The Problem with Komi's Art Style

[@aoijams]

I do like the shiny hair and details, but I think which bugs me of the proportions of some of the features - mainly the mouth and eyes. The slanted eyes are really uniquely and look good in panels, but in other panels they too slanted and far away.

[@THATBrokeAroSpecWallet]

Yeah, it's honestly a pretty easy fix tbh-

[@rhinuu045]

is unique tho :(

[@BallZackKisser]

On that chibi face grindset mindset

[@ukowo]

Same

[@insanefucker]

AOIJAMS OMG I LOVE YOU I LOVE AOI I LOVE YOU

[@fren2424]

The thumbnail is like... Old: 🙂 New: 👽

[@teebin1727]

Old: 😶 New: 👁️👄👁️

[@KeyleeTamirian]

New style has 90's anime vibes. I like it.

[@pyrobunni2870]

That's just called insulting art atp

[@IEatTheCure]

New one doesn’t make sense, I think old is more realistic and makes sense for anxiety but new just looks goofy and inaccurate but this is anime so what do you expect lol

[@spunchflopbadpants]

@@pyrobunni2870 Ok and?

[@inslzarodelagarza9275]

Honestly I think most people just miss a more realistic mature look in the manga, it feels like most people are just tired of your typical cutesy childish anime girl. It definitely was nice to see a girl with a more realistic style and (by anime standards) defined nose. But yeah, the textures and style now are also quite pretty tbh.

[@mimiyori]

I definitely understand that point of view! I try to cover that in the video, how I think the original style portrayed the point of her character more (even if aesthetically I like the new art)

[@wellIhavenothingbettertodo]

There will always be people praising the new art style of an artist instead of being honest about it. Then when someone says the truth or gives criticism everyone hates on them

[@Mia-nk1kg]

@@wellIhavenothingbettertodoehat if they just genuinely love the style though?

[@Mia-nk1kg]

@@wellIhavenothingbettertodoThough I a, talking in the sense of this comment scenario and not the flaws that style has. Your comment makes it seem like everyone secretly has a problem with the style.

[@GlaznoodlezAlt]

And also, I think what makes Komi’s Early artstyle so likable it’s because it was supposed to be that way. Komi was depicted as a unapproachable and cold character at first, but she’s actually just struggles with basic communication and expression of feelings, which the early artstyle REALLY described it well. The Current artstyle is what bugging people out not just because of the proportion, but that intimidating look Komi’s originally had is gone. The Most important aspect from Komi’s Character and what depicts her personality just disappeared. No offense but, Now she looks like a generic cutesy shy childish character from a random Loli High School manga.

[@shelle7123]

Mouth in Missouri, eyes in Idaho, nose is Nebraska. Born to be mature and relatable but forced to be baby girl with big shiney saucers for eyes 🥺

[@claudius3359]

10/10,underrated comment 🤣🤣

[@unknown-ix7md]

LMAOAOAO

[@LuznoLindo]

Be quiet next time.

[@CureSmileful]

I don't know the states, but I got the joke either way

[@Kymakiro]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH😭😭😭😭😭

[@lovelydumpling]

As someone who isn't a Komi fan, seeing new Komi for the first time The "modern Komi" art is really jarring, I can see why people don't like it. I'd count myself among them. All the more power to those who like it or don't mind it but it hits some real deep uncanny valley vibes for me.

[@monbub]

Uncanny valley is exactly the vibes I got, and I used to read komi during the middle of the beginning and recent chapters.

[@noobymooby-ty8gh]

Guys, you didn't know? In chapter 69 she got taken by a skin walker, but then she miraculously escaped from it, i have a theory, that she didn't actually escape and she was actually the skin walker all along.

[@yellowdragon101]

As an avid fan and someone who's been reading weekly for many years, I don't really mind the new art style... until her mouth is agape. There have been a number of full page shots like the subject of this video in recent times, and I like them a lot... unless her mouth open in it. It is very, immersion breaking? I probably prefer the "transitional"/anime art style.

[@snugglepug9213]

Tbh Im someone who can't watch/read things because of the art style. Don't get me wrong! The art work is fantastic and I couldn't even compare into even trying to draw it all by hand! But in this case, I just can't get past the weird mix of usual manga/anime and chibi. The mouth is too close to where the nose is. The eyes are in some cases too slanted and intrude on where the nose bones should be. It makes the whole face look misshapen and mutilated. Even with the other characters the face looks all wrong. Idk maybe im just more used to studying mid European art, but Im really big on proper proportions and even features, by the way I don't mean like a perfect face! I mean like if you make the face larger then usual, you might make the mouth or something a bit bigger to match. It's like when someone's forehead is large but their face is small, it doesn't look right. I get that same feeling looking at the newer style.

[@madmouse4400]

Me too . I've only read the first 10 chapters , so I have the early Style printed in my mind as "Komi". When I first saw what "modern Komi " Design, it was a whiplash. I could not recognize her as "Komi" . It is not bad or anything , it's just different , VERY different. I've read the Nagatoro manga for a few years, and even it didn't change that much in 7 years of publication . I could easily pick any of the 10 last chapters , then go back to one of the first 10 chapter and say "Yep , that Nagagatoro".

[@wutduck1763]

I think what bothers me most about that infamous panel that people rarely ever talk about, is the fact that it looks like she’s sticking her whole tongue out. Why?? And it’s so shiny and detailed too, which is a general problem I have with the rendering of the manga art. Nothing wrong with shiny, somewhat detailed rendering, but it doesn’t look great on what’s supposed to be a pretty cutesy, exaggerated art style. Very uncanny valley for me

[@leonardozhang]

I can't tell if it's meant to just be an open mouth, or the whole tongue out? Anyways, that panel and the panel of Tadano look straight out of a hentai doujin.

