A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice is an anime drama film directed by Naoko Yamada (K-On!). Based on the manga of the same name by Yoshitoki Oima, it is a touching and affecting story of one's struggle for redemption.

While he was in elementary school, Shoya Ishida, in an effort to fit in with his fellow peers, teased and bullied a deaf girl in class named Shoko Nishimiya. However, this backfires on Shoya and he ends up being shunned by the other students as Shoko ultimately ends up transferring elsewhere. Now in high school, Shoya has felt constant remorse for his actions and attempts make things right with both Shoko and the classmates who ostracised him.

Poignant and beautifully animated, A Silent Voice is not only a well made anime film, but also an interesting commentary on the state of one's mental health and well-being. This film will likely strike a chord with anybody suffering from depression and/or anxiety who wish they could find a way to fix their past mistakes. Also, despite its serious tone, director Naoko Yamada still manages to insert some humorous and quirky comic relief at appropriate times, much in the vein of what was seen in K-On!, her previous work. The Japanese voice acting is solid, however it is Saori Hayami as the voice of Shoko Nishimiya who stands out the most. Her performance as a deaf girl was highly convincing and never seemed exaggerated or too comical. I have not yet seen the English dub but I plan to do so in the not-to-distant future.

I rate it 8.5/10

A Silent Voice is an emotional and beautiful movie that almost anyone can relate to in some shape or form.

The story is both heart wrenching and heartwarming, as it tackles many issues such as bullying, social anxiety, depression, and suicide. Many of the characters deal with some or all of these issues. The issues the characters deal with in the past ultimately lead them into becoming what they are in the present movie.

There are many characters in a Silent Voice with some shining more than others. Shoya is a great main protagonist who (unlike most movies) is battling something much bigger in his life, his past self. The other main character Shoko is outstanding. You can really genuinely feel all her emotions just through her facial animations alone. Other notable characters I enjoyed were Shoya's best friend Tomohiro (who brought a nice comedic presence to the film) and Shoko's little sister Yuzuru. My only problem with a Silent Voice is with a couple of side characters who show up once and a while, but don't really contribute as much to the film - this is only a small nitpick though.

The majority of the music in a Silent Voice is played only by piano making the film take a more somber tone. This makes a lot of scenes feel more peaceful and calm contradicting what many of the characters feel deep down inside. The song titled "Lit" is a beautiful piano piece that I believe would make anyone emotional, when listening to it. So I enjoyed a lot of music in a Silent Voice with a couple of songs that really stood out.

The animation in this movie is absolutely gorgeous. There's a firework scene that is beautiful, it definitely is the animation highlight in this film...it's breathtaking.

In conclusion, I absolutely love this film. Everything feels so genuine and the characters feel so real. It really feels like there was a lot of love and care put into this movie and it definitely shows. This movie made me cry and I can almost assure you that it will do the same to you. Final rating 9.510

Have always been a big fan of anime, particularly Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki without restricting myself to just them (some of my favourites are actually without either involved).

Any film dealing with bullying and its consequences deserves to be applauded for the effort. Bullying, often stemming from something that should be a non-issue but turns out to be an easy target for bullies (for examples if your parents disallow you to play a popular video game for obvious reasons, if you have a posh accent, if you listen to and perform classical music, if you have a physical or social disability, false rumours spread about you, if you were a hard-worker rather than somebody who messed about and disrespected substitute teachers) is something that is very much relevant still and has damaging effects, it is an issue that needs to be addressed and acted upon much more than it is. This is coming from somebody who suffered merciless bullying myself in school, for all the above reasons apart from the first (in my case my school did nothing about it too), and nearly a decade on it has damaged my confidence/self-esteem, made me feel worthless and made my already bad anxiety worse despite getting a degree in music and singing regularly.

So as one can probably tell, 'A Silent Voice' really resonated with me on an emotional level. At the same time, it also really made me think and see that there is much more to the issue, the bully, the witnesses and the victim than one would tend to perceive. 'A Silent Voice' also turned out to be a very good film in its own right. It isn't flawless, some of the supporting characters are under-explored and in a few cases inconsistently and one-dimensionally written and some of the story jumps around and doesn't always feel complete.

Despite being over two hours, didn't think it was too long considering the number of characters and their stories. If anything, perhaps 'A Silent Voice' would have been even better as a series which would have solved the problems.

On the other hand, 'A Silent Voice' has an awful amount to recommend. Great isn't a strong enough word to describe the animation. Rich in meticulous background and character detail, atmospheric and ethereal in colour schemes and alive to nuances in its use of settings and character gestures and expressions, it becomes a character of its own and there are some memorable images throughout like towards the end. The music has whimsy, haunting beauty and understatement, while not overbearing the drama and letting it speak when needed. The song is catchy.

The writing is thought-provoking and contemplative, doing it in a way that will make bullying victims and those who bullied alike identify with what is said. A lot of it is remarkably insightful, and even when the film was really resonating with me it taught me a lot about an issue that isn't as black and white as perceived. The story has its issues but has a strong emotional core, with the truly powerful and touching ending leaving me shell-shocked.

Not often does one find themselves rooting for a bully as well as the victim, 'A Silent Voice' is one of those rarities. The voice acting is dynamic.

In summary, not perfect but very well done. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Jesus Christ, this movie is so sad, yet also strangely heartwarming. I was in tears throughout most of the movie. I found myself rooting for Shoko and eventually Shoya as well. I think this movie should be a requirement for children in school, as it shows the consequences of bullying and that there is redemption even for a bully.

Obviously, the writing in this is great, as well as the animation.

My only qualm with this movie was some confusion over the flashbacks. The way some scenes were cut together made it hard to decipher exactly what was happening or what had happened. This is a Japanese film so maybe this confusion has something to do with it being translated for English audiences? Either way, this confusion didn't hinder the movie too much and it was still very enjoyable to watch.

I would recommend this movie a hundred times over!

A Silent Voice (or "The Shape of a Voice") is a great addition to the "slice of life" anime of modern times. At times life affirming in its quieter moments, at other times shocking in its depiction of Japanese teen life.

Egged on by his school mates, Shoya bullies the newly arrived Shoko, who happens to be deaf. Perceived to be receiving special treatment, and being different (a crime in Japanese society), Shoko is fair game for any number of cruelties. Until it goes too far.

This movie then takes a different approach. Instead of showing the bullied person's return to strength, it shows the traumatised bully (and his cohorts) as he seeks to recover from the horror he put Shoko through. You may balk at the thought, but the paths of Shoya and Shoko are explored in their later high school lives, both being treated sympathetically.

The animation is beautiful, the script manages to avoid typical Japanese cliche, and the story takes some shocking turns without relying on trite misery or emotional manipulation. If you miss Ghibli, give this a watch. You'll be happy to know the spirit of great Japanese animation lives on.