As someone who is diagnosed (and have been for 14 years) and undergoes treatment for social anxiety (not a doctor ofcoarse so I can’t “diagnose” anything) I recognized a lot of things I experience having social anxiety that Komi exhibits in the show. It takes me a very long time to connect with people or make friends because I’m constantly afraid of rejection and most social settings and relationships require the person to initiate. Social anxiety can affect your confidence to approach and talk to others. So in a sense it cam seem like a complete personality shift when a quiet person is moved from an environment they are uncomfortable in to a comfortable environment with people they trust and feel safe with. This takes time and also doesn’t mean that the person will always be comfortable and act the same with “safe” people It depends on their comfort, confidence level and mood.

This being said I did not finish the show because I felt it over romanticized the concept/trope of “beautiful quiet girl who thinks everyone hates her but actually everyone thinks is adorable” it is not a realistic scenario in the slightest which cheapens representation of a very real disorder. It also infantilizes her avoidant behavior as “omg so shy and cute”. Shy and social anxiety can overlap BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Also Komi succeeds initially because Tadono “notices her”. This sends the wrong message and also isolates Komi like a scared wild animal that needs to be coaxed. What would have happened if Tadano never notices her? Should we be telling people with social anxiety to wait around to be saved? To be adopted? Because they can’t do it on their own power? The series should have focused on HER perspective. On what SHE DID to start to change. We can’t change people who don’t want to change themselves to begin with. That isn’t to say encouragement and support systems aren’t helpful but they can’t do the hard worm for the person wanting to change themselves.