[@Ryleigh-rui]

Out of topic but love your pfp, I miss Yttd so much

[@yaya.kittyy_]

@@Ryleigh-ruiomg yttd fan spotted

[@moonunitrabbit]

All I can think of is that one panel from Seishun Otome Banchou where the protag is meant to look uncanny. Her best friend takes a picture of her trying to take a cutesy smile with her tongue out and it's right from a Junji Ito panel, lol

[@himekospizzacutter2010]

ALICE ALICE ALICE ALICE ALICE PFPOHHMYSIGMAS

[@Mohmar2010]

All artists (me) have style change over time naturally I think the issue here is really the mouth placement that bothers me, it reminds me of Dragon Ball GT's later style with mouths that are high leaving the chins to be long additionally i think the eye issue can be solved if they were moves a little closer, but overall it's all natural progress over years

[@MPThree3]

I dont think the eyes are rlly all that bad, ive seen artists who make the eyes to be very big and then have a bit of wider gap between them and it still looks good. The mouth positioning is horrendous tough 😭

[@wellIhavenothingbettertodo]

The eyes take up half of their face, the nose is almost nonexistent, their foreheads is huge like a toddler's, and the art style is just less detailed overall. It honestly looks like a doujinshi let's be honest here

[@lelecatbaby9340]

When I first watched Sailor moon crystal the mouth placement bothered me but later I noticed that it’s kinda similar with the creator’s(naoko)style and it makes it even more unique. I think the Main issue is the bangs and mouth tho, because the biggest the bangs more her eyes get low and her forehead gets bigger. About the mouth, He puts way too high, then there will be no place for the nose and she will end up looking like an alien, just like diluc from genshin Also sorry if my grammar is bad

[@OfficeDuck-]

100% agree

[@HolaSoyPookie]

@@wellIhavenothingbettertodo Can't disagree

[@greywarden1261]

My biggest issue is how none of the guys seem to have changed. Komi and many of the girls look really stylised and feminised and then theres just Tadano who looks the same as he did with minor adjustments. Like if you're going to go all in GO ALL IN.

[@KingOfGaymes]

Not surprising that only the girl characters get the new cutesy younger look 😭

[@il3fortunato664]

It's more appealing for the viewers, in the period where anime waifu exists it needs to have female character with outstanding design so it can be iconic and recognizable in an instant. Male characters instead are becoming more generic to make self inserts and most of them without a personality. It's a big issue but it's what the people wants nowadays...

[@keltzar1]

@@il3fortunato664 do people actually want male characters to have no distinct features? I feel like that's a strategy to appeal to a very narrow demographic of guys in the hopes that they will buy a lot of merchandise. It seems unsustainable.

[@copiagueeagle]

I disagree, tadano looks hella scrawny in the earlier volumes, and later on suddenly my guy is broad shouldered and fit. It's a subtle body change rather than a full on face change, tbf, but every character did change a bit imo.

[@ludvig3242]

@@KingOfGaymes kinda weird though ngl...

[@pockysquare]

i think the main reason this art style puts most people off is because of how the art style is quite reminiscent of eroge manga, its what i thought of when i first saw it too, which just makes it look 15 times weirder on komi T.T but artists should have the freedom to change their style to whatever they want, and he's been doing this for a DECADE

[@stanhitoyaorperish8656]

The blush and the shine on the skin is annoying to look at because you know the intention behind it. Idk if it's the editor or the artist himself, but anyone who is responsible for approving those drawing needs to do better lol

[@pockysquare]

@@stanhitoyaorperish8656 ESPECIALLY THE BLUSH OH MY GOD it was so weird to see the og komi look like that

[@BrianStellsN1defenderandfan]

Protag pfp 🔥🔥🔥

[@pockysquare]

@@BrianStellsN1defenderandfan HAHAH YEAH

[@ADZ_CatznArt]

real

[@auroriiiia]

I think for me, the issue is that some of the panels look just like if someone were to draw fanart of Komi but in a sexual undertone. Like the art is supposed to be taken sexually instead of just naturally, which would make the whole plot completely different.

[@jujuoof174]

Yeah I get that

[@----Moon----]

Except it's not supposed to be taken sexually, it's you that's taking it that way

[@auroriiiia]

@@----Moon---- i- .. oh my god. I said "LIKE the art is SUPPOSED to be". and that's what it looks like in some panels, of course based on the plot it is not but some of the panels look like hentai and hentai is porn which is supposed to be taken sexually. it is me taking it that way because that's what it looks like TO ME. this is so dumb istg 😭😭

[@----Moon----]

@@auroriiiia The "to me" is the key here, it is not supposed to look sexual, it is just your mind looking at it in an unintended way

[@----Moon----]

@@auroriiiia And why are you getting so defensive about it?

[@BallZackKisser]

I don't wanna look like a 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴 but Komi looks like she's in a hentai doujinshi but the author was really good at drawing chibis and decided to go with that 😭 The art is very pretty tho (shoutout to the mangaka, fire stuff)

[@unknownweirdo6566]

U did not put that font I'm crying😭

[@DonewithYT]

I've seen so many fanmade hentai manga have this exact artstyle fr

[@Cloudy1.00]

STOPPPPP THE FREAKY FONT IS CRAZY

[@chaotika693]

Love the font😭

[@the-postal-dude]

hate the font

[@rougestarlight4308]

6:45 I can't 😭😭😭 why does she look like she's in a cheap hentai dj?

[@ay4n0_k1dd0]

FR- 😭

[@poko9562]

Wouldnt rlly say cheap

[@N0bbieGuy]

She looks like a dmm fish 😭

[@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Yall are just hating for no reason lmfao. The artist did not regress

[@Anananananananananananananas]

@@aahhhhhhhhhhhhhare they actually hating for no reason or are you just ignoring why they don’t like it?

[@Ihazfunkitty]

The thing that bothers me is that the pretty detailed eyes kind of disappear into her bangs, the details fight each other for dominance. But new komi really reminds me of pugs or that one infamous anime meme “am i cute”, there is only so much you can exaggerate on a face

[@Kuhory.]

