Have you ever done something so terrible in the past that the consequences of your actions continue to haunt you in the present? Koe no Katachi, otherwise known as A Silent Voice, centers around a young boy named Shouya Ishida, who struggles to atone for his sins and the emotional scars that came with them.
A Silent Voice was originally published as a one-shot manga before running as a full series in the fall of 2013. In 2016, the manga was adapted into an anime film by Kyoto Animation.
As a kid, Shoya is that little punk who does whatever he wants to stave off boredom. When a new transfer student named Shouko Nishimiya enters his class, everyone is surprised to learn that Shouko is deaf and her only means of communication is through writing. Shouko immediately becomes the target of bullying because of her disability, with Shouya as the ringleader and instigator of most of the pranks. Within a few months, the bullying escalates to the point that Shouko loses several of her hearing aids and has been ostracized from the rest of the class. Eventually, Shouya is thrown under the bus by his peers and Shouko is forced to transfer out. The tables flip on Shouya for the rest of his time in middle school as he becomes the new target of severe bullying and excommunication by all of his peers and even his former friends.
The audience watches as Shouya learns to reconnect to the world he shut out. Shouko has her own share of inner turmoil due to her deafness. Shouko has been constantly been bullied, causing her to become unable to stand up for herself and be extremely self-deprecating. I'll admit that the time constraints make the development of Shouya and Shouko's relationship feel rushed and unbelievable. Despite this, I found myself rooting the two of them on as they grew closer and closer.
With most of the premise revolving heavily around these two characters, the supporting cast may seem a little bit lacking in terms of development. Each of the side characters have their own significance to Shouya and Shouko learning coming to terms with their own flaws. Granted, this is a film that runs for about two hours, so there's only so much that you can cram into a film without cutting corners.
To be completely honest, I'm kind of glad that Kyoto Animation decided not to put more focus onto the side characters. The cast of A Silent Voice can be rather divisive, especially on first impressions. Shouya's attacks on Shouko can make him seem irredeemable to some viewers, even after he turned over a new leaf. His other middle school classmates can be just as bad—diverting all the blame to Shouya despite being a part of the bullying themselves, playing victim and feigning ignorance, and even betraying others to save themselves. But if you look at the situation from a different perspective, this is also A Silent Voice's biggest strength. It's also because of the cast of characters that I like A Silent Voice more than Your Name.
That's right. I said it. Fight me.
...Actually, please don't. I'm terrible with arguments. Let me explain, instead.
It's not too hard to find a review or forum that compares the A Silent Voice with Your Name. Granted, both were released around the same time last year and Your Name's overwhelming popularity made it hard to give A Silent Voice a time to shine. Of course, it's somewhat unfair to pit the two against each other, simply because they tackle different themes and have very different plots. Personally, I think it is the characters that really gives A Silent Voice that extra push above Your Name.
Having such a cast makes the film feel oh-so-painfully realistic. They are not just some cookie-cutter characters added for the sake of being fillers. They are depictions of real people who you could find in any typical classroom setting. The fact that characters act the way that they do makes it easier for the audience to relate to them or respond to the characters in an emotional way. While the manga fleshes the supporting cast more thoroughly, their roles have the necessary amount of push in order to provide more depth for both Shouya and Shouya's growth throughout the film.
Visually, Kyoto Animation deserves a pat on the back for another job well done. Every second is like indulging in a healthy amount of eye candy. Kyoto Animation never disappoints in terms of aesthetics and this is no exception. One of the best parts of the animation is the smooth sign language scenes between Shouya and Shouko. I can't really judge how accurate the signing is, since I know next to nothing about sign language (much less Japanese sign language), but I'm pretty certain you can trust that the producers did their research to make sure that everything was correct.
A Silent Voice that tackles some heavy issues such as bullying, suicide, and living with deafness that can make it tough and uncomfortable to watch, at times. However, I think it drives home a point that deserves more dialogue. A Silent Voice is a narrative to speak out against bullying and a message to treat everybody with respect and compassion. And no matter the kind of sins that we have committed in the past, people can always change for the better. We all have our own share of baggage, and having a chance to make things right can make all the difference.
