Komi Can't Communicate is a charming rom-com anime title starring Komi Shoko, a terribly shy high school girl who set a goal for herself -- to make 100 friends and reinvent her social life. In the process, Komi will blossom into a braver, more empowered young lady, but she's not the only character undergoing such a personal arc. Her new friend Agari Himiko is doing the exact same thing.
In some works of fiction, two characters are total opposites, or foils, and throw each other's key traits into sharp relief when they contrast with one another. However, stories like Komi Can't Communicate can also use two similar characters rather than two contrasting ones to highlight their best traits in the narrative. Komi and Himiko mirror one another, and that makes them stronger rather than redundant in the anime.
How Agari Himiko Followed Komi Shoko's Example
The story of Komi Can't Communicate, as per its title, is primarily about Komi Shoko's personal quest to break out of her dandere shell and empower herself by making new friends and forming meaningful connections outside of her family for the first time. It's amusing, sweet and inspiring to watch Komi add her wacky classmates to her roster of friends like this, and her first real friend, Tadano Hitohito, is immensely proud of Komi's progress. But Komi doesn't have to keep this premise all to herself. She isn't the only shy girl at Itan high school who yearns for true happiness -- there's also Agari Himiko, who knows what Komi is going through. This made Himiko an obvious candidate to become one of Komi's first friends, and Tadano knew it, hence their arranged meeting in an early episode.
On one level, it's convenient that Komi and Himiko can easily form a friendship by relating to each other so strongly. However, there's more to it than that. The story of Komi Can't Communicate proved that not just an attractive heroine but anyone can reinvent themselves and take a brave step toward true happiness. If Komi were the only one doing this, the anime might send the message that only special, amazing people like her can or should embark on such a heroic quest. But if ordinary girls like Agari Himiko can do it too, then anyone can.
This sort of personal journey isn't something reserved for anime protagonists or the most popular kid at school -- it's a universal possibility that anyone can explore, and with the right prompt, Himiko took that opportunity for herself. In so doing, Himiko went from a total wallflower to a goofy, earnest girl who can play a more active role in the Komi anime's scenes, which is how she earned her place in the main cast. The names on Komi's list of friends aren't just names -- they are people Komi has connected with, including Himiko, and they have their own things to say and do. That's easy for outgoing characters like Nene and Netsuno, but it's downright inspiring coming from a timid dandere like Agari Himiko. This is a much braver and thus more inspiring step to take for Himiko than it would be for Nene or Netsuno.
How Himiko & Komi Reflect One Another
Early in Agari Himiko's character arc, it's inspiring to see her break out of her own dandere shell and follow Komi's example, but Himiko can do much more than that in the story. She is now a proper member of the main cast, and being a fellow dandere, she can act as a measuring stick for Komi's progress and vice versa. These similar characters are not redundant with one another -- rather, they can prod each other along in the story, and when one of them makes significant progress, that other is prompted to catch up. When one of these girls steals the spotlight or makes personal progress, it also reminds viewers of the other girl's progress. Sometimes, it's not a foil that can emphasize a character's best traits but rather, a twin.
A few scenes in Himiko's own character arc prove this point clearly. In many episodes, Komi has a breakout scene in her personal quest, such as offering a hot potato to Tadano at night or talking to him on the phone, so her dandere twin Himiko is prompted to keep pace with equally wholesome scenes. One early example was when Himiko showed her confident side by bringing her friends to a ramen shop and showing off her skills as Ramen Core, a respected food critic.
Another more recent example included some wholesome body positivity during the Kyoto school trip, when Himiko, Nene and Komi got undressed in a public bath house. Himiko had once been self-conscious about her large bust, especially since she used to get teased about it, but now she feels more confident in her appearance. She finally found the courage to get fully undressed in front of others and accept her own body for what it is. Komi, meanwhile, was too shy to undo even one button on her uniform, much to Ren Yamai's frustration, contrasting greatly with Himiko's newfound self-acceptance.
In scenes like this and more, having two danderes with similar personal arcs proves that such characters can emphasize each other's best aspects rather than compete for the spotlight. Himiko and Komi really needed each other, both for personal and storytelling reasons. This anime simply wouldn't be the same without Komi's shy librarian friend.