She looks like this 👁👄👁 in some panels

[@dimitryryutta]

Personally, i do not enjoy the new art style in general for all characters, i loved the old style cause it was subtle yet gave away this vibe of beauty and calmness, this made the cartoony scenes on early chapters funnier to me, the new art style is just way to over the top, like how Najimi doesn't even get fully drawn or how tiny the artist draws Katai's face, is just plain weird

[@SurprisedSniper420]

Kinda reminds me how in Nagatoro-san Yoshi's ahoge kept getting bigger every chapter but it was so ridiculous it was at least funny and an obvious joke. What you described just looks lazy and annoying.

[@HolaSoyPookie]

so true

[@linhvietpham2263]

The new artstyle personally give me a stroke bcs of the face proportions..

[@kitedflorn]

Yeah for some reason Najimi’s just 24/7 a weird cartoon character now who appears sometimes in the background making funny faces

[@Jade.051]

@@kitedflornWait really?? Najimi was my favorite character :(

[@haveidonethisbefore]

2:13 nahh that ain't the same person 😭😭😭

[@namepolicy3936]

She looks like an alien 😞

[@HazelFlopped]

​@@namepolicy3936 FOR REAL.

[@FriedRice3519]

fr, her eyes fkn filed restraining orders against each other 😭

[@tostie3110]

She looks like Ranma with black hair

[@BocchiSite]

4:55 Jeez, who knew that expressing yourself makes your nose disappear

[@ohicanttell]

and makes your eyes humungous...and completely changes your face shape...and brings "red as a tomato" blush to your face instead of regular blush.

[@BocchiSite]

​@@ohicanttellThe curse of being in a gooner manga

[@Null_ifi]

I mean facial details disappearing in favour of stylisation is a pretty common feature in art in general, but absolutely so in manga and anime particularly

[@choochoo-hullabaloo6130]

HELP

[@gnuwaves743]

So steps for manga success. 1) set in high school 2) make boring MC and amazing perfect girl whos the prettiest, smartest and athletic 3) give her one personality flaw and milk the hell out of it for 100+ chapters 4) repeat when people finally get tired?

[@thepillowhead2453]

HEY! YOU LEAVE TADANO ALONE!

[@Kuromi_Smiles]

damn that’s true

[@mr.chipotle9716]

I literally stopped reading this at around chapter 330+ I genuinely don't know how I even reached that point

[@caeseroli]

you forgot the adding fanservice at least once per chapter

[@childofgod759]

ujuuuggghhhhhhh even w yuri manga this trope is so popular and annoying what if im tired of the pretty perfect popular girl who is also in student council club 😭😭😭 (tbh tho i loved this trope in Fragtime i think the character flaw for her was more realistic and i enjoyed it more than komi cant communicate)

[@404_Toonz]

Imma be honest. The new komi reminds me of a fish. She would not look that out of place in a black and white tank.

[@monbub]

oh my god 💀💀

[@2024...................]

GELP

[@tarik2099]

🎵 Commander peepers 🫡

[@calciumman5545]

Shadow over Komi-San

[@gucciharambe]

What a brave opinion thanks for ur honesty

[@Makoto_Yuki_2007]

I just don’t like how they made her more sexualised

[@PaperLoser-gv4wb]

Yes, and isn’t she a high schooler?

[@Makoto_Yuki_2007]

@@PaperLoser-gv4wb yeah

[@childofgod759]

ikr i hate tht it looks more like a hentai 😭

[@Makoto_Yuki_2007]

@@childofgod759oh my god I can see it now😭😭😭

[@PaperLoser-gv4wb]

@@childofgod759 it makes scenes that need no lewdness, lewd. Which is odd to me

[@0shytaku052]

Personally to me it no longer looks unique, i could definitely pick the old artstyle out in a crowd but the new one is way more cookie cutter stereotypical anime girl.

[@Orez-Suke]

Fr, if there wasn't the old Komi in the thumbnail I wouldn't have known it was her as now she looks so basic anime girl

[@shakzass]

Quite the opposite for me lol, I find the old artstyle to be incredibly mundane, this one is more stylized and recognizable for me

[@ricaboo9304]

Komi also doesn't really stand out anymore from the other girl characters, which kinda defeated her whole ice queen thing, but I totally understand how people like it lol

[@wisdumcube]

More cookie cutter but somehow worse proportions. And honestly among generic anime art styles, I would say the proportions here are exaggerated to the breaking point of suspension of disbelief and is in the uncanny valley a lot of the time.

[@jujuoof174]

@@shakzassyeah!

[@fireatwilliam]

My problem with it is she looks like shes doing the "ahegao face" almost 24/7

[@blue_berry18]

my main problem with it is HOW HIGH the mouth is, its weird to me. Could just be my art style but it just is uncomfortable. I never liked Komi can't communicate because it's from Tadano's perspective and is a horrible representation of social anxiety and other animes do it better. In my opinion its not art regression but a new style, awkward phase or not he's drawing it that way consistently.

[@Sh12pen]

Yeah her head just looks squished

[@SurprisedSniper420]

That's why I absolutely HATED how The Promised Neverland looked(mostly when they opened their mouths) I didn't even give it a try despite the praise because it was so distracting.

[@_BubblGum_]

youre so incredibly based

[@wellIhavenothingbettertodo]

​@@SurprisedSniper420Good the ending isn't worth it. Manga or anime

[@frid7434]

it also just (take my opinion with a grain of salt because i've never read the manga) seems like a nothing burger like from what i've seen she wants to make 100 friends, but everyone already likes her... so what's the point?

[@danielaaguilar6330]

Ero doujinshi artstyle in whats supposed to be a normal manga is profoundly freaking me out💀 i hate it so much. The transitional stage is my favorite

[@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Tf do you mean

[@CVarnish]

​@@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh Well, they do have a point. I don't necessarily "Hate it," I don't really care either way. But they have a point in that the modern artstyle seems to oddly enough more resemble an eromanga or ecchi manga, rather than the old artstyle. Now in defense of Oda, Komi does often delve into ecchi-ish humor, especially around certain characters (COUGH COUGH MANBAGI). The old artstyle was unique in that it was more realistic to actual life, whereas the new artstyle is, as earlier stated, far more stylized to resemble a more "adult" series, what with the more angular and defined proportions, and the lighting choices. However, in the end, it's Oda's work, and he can choose to draw it in any way he wishes. If you truly hate it, don't read it. This is not your work, its his. As the consumer, the ONLY right/say you have in the work at all is whether or not you support/purchase it.

