’s confidence, as she can finally help Najimi complete their quota before the end of the day.
What’s interesting about Komi taking part in a small gig is how true her experience is to life. While anxiety in the workplace is the experience of all people starting a new job until they have eased into their new role, the experience is much more intense for those who have lived with anxiety. as part of their daily lives. While the fear of making a mistake is something all newbies experience because they don’t want to give the wrong impression or get fired right away, the same fear is easily exacerbated. in people living with anxiety.
Since Komi lives with both anxiety and communication disorders, she was afraid of making mistakes. Worse still, she’s probably used to people expecting her to mess things up, which sometimes turns her fear into a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, with support from friends, Komi is able to learn to be more confident, which in turn allows her to push her own boundaries and try new things she would never have thought of trying. While helping Najimi with their gig has worried her, it also allows her to acquire a new skill for the next time she finds herself working a part-time job.
Via: Kodoani.com