A Silent Voice : The Movie (2016) Movie Review

 

A Silent Voice: The Movie (Original title: Koe no katachi) | 2016 | 2h 10m
Genre: Anime/Coming of Age/Psychological Drama/Slice of life/Animation/Drama |
Country: Japan
Director: Naoko Yamada | Writers: Yoshitoki Ôima, Reiko Yoshida
Cast: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yûki
IMDB: 8.1
My Rate: 10/10

Shoya is ostracized at school because of his past actions bullying Shoko, a deaf transfer student. Shoya tries to make amends, searching for Shoko to apologize.

Warning:

Contains scenes of violence, suicide, and strong language.

 

Synopsis:

Shoko is a new student at Shoya's school. Shoko is deaf from birth, making learning difficult. Initially, some children help her, but this negatively impacts them.

Shoya, seeing his friends struggle, becomes resentful of Shoko's perceived lack of awareness. Shoya and his friends bully Shoko: defacing her communication book, throwing away her hearing aid, and ostracizing her.

Shoko's mother discovers this, suspecting something is wrong because of her daughter's repeatedly lost hearing aid. The school investigates, and everyone blames Shoya.  Shoya, refusing to be the scapegoat, reveals his friends' actions, worsening the situation. Shoya is ostracized and bullied in return.

Shoya's mother uses her savings to replace the hearing aid Shoya destroyed, causing Shoya great sadness and regret.  His middle and high school years are affected, leading to isolation.

Shoya plans suicide, but first wants to earn money to repay his mother. He plans to find Shoko and apologize.  His encounter with Shoko makes him reconsider suicide. He strives to live and befriend Shoko to atone for his past mistakes.

Will Shoya's life improve?

 

Review:

A Silent Voice is an animated film based on Yoshitoki Oima's manga of the same name.  The film and manga address familiar teenage themes: bullying, friendship, and mental health. It also presents the perspective of a disabled character—in this case, a deaf protagonist.

The impact of bullying is shown not only from the victim's perspective but also from the bully's. The bully becomes a victim, experiencing the feelings of the person they bullied, leading to remorse.

The story is presented systematically and is easy to understand. The background is well-developed, starting from their first meeting and progressing into adulthood. The conflict is well-presented, as is the resolution, evident in the character development of each individual.

Although an animated film, it's not for young children. The themes are too heavy for children to grasp, and the suicide scenes are inappropriate for young audiences.

The animation is clean and dynamic. The appropriate music and sound effects enhance each scene. The voice actors deliver fitting performances, effectively conveying the story's message and the emotions of each character.

This is an excellent film, especially for those who enjoy teen dramas.  Unfortunately, a live-action version isn't yet available. Hopefully, a live-action adaptation will be made in the future, as it would certainly be compelling.

 

Memorable Scene:

Shoya Ishida stands on a bridge, saying he hates himself. Past events surface, becoming a ticking time bomb within him, making him self-loathing.

This scene highlights how past mistakes can haunt us, emphasizing the importance of thinking before acting.  Our actions should not haunt our present.

 

Memorable Dialogue:

"I feel like there's no way to recover from this."

 
Ending:

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation:

Must Watch

 

(Aluna)