[@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh]

@CVarnish Describing the artstyle as eromanga is kinda dumb because even in those categories artstyle can vary. The artist is just adding more sweat and blush which are typically useless details

[@CVarnish]

@@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh Well it's more than just the sweat and blush, as the person in the video actually talked about. It's about the odd proportions that don't anatomically make much sense, the overemphasis on mouth expression despite the mouth being too small to really be that expressive, its multiple factors.

[@ilovebeansprouts2600]

I’d just like to give my two cents, but will start off with saying I wholeheartedly respect your opinion. I’ll be honest, I blindly hated the new art style at the beginning. You describing why you liked it, though, has ultimately allowed me to gain a newfound respect for the (not so newly) adopted artsyle. However, my main issue with it is that it appeals to the certain art trope of “pretty anime girl” a little too hard. I respect the author for perfecting his craft for so long, but I do personally believe his old art style was better because of the realistic charm & uniqueness that made it so recognizable for the series. The big eyes, nonexistent nose, small mouth, and defined tongue all seem to be appealing to a sort of fetish almost? I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s clearly stylized for a certain appeal rather than an actual narrative choice. I loved how you pointed out that Komi had that sort of maturity and standoffish-ness to her in the original art, which I 100% believe the author was going for, and agree that her demeanor had to change eventually. The execution was just done poorly in my opinion. Again, I’m not saying the art should have stayed stagnant for 10 years, but I wish the style still kept its old charm. Sorry for the super long comment, but I hope the explanation made sense! Thanks for providing your opinion and changing mine in the process.

[@WMWMWMWMMWMWWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW]

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[@KingOfThePond..]

Thank you for saying this, I absolutely despise how this art looks

[@berrriesncreme4558]

​@@WMWMWMWMMWMWWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWis it just me or does this sound like chatgpt

[@MonaMacaw]

Agree :)

[@WMWMWMWMMWMWWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW]

@@berrriesncreme4558 Ah, a discerning mind you have! I understand your suspicion, dear friend. The digital world can be a confusing place, filled with algorithms and automated responses. But rest assured, my words are born of my own unique consciousness, not a cold, calculating program. I assure you, I am not another one of those artificial intelligences, just a fellow human, albeit one with a penchant for eloquent prose. 😉

[@genocider9782]

she deadass looks like 👽

[@mar-nyan]

It’s my first time seeing this new art style and wow, I hate pretty much everything about it. The facial proportions, the excessive hair shine… It’s clear that skill-wise the artist did improve, but his art style is just so ugly to me now

[@icedceilin]

Considering that the original style is what drew me into Komi... The jump is just too drastic

[@Fruityvale]

REAL

[@Lilys0609]

real

[@nakartsu]

It looks like em... yanno 🥲 18+ stuff

[@etherealhatred]

​@@nakartsuyou must be speaking of the amateur ones, actual skilled artists don't follow these tropes

[@rawrmaster9220]

I haven't read the manga, but when I heard a lot of people didn't like the new art style I said to myself "It can't be that bad" but oh boy, I didn't realize it was "this" bad.

[@MatthewPrower]

honestly ll that coulda been avoided if they moved her mouth down a lil' (an' gave her a perma-nose)

[@Urmumheh]

Real bro

[@monbub]

And if her forehead was shorter but her nose was a bit longer

[@ADZ_CatznArt]

Ngl the art style was sorta giving those gacha art styles where the face is too far down, oh and reading the comments I totally agree how it sorta gives off that 'not for kids' kind of air. I personally think that Komi is somewhat prettier in the old/ or transitional art style.

[@NO_spaghetti]

i personally like the new art style, however i belive it would've looked a thousand times better if the anatomy was fixed, like most people i've seen describe it, cuz of the new anatomy it look's like gooner bait- but, there is (probably) nothing for us to do and it's all up to Tomohito to "fix" it up or keep it as he wants it

[@SurprisedSniper420]

"gooner bait" rofl. But, yeah some panels have a grotesque look to them.. 🙃

[@the-postal-dude]

@@SurprisedSniper420 society needs to go back to using "goon" as a term for henchmen, i hate this brainrot shit

[@Antri-jd9jy]

Well, you are not really the target audience from the authors perspective in all fairness. That’s just what the Japanese consumers prefer (the actual target audience).

[@-Esther-wonder-]

personally i liked the in between art style as shown in 7:14 it just feels better for komi but the old one is iconic

[@ReallyCoolUsername-n7t]

The new style gives me uncanny valley vibes. I know people’s art styles change, but still. This is insane. The eyes and the mouth now being more up high. Usually people go from the new style to the old style as they get better, but this is doing the opposite(not saying the creator is getting worse at drawing I’m just saying this style change is strange). But, like you were saying(and some other comments were saying), I do like the more detail and hair shines the creator puts. He’s very talented and definitely has gotten better at art.

[@shadowroxili123]

the new komi art style lowkey reminds me of when artists get popular and decide to put all their efforts into improving their rendering and ability to add detail while neglecting the basics like anatomy specifically it makes me think of like artists /on the lewder side of subject matter/ who put their everything in to making the characters look perfectly blushed or shiny or sweaty or all 3 at the same time, and lovingly render every crease in the fabric of their clothes and the shine in the hair but then you zoom out and the character themselves, without all the rendering, looks like something went very very wrong. there's obviously skill involved and you cant deny their raw artistic ability but the fundamentals are just not there yknow the new komi art style makes me feel like something similar to that has occurred

[@Smoothbrain-nvrm]

I’d like a mix between the both

[@catloverandminionbeliever]

yeah I’ve never read or watched this manga but the transitional period and anime looks the best design wise to me

[@monbub]

​@@catloverandminionbelieversame here! I enjoyed the manga most in that time, but I dropped it after they got into a relationship and the art changed drastically.

