Communication is an invaluable skill that grants people the ability to connect with others. There are several forms of communication, including body language, facial expressions, and written, but most folks think of the most common form: talking.
Speaking with others candidly and with tact is possibly the most effective form of communication, but some people (and anime characters) are either terrible or unable to express themselves adequately with words. It could be from social anxiety, past traumas, or fear. Some anime characters are just odd about their word choice while others literally have no other way to communicate outside of unconventional methods.
10 Toge Inumaki Communicates With Rice Ball Ingredients (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Some jujutsu sorcerers are born with special abilities in Jujutsu Kaisen, and Toge Inumaki was born with the Snake and Fangs seal unique to the Inumaki clan. As a result, Inumaki is easily one of the strongest students at Tokyo Jujutsu High, with above-average agility, endurance, and a powerful inherited cursed technique. Cursed Speech allows Inumaki to give commands that compel anyone, both human and cursed spirit, to obey. To avoid harming himself or others, Inumaki relies on rice ball ingredients as his primary vocabulary outside of battle.
9 Shouko Komi Relies On Gestures, Blackboards, & Notebooks (Komi Can’t Communicate)
Komi Can't Communicate is a straightforward, humorous shonen series that follows the eponymous Komi on her quest to make 100 friends. The problem is that Komi suffers from crippling anxiety that prevents her from speaking with others or expressing herself easily. Instead, Komi uses facial and body gestures, notebooks, and even the classroom chalkboard to communicate what she needs. Sometimes, she also relies on her first friend, Hitohito Tadano, to interpret her mannerisms and explain what she's trying to say.
8 Switch Uses Speech Synthesis Software To Communicate (Sket Dance)
After a past traumatic event in Sket Dance, Kazuyoshi Usui (who likes to go by "Switch") lost the ability to use his voice and started using a speech synthesizer to communicate with others. Even after Bossun reinvigorates Switch from his deep depression, Switch still prefers to use the speech synthesis software on his laptop when he chooses to talk. It's honestly a great dynamic for a gag anime like Sket Dance since the software speaks in a deadpan tone, effectively matching Switch's deadpan expression.
7 Susanna Hopkins Often Uses Memes & Anime Quotes To Communicate (Genshiken: Second Generation)
Better known by her nickname "Sue" in Genshiken: Second Generation, Susanna Hopkins moved from the United States to attend university in Japan. While it becomes obvious that Sue has a better grasp of Japanese than she lets on, she nevertheless chooses to express herself almost explicitly with anime and manga quotes or online memes.
Most characters aren't sure how to respond to her seemingly nonsensical phrases, but at least Harunobu Madarame can keep up with her without much trouble.
6 Yano Communicates Using Impressive Freestyle Rap Skills (Odd Taxi)
Unless he's caught off-guard or surprised, Yano makes use of his extensive multilingual vocabulary to rap out the conversations he has with other characters in Odd Taxi. Writing rap lyrics is no easy feat and requires a good deal of creativity and flexibility. Freestyle rap, then, essentially calls for complete command over one's vocabulary. Although Yano's lyrics come off as cryptic and full of slang to other characters, the fact that he can pull it off almost seamlessly is pretty impressive.
5 Rina Tennoji's Expressions Are Communicated With A Sketchbook (Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club)
Suffering from a bad case of social anxiety, Rina Tennoji is unable to converse with others or change her facial expression naturally in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. Instead, both her facial expressions and her voice tend to have a deadpan quality to them that poorly expresses her emotions. To help others understand her better, Rina uses a sketchbook to draw out her facial expressions so people can tell how she's feeling when she speaks. During live concerts, she wears a special digital mask that emotes for her.
4 Hanami's Speech Is Heard Backwards & Understood Telepathically (Jujutsu Kaisen)
When the powerful cursed spirit Hanami is first introduced in Jujutsu Kaisen, they speak in a seemingly nonsensible and made-up language. The reality is that Hanami's voice is being played in reverse when heard out loud by other characters.
This gimmick was phased out eventually in the show's audio, but there's no reason to believe that Hanami isn't still speaking in reverse. After all, in one episode, Jogo states that no one can understand what Hanami is saying, but the meaning of the words flows into their minds.
3 Faris NyanNyan Makes Extensive Use Of Cat Puns (Steins;Gate)
In Japanese, Faris NyanNyan's speech patterns in Steins;Gate are full of puns made up of "nya," the Japanese word for "meow." She also tends to end her sentences with "nya" or "nyan," demonstrating her dedication to playing a moe character for her maid café. Some cat puns were included in the English dub, such as the term "Meow-ster" to stand in for "Master," so this joke tends to work best in Japanese. Non-otaku have a hard time deciphering Faris' overly cutesy and creative speech patterns.
2 Kokichi Muta Uses Ultimate Mechamaru To Live His Daily Life (Jujutsu Kaisen)
When audiences first see Mechamaru in Jujutsu Kaisen, they aren't aware of the mangled human body that's controlling him from afar. Kokichi Muta was born with a fragile, sickly body that's unable to tolerate even natural light from the sun or moon. Using his cursed technique, Puppet Manipulation, Kokichi was able to use a mechanical cursed corpse he dubbed "Ultimate Mechamaru" to live his life for him. If not for Mechamaru being Kokichi's proxy, it's questionable whether Kokichi could communicate with anyone.
1 Celty Sturluson Has To Be Inventive When Communicating (Durarara!!)
Durarara!!'s Celty Sturluson strikes a stylish figure in her motorcycle-riding getup and iconic helmet. But underneath that helmet, Celty doesn't have a head. In reality, Celty is a Dullahan, a mythical Irish ghost that is depicted as a headless rider. Since Celty doesn't have any other option to communicate with others, she defaults to using text messages, messaging boards, or old-fashioned pen and paper to get her thoughts across to other people. Only those closest to her, like Shinra Kishitani, are able to occasionally decipher her gestures without written assistance.