Despite its name, “A Silent Voice” speaks volumes about salvaging friendships and self-acceptance.
“A Silent Voice” introduces us to Shoya Ishida (Miyu Irino) who bullies his classmate Shouko Nishimiya (Saori Hayami), who is deaf.
This sets up the rest of the movie, where later in life, Shoya seeks to rekindle old friendships and undergoes his own self-redemption, due to his classmates shunning him for bullying.
Although there is a time skip between many grades, the movie does not skip on any of Shoya’s growing sympathy toward Shouko, and it is displayed with excellence in later scenes.
The relationship between Shoya and Shouko is a key point to the movie as well, and is the most important part of “A Silent Voice.”
With Shouko being deaf, Shoya learns sign language in the years he and Shouko are apart to help remedy Shoya’s past bullying.
What matters to his growth is that Shoya is trying to regain trust with Shouko and his old friends, even if it does seem that he is putting up a facade.
Eventually, Shoya becomes closer to Shouko and her younger sister, Yuzuru Nishimiya (Aoi Yuki), and their bond is an interesting development as well as a heart-warming experience.
The comedic moments of the movie are always welcome and do not detract from the serious message of the plot.
A great point of the movie is how both Shoya and Shouko see themselves as burdens to other people, including their own friends.
Both characters have their own journey in learning that they have that support from each other and their friends, even in their darkest times.
Watching both of them come to this realization separately adds to this movie’s feel-good factor.
The way the movie portrays anxiety is impressive. The stylistic choice of Shoya seeing a blue “X” over someone he sees as someone who could potentially hurt him is both creative and eye-opening.
The ending is up there with being one of the movie’s most impactful scenes. Shoya fully accepting that he has redeemed himself helped wrap up the film nicely.
The story of “A Silent Voice” is the selling point of the movie, but the quality of the animation helps show off the story well.
The world of the movie feels lived in. The colors of the animation are vibrant and catch the eye. There is never a moment when the world is dull or the scene does not fit in.
The characters are well designed, too, and their personalities match their design. It is easy to remember who is who despite the large cast.
Paired along with the characters is the voice acting. The voice actors all do a great job acting out their characters and being expressive.
The animation and voice acting together add to the already amazing story of “A Silent Voice,” which makes for a very immersive experience.
“A Silent Voice” shows how Shoya and Shouko learn to come to terms with their depression and is shown beautifully through its animation and voice acting.
Rating: 5/5
Griffin May can be reached at 581-2812 or gsmay@eiu.edu.