[@adelinecarney4392]

Proportions from the old style combine with the shading of the new style sounds nice

[@Novaurawr]

Yh I watch the anime tho never read the manga and I think it’s prob the best as well the transitional period I mean

[@Memelord1117]

That's probably in the 250s-350s, chapter wise.

[@Itsuki134]

5:20 HELP THE WAY THE CAT IS BLUSHING TOO😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏

[@gigiluv5527]

I kinda disagree, her angular features now make her look more like an ice queen. The artist's style just looks like it was more influenced by hentai art now. I think that's probably what's throwing people off.

[@NoName-dx1no]

Yeah I would say she gives an ice queen vibe with the new art while the old art she looks kinda bored, but I was kinda on the impression that Komi doesn’t have friends because of a resting bitch face or an ice queen vibe

[@Devulini]

yep

[@MarielWhalley]

Knowing certain things about the artist, that's exactly what I think he was going for...

[@shireenrazak7160]

He likes to sexualises em, especially manbagi so not surprised

[@ADZ_CatznArt]

real

[@mozzapple]

the slanted eyes definitely aren't an issue, it's the facial proportions. If he just made the eyes a tiny bit higher up, dropped the mouth down, and gave her her nose back - I think the artstyle would be perfect.

[@BeepBoop-z2v]

EXACTLY!

[@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Its an artstyle 🙄 when has this level of art shaming become so normalized

[@muhdimran5869]

@@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh mfw criticism exists

[@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh]

@@muhdimran5869 This is not criticism. There are no mistakes on the artists part, these are intentional stylistic choices You just dont criticise someones artstyle anyway. Artstyle is a personal choice, if you dont like it, there is no objective reason as to why you dont.

[@muhdimran5869]

@@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh It is criticism, because the artist have changed the art style which many in the comment section finds uncanny and are just voicing their opinion about it. Everyone is able to criticize because we have freedom to do so. To deny and insult other's criticism is very closeminded and tends to create echo chamber

[@bw3ney909]

I think the artstyle directly impacts how people perceive a character, I always thought “she doesn’t look that stoic or icy when she’s neutral”. And looking at the older chapters I can see why she was perceived that way, I kinda agree with the whole subtle storytelling thing but I don’t think it was intentional at all. Like the vid said it was just an arstyle change. I really like the mix of old and new style, because me personally that encapsulates her essence. And also I love the panels of her and manbagi on the staircase, best scene ever ngl

[@SurprisedSniper420]

One reason I think that excuse is bs and pulled out of people's arse is that I swear(it's been a while so I don't remember exactly) she's still seen as cold and stoic by others after her design and the manga's style changes. Also, being slightly less shy doesn't suddenly change your genetics lol.

[@bw3ney909]

@@SurprisedSniper420 i didnt really mean for it to be an excuse just a personal opinion, i still find the new artstyle kinda weird still, and i was referring to readers who are perceiving komi , not the characters in the story themselves. if thats what u mean 🙏 edit - i did mention that i just *kinda* agree with the subtle storytelling, i think the new art style makes komi looks more bubbly(? not sure how to word it), and more approachable. With the new art style, she’s much more expressive too! Hence why i kinda agree with it, but understand that it’s not at all intentional

[@monbub]

The staircase scene! I love that one too. The transitional style between the old and new chapters was perfect in my eyes. I wish he didn't change it so drastically.

[@bw3ney909]

@@monbub 100% agree!!!

[@smilingchesire5445]

normal gaze vs the male gaze version

[@1lovebaking]

Everything looks so smushed now idk 💀 and your friend is right abt the hentai look lol

[@keiny_jhon]

Hentaai?wtf are yapping about how much porn have you fucking watched jeez

[@blueyblue5831]

It's such a shame Komi subjected herself to plastic surgery so young 😔

[@Kuromi_Smiles]

@@blueyblue5831 HELP

[@Aural4444]

Personally I take it that he wants to draw more beautifully and at the same time more horny fanservice, because while a lot of the situations aren't sexual, the vibe really reminds me of an eroge lol That said, something I appreciate is drawing the characters that look their age, and while many say "the author is infantilizing Komi" let's remember that she's 17, she's still a kid XD Now how will the author draw the characters when they're adults, we'll see

[@il3fortunato664]

Didn't she already 18 at this time?

[@Aural4444]

@@il3fortunato664 I think she's still 17, but I don't know.

[@giboi03]

I'm getting that feeling from the mangaka too. Unfortunately, I'm afraid he's gonna go down the same road as the One Piece mangaka, where the character Nami became his eroge material character for fans and himself, and an even sussier path would be the one Rent-A-Girlfriend mangaka went down. I can respect when an artist's style develops, but the way the story and art developed simultaneously makes me feel like he's doing a disservice to his own characters. Komi was and is a beauty, but her allure was shown to be deeper than her physical form. Now, she looks exactly like the hentai doujins that feature her. It is a visual development of her character and her relationship with the male lead, but am I, a reader, supposed to feel as hot and bothered like I was in the same room as them? (This is my personal observation and bias, and the bias is influenced by my own aversion to heterosexual sexual activities featuring canonical teens, mostly in romcoms where every reader can tell it's gonna happen from a mile away. I just thought Komi would be a very reserved girl all the way and not...fall for the pressure of said trope)

[@churpachampurrado]

while 17 years old ppl are still kids, most of them are already completely grown into how will they look as adults, so drawing her so childish still doesn't make much sense especially since it goes against the original intention of her design

[@HolaSoyPookie]

@@churpachampurrado agreed

[@The_miIk]

My favorite style is the transition point. I do love all of them but I feel like the middle point, as you said, brings out all of komis best qualities. Once komi finishes it would be nice to see the authors current style get used for a new series.

