Komori-san Can’t Decline is a series of TV shorts that basically spoil their premise right there in the title. It’s about Komori-san; a girl who struggles to ever refuse anyone who needs her help.
Komori is the kind of person that everybody depends on. She is approachable and friendly, not to mention very athletic. Whether you need help moving boxes or a friend to have lunch with, she is there for you. Things just get a little awkward when 20 other people then also want to share lunch with her. Since she can’t say no to anyone, such incidents quickly spiral into chaos for everyone involved.
It’s a simple shtick, but one that I found to be very effective. The super-short runtime of each episode forces the humor to be quick and punchy, which Komori-san Can’t Decline handles well. It also keeps the running gags from ever getting stale, which I find important for a show like this. I doubt that Komori-san Can’t Decline could have flourished if its gags had to fill up entire TV episodes.
As with many TV shorts, I do have to say that Komori-san Can’t Decline doesn’t leave too much of a lasting impression. It gets a few quick laughs and is over 20 minutes later. Its characters are fun enough, but don’t really stand out in any way. Nor do they give you much reason to care for them.
I was actually surprised that the author of the original manga turned out to be Cool-Kyou Shinja. Even in his other shorts, his characters tend to be far more memorable than they are here. Outside of Komori being designed in line with his usual inclinations, Cool-Kyou’s usual flair feels absent here.
