Komi Can’t Communicate is by far one of the most anticipated anime releases of 2021. According to stats from MyAnimeList, it’s the fifth most popular airing anime right now and the third most popular show beginning in the Fall 2021 season. At first, it looked like Netflix had done an incredible job at securing the show as it premiered in the US yesterday.
However, fans are now angry due to translation issues with the anime with some going so far as to say it’s better to pirate it. A viral Tweet that even made its way over to /r/anime is bringing up issues with how the first episode is translated, or more specifically, the lack of translation provided.
Several on Reddit openly suggested pirating the show and praised fansubbers for doing a better job than those hired on at Netflix.
However, others pointed out that it might not be the translator’s fault at all, but the system Netflix uses for subtitles.
But others didn’t think it was a good excuse, pointing out how the company “probably has the means and resources to make translated text appear in different places” and stating that if they don’t have these tools, they should acquire them to prove they care about anime on their service.
While there’s no response yet on if Netflix will do the work to create better subtitles for the show, it will be interesting to see if this affects streaming numbers going forward. According to stats from FlixPatrol, Komi Can’t Communicate is only the 53rd most popular show on the platform, putting it behind other new popular anime significantly.
Will you be watching Komi Can’t Communicate on Netflix or will you trust fansubbers to give you the full experience? Let us know in the comments!