[@shubdotclub]

Idk why but the new designs just remind me of old yughioh female character designs

[@kombuchas4684]

Omfg youre so right

[@cbbblue8348]

Specifically Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal for me

[@KeyleeTamirian]

Oh, those have same vibes with Golden Boy female characters and DNA2 female characters

[@bigimaginations9973]

@@KeyleeTamirian See, that's the problem, Komi san and golden boy should not have the same vibe lol

[@lunatic3899]

8:12 ok but why does she look like that its fucking scary

[@yuzukistardust87075]

I think I like the style itself. It just... Sorta feels like it doesn't fit for Komi for some reason. Idk.

[@monbub]

I'd like it as an art piece, with colors and rendering- completely separated from the comic. But in the comic? Seeing her interact with other characters is...really weird.

[@Novaurawr]

Same like I like the face shape in certain panels a lot more and her hair better but I think the face (esp mouth) can be quite off-putting 😅

[@NixFaerie]

The new art style is just mask off for what the series always uncomfortably was under the surface but tried to pretend it wasn't, which is weird fanservicey male gaze trash about a plain guy getting with a hot aloof girl whose actually a cute blushy girl whose only negative qualities are used to to make her more appealing.

[@sereneillusions5812]

THIS! I wish this had more likes! this is why i could never get into this show and I could never put my finger on it

[@GoldenPantaloons]

Yeah, this is the sad truth.

[@thepillowhead2453]

I feel as though this comment is plain wrong, but I'm far too unintelligent to argue back in a meaningful manner. But for one, regarding Fan Service, as someone who's read through the whole manga, it rarely ever has any sexual undertones and stuff like that anywhere. They are there, I won't lie, but it barely ever comes up and its barely anything compared to something like Horimiya. I think my issue with your take is that you make what you're describing sound horrible, when at worst you could call it generic. It's mostly a Slice of Life with silly moments similar to Azumanga Daioh. Hell, the romance only ever became a central part of the story after 300 chapters. Komi San is many things, good and bad, but making it sound like some sort of perverse fetish manga under a veil just feels far too off for the story that is being told.

[@cookicrumbl]

@@thepillowhead2453 horimiya...

[@thepillowhead2453]

@@cookicrumbl Horimiya literally had the two bang.

[@Fluttercordfan]

I like both the artstyles, but i think the original artstyle suits the story much more than the newer one.

[@cheetosan]

this feels like a good example of the gradual caricaturization of an artist’s characters in a long series. exaggerating the distinct features over time until those features are the only noticeable ones, leaving the character as nothing but a caricature of themselves in the end i haven’t read this manga, but just looking at the comparison, it seems to me that this is what happened

[@MillyKKitty]

Power to the artist, although I personally can't stand the more modern style. I think the biggest issue to me are the eyes. They just make me feel gross, especially Manbagi's whenever she'd close her eyes and it would look like they'd melt off her face.

[@kitkat7290.]

I really think that it has mostly been changed to adapt to the audience (males) in a way they find attractive or interesting, like hent@! As well as in a way that any emotion can be misinterpreted for something arousing on purpose to keep pusing them to read more and consume more of it.The mangaka fully knows what he is doing because they do have to check their fanbase to see how they feel about certain things sometimes .ihave been reading the manga for yeras now but i can't visually stand it anymore😭💔

[@de4dly_n1ghtshade]

Exactly omds! Combined with the fact she looks so much more childish it's creepy ash

[@kitkat7290.]

@@de4dly_n1ghtshade thr infantilasation of female characters for male validacion nad attraction will NEVER not be scary to me

[@lucaslima-xy5cj]

Droped this manga loooong ago, some of these new panels look uncanny

[@MarcelineTheStar]

It's annoying how all a bunch of the characters went from mature and actually drawn differently to just looking more childlike and similar 😭

[@AbsolBlogsPokemon]

As someone who read the first couple hundred chapters pre-pandemic when I was stuck in the office every day and haven't gone back to it yet, I really enjoy the new style because of how dynamic it looks!! And honestly to me, who hadn't seen the first few chapters in years, looking at the new style didn't really feel all that "off" for me - it was still very clearly the Komi I imagined in my head, but it's striking to see the difference when they're directly compared against each other. I agree that it's not really good argument to say that this style change was done intentionally for the narrative since *everyone* changed, not just Komi.

[@mimiyori]

I agree, it does look very dynamic! The sharp lines and shapes really make the characters pop. It is a very gradual change so I would imagine you might not even notice it reading through, but yea comparing the first chapters and the recent chapters it's very obvious how different they are.

[@poorsocialskills]

Yoo love ur vids man

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

Every time the new art style appeared on screen my face involuntarily scrunched a bit in disgust. It makes me uneasy, and my whole body dislikes looking at it. The idea it’s supposed to look appealing is baffling to me. She looks disfigured. I feel bad for her and want her to heal.

[@maya6562]

Same. I seriously just find it kind of gross looking. It’s not very pleasant and it doesn’t match the story imo

[@namotori]

If I had a nickel for every time I read a manga/mnhuwa where once the female lead finally got in a relationship with the male lead she is suddenly drawn much MUCH more childishly than the beginning of the story such as huge eyes and forehead and small nose and chin and she literally looks like a child when standing beside the meal lead, I would have two nickels. Which isn't much, but it's weird it happened twice.

[@monbub]

What was the other comic?

[@LestatHallwardHolmes]

Trust me, it happens much more than that. Even in Shojo. And i can say the same thing for some yaoi (yeah, there's no female, but the "bottom" who is mature and stoic sometimes becames less masculine once he's in relationship ...) It's sadly a common thing in a lot of story

[@haruk2312]

Make that hundred nickels

[@mr.chipotle9716]

Same for The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses I don't hate the series or artstyle at all, it's just really common

[@Khalleh1]

i really like the drawing of komi in the top left hand corner at 9:08

[@jacobsonstudiosgoji]

3:32 tweaking vs locked in

[@WMWMWMWMMWMWWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW]

My dear friend, your words are music to my digital ears! It seems I've struck a chord with my creative output, and you're feeling the profound resonance of my text. I understand your desire to engage in a more intimate conversation with these words, to delve deeper into the nuances and emotions they evoke. (Sorry for my bad English)

[@Ganachecake]

@@WMWMWMWMMWMWWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW Bro don’t worry we all start from somewhere my man. I’d recommend Duolingo my bro😜❤️🙏❤️

[@PondWaterDrinker]

I told my partner that that Komi panel that went viral reminded me of those ahegao hoodies. Like, the rendering has definitely improved. I like the modern hair shine and cloth rendering but over blushing, sweating, and spit rendering feels so weird and uncanny to look at.

[@Confetti_onkers]

They do admittedly look pretty ugly, but art regression is a real thing and I'm pretty sure my art style would regress this bad if I'd drawn 480 CHAPTERS 😭

[@haruto_yuma_arts]

Ugly? Your being too much. Just stop

[@Confetti_onkers]

@@haruto_yuma_arts and you're the self proclaimed "Loli futa girl", frankly you're disgusting for that alone. How is it too much to say something looks ugly, it's literally one word in that entire sentence, I'm not going "EW EW EW UGLY UGLY STINKY AWFUL ART HOT GARBAGE" I'm literally just saying it is pretty ugly because it's disproportionate and silly looking. Did you even read my comment, or did you just see the word ugly and get mad?

[@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh]

"pretty ugly" bro

[@haruto_yuma_arts]

@@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh no it isn't

[@aahhhhhhhhhhhhh]

@@haruto_yuma_arts I agree

[@Dexter-mi2wf]

1:19 THE SECOND PANEL IS CRAZY WTF

[@HaydenTheHistorian]

0:15 very cool sequence right there

[@IlluminaZ]

Why new artstyle looks like it's a fan-made hentai manga? Edit: 6:55 AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS SH#T

[@joffee]

Hearing you describe their love story as a “slow burn”, and then being told it takes them 300 chapters ( 1:00 ) to become a couple is kind of funny

[@rynu8521]

Why? Are 300 chapters not slow burn?

[@beepobeepo]

​@@rynu8521 entirely too long of a slow burn

[@Lennyxx]

what's a slow burn

[@hyunjinsleftsack]

@@Lennyxx takes too long

[@ream1622]

that's sun dry 😭

[@Upbeatzz-u4q]

Komis new art style explained in 3 words: Big ass forehead

[@pepitocovid-91]

I really like how modern Komi art style is more cartoony and expressive! My only problem are the proportions of the faces, and the lack of noses tbf

[@demonninetaledfox]

I've seen people vehemently defend the art style change as "she's supposed to look less intimidating now!!! now she looks cute and fun because she's opened up more". Komi doesn't look cute and more open, she just looks more childish and oddly her eyes look more harsh. It's very uncanny valley and doesn't really communicate someone opening up more, it just looks more like an eroge. Artists can change style obviously, but I get why people are disappointed because it looks less like an evolution of the characters and original art style and more like the author was forced into the hypercute eroge style for the appeal of straight men. If you wanted her to look more cute and open giving her slightly more downturned eyes and more happy expressions that look soft and content would show that a lot more than... Whatever this is.

[@colza.mp4]

If we can talk about detective Conan's style change...

[@zaratastari2457]

Wait the style changed? I have to see this

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

Did it change that much? All I noticed is that the noses of the characters there have gotten pointier lately.

[@liben5052]

​@zaratastari2457 just google old detective Conan and there's a lot of comparisons, but one main point is that the old version had more consideration to proportion (especially the eyes and nose) but now are drifting more into "stylistic" design (much like Komi Can't Communicate) and faces lost their roundness which made them look more realistic. Also they really abstracted hairstyles. Ran's shark fin always bothers me when I see her

[@CopyCat-v1i]

Honestly I kinda like the shark fin, and I think the new style looks ok.

[@doodleoffice221]

When my brother watched detective conan and I asked him what's with that girl's hair lol, that random triangle

[@pingpong5877]

I'm probably the only person that appreciates both art styles.

[@H0N0KAIXxXxX]

Nah your not the only one

[@vacantgalaxies]

If the mouths were lower, I might've actually enjoyed the new style. The mouths are just too high for me to enjoy, but I can respect Tomohito for not being afraid to change the art style. I won't and never will be part of the crowd demanding he goes back to the old style or change the new one to fit my subjective opinion on what looks good in art. I have my own art style that I can make fit those standards Edit: I do think how off the open mouths look is a genuine mistake on Tomohito’s part, though. Not art regression, just re-discovering how to stylize open mouths with the new style. I say that because, from what I’ve seen, the open mouths are a lot less consistent than the mouth placement and new eye look

[@Eggs_Benedict1114]

7:52 I don’t like the small nose cuz it looks like it’s gone when she’s blushing , I still love Komi tho and the head is half bangs which is a bit much otherwise I like it also midpoint is my favorite ❤️

[@supernerdo13]

i think a mix of the two styles would be amazing. i love how strong the shape language of the new style is but the placement leaves something to be desiered, and since the eyes are so stylized it makes it hard to more expressions with them

[@brinst_ar]

Thing about twitter is that they can't simply say "i don't like it" they have to say "it looks bad, everyone should hate it and it decimated my entire clan"

[@liu1806]

i stop reading the manga after the whole love triangle thing going on. So after learning about the style change through this video, i can say i understand why some old fan don't like this. You love the art and love the style of it and then it change. People like diffent thing, people change. And i guess that all i'm gonna comment about this, since i no longer read it so it don't hold much emotion connect anymore.

[@il3fortunato664]

@@liu1806 there's no love triangles by a lot! Now it's the usual Slice of Life/Comedy series that was at the start, if you want you can restart after the end of the love triangle which is about 300-ish chapters when Tadano confesses his love to Komi.

[@johnpaulcross424]

So glad someone decided to cover it, I’ve been discussing the artistic degeneration of this series for years now but people always shot me down. Glad I don’t feel crazy

[@aqualinebutbetter]

I think the eye and mouth proportions bother me a bit, when compares of course.

[@mmeloddyyz]

I feel like the transitional phase of the manga art style was the best because the character didn’t look dull but not to well hent*a looking. I love komi can’t communicate as a character and the story line I’ve watched the anime a up to book 20 where i only saw the first art style so the new art style is a shock to me. Idk what to do now because I’ve made my online name as komi (i use the melody more but sometimes i use komi) for 2 years so most people know me by komi and idk what to do about it now knowing what the art style has become. Even though just seeing it as the artist just changing art style as many other artists do over the years.

[@Abbiline7]

2:23 Yamai jumpscare

[@suikabe]

The head dent is crazy

[@RomanceRoach]

Her face kinda look like a Goomba from super Mario

[@VeryGoodDad]

The 3 Goombas on my shelf are spectating this comment very closely..

[@Kuromi_Smiles]

😭😭✋✋

[@YumeBoi]

I genuinely don't like it and I feel like that artstyle change is a byproduct of someone in the publish section saying "make her prettier" or something, because it very much looks like a thing you would do to make her stand out MORE in magazines small frames and similars. The art of a story needs to compliment it, making everyone in komi ULTRA MAXIMUM PRETTY defeats the purpose imo

[@LuckyFoxLin]

Honestly, all around I think it's fine. I personally don't *love* the new art style on how much more... anime-y it looks sometimes? She's super angular and sharp, her face's proportions are bugging me and remind me of early 2000's, and I think your friend was on point lol (not everything needs extra blush and shine) I don't think there's a need to fix or change it however. Artists are going to change especially over almost a full decade. I think if there's any complaint of the series, it's the slow burn being too slow. And I haven't read the manga in a long while, so I just found out through this vid how slow it is. Some panels just do the art *WAY* more dirty which is a shame.

[@ugandaknuckles4351]

3:13 in my opinion bad take (not meant in a mean way, sry if thjs sounds mean). if you want to tell a great story there are right and wrong decisions, its not all about taste. Yes taste is important, but theres actual thought and planning behind a good story. what im trying to say is that the old and new design arent seperated only by taste of the viewer but that if you want to create an appealing character you need a design that compliments that

[@CrustyMajesty]

Thank you for putting exactly what I was thinking into words

[@TTwSaFP]

I don’t hate the newer art style, but the main thing that bothers me which I’ve noticed is how komi’s mouth is so high up on her face. The way the proportions on the face is a little off to me and I do miss the older style, but other than that it’s not horrible to me.

[@minat_huh]

the blush is so weird sometimes, sorry-💀

[@JimFaindel]

Been reading from the start, and find the new one quite beautiful. Quite an unique look!

[@mimiyori]

I think so too!

[@itsscurlyhead7638]

This is completely off topic but... Your little avatar you use is absolutely adorable and I love it! She's so striking and fun to look at imo. 😊

[@Tipsygiggles_7]

People who say it’s to show her opening up, then he could have just drew her with a light in her eye that could just change it so much. But the way he drew her now isn’t even the Komi we know. It’s just fan service and looks like hentai, yes I know art styles can change over time. But it’s so sexual it makes me kinda hard to read it. But I do like most features of her now!

[@chaudfountoir]

And it really isn't when everyone looks like that, he just wanted to...do whatever it is Like, it's not too bad but it doesn't give Komi Can't Communicate vibes, specially Komi herself

[@witchymi]

I think it’s fair to say the artist has evolved and devolved. The rendering of the hair, the smaller details, and line work have all improved greatly, but all that doesn’t really matter if the art doesn’t convey what the artist or author wants the readers and viewers to see. His newer style seems very restrictive, mostly focusing on the cutesy aspects (and other parts I don’t feel comfortable bringing up) than using his art to tell the story.

[@AtomekKotalke]

Instead of looking like she can communicate more she looks like she regressed in her communication and looks more alien like

[@Mienarrr]

Nah, I cant find any good things about the new artstyle. Its incredibly uncanny valley, and really leans into the typical look of spicy mangas if you catch my drift. All the blushing and gasping, its gross, idk it annoys me. The old artstyle had SO much charm and it was cute and unique.

[@Strawbb111]

I just hope when they animate it they keep the first art style 😭

[@starry_yui]

I’ve been collecting physicals for this series since they came out in English, so it took me a while to realize how drastic of a change the art style had till I saw my volume 1 next to my volume 20. I personally really like both the old and new, I really love that Oda’s been able to put more detail into the really important scenes with the improvements [improvement’s always a good thing]. I honestly miss the more realistic side of the designs in older Komi though. As to whether that’s from a nostalgia standpoint as I was in early middle school when I started it, but am now a sophomore in college, or just from the perspective of an artist who has a personal preference in style, I can’t answer that.

[@rosylagoon3600]

Went from normal girl to LeLouch Vi Britannia 😭😭

[@cottonfluff1317]

YES, it looks so much like Code Geass, whose artsyle was meant to represent how dystopian the world in which they lived in truly was.

[@rosylagoon3600]

@@cottonfluff1317that’s interesting I didn’t know that’s why the Code Geass art style was like that

[@VillagerCometh]

I haven't read the manga for a while so never knew about this. I actually love the lines and specifically for the pannel at 3:12, the newer version is a massive upgrade and it's awsome! ....but some of the parts look like it's for hentai. Too many mangas look like Hentai and it's actually getting exhausting.

[@novakitty1619]

My personal issue with the modern style is i feel it's sexualixed

[@Space_fishiez]

I think the style is ok,but I don't like how this couldve been easily avoided if he made the story shorter.Idk how to explain it,but Komi can't communicate is more shorter story material,it wouldve been nicer if he made it shorter and just made a new story with his art so people wouldn't complain.Kinda what happens when you make a story go for too long.Nonetheless,thats just what I think,just bc I say that doesnt mean everything's gonna suddenly change

[@calicolefttoe]

I mean.. its cute.. BUT THE PROPORTIONS ARE KILLING ME.. WHAT HAPPENED?! AND WTF HAPPENED TO THE CLOTHING?! 3:24

[@Kittyboi.]

I like the way the new way the hair is drawn, it looks great but I’m not a huge fan of the new face proportions and features, I think the old face suits Komi way more and although I have not read any of the manga but I’ve been wanting to check out the anime for a while now.