A Silent Voice: The Movie
Composite Score: 82.9
Starring: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yûki, Kenshô Ono, Yûki Kaneko, Yui Ishikawa, Megumi Han, Soshiyuki Toyonaga, Ikuko Tani, and Erena Kamata
Director: Naoko Yamada
Writer: Reiko Yoshida
Genres: Animation, Drama, High School, Romance, Coming of Age
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Box Office: $30.64 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
A Silent Voice: The Movie is the film adaptation of the manga by Yoshitoki Oima of the same name. It follows the story of Shôya Ishida, a high school student who suicide attempt is foiled by a group of children lighting fireworks next to the bridge he was planning to jump from, and the events that resulted in and come after his suicide attempt. It follows his rediscovery of friendship after having been alone since middle school, when his bullying of a deaf student led to his friends abandoning him. His new lease on life leads to a beautiful story about high school, friendship, embracing others’ differences, and our potential to learn and grow from our past.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Don’t let the beautiful visuals and light color palette of A Silent Voice confuse you; it is a film about a suicide survivor and a deaf girl experiencing severe isolation at its heart, making it a difficult watch even on a good day. The story it tells is positive and uplifting, but it wades through a lot of darkness on its way there. If that or just suicide in general is not something you feel ready to process, this film should not be one that you watch just yet. Its treatment of these themes is by no means bad, it just feels remarkably real.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Visually and auditorily, A Silent Voice: The Movie is a stunning example of anime filmmaking, with beautiful artistry throughout. The film’s score sets the tone and adds emotional weight to every scene, swelling when it needs to and ebbing at the right moments, flowing around the story in a marvelous way. The art style evokes a sense of simple beauty without any exaggerated colors, capturing realism with a softness that draws the audience into the heaviness of the story.
Additionally, A Silent Voice’s story is one that should be told – a story of friendship and overcoming and the weight of our actions. Though it is a story set in elementary/middle school and high school, the messages it contains remain relevant and important for audiences of all ages. From its initial examination of Ishida’s planned final days that then flashes back to the inciting incident of his sixth-grade life as a bully, it becomes clear that the film’s narrative contains deep truths, worth examining. The exploration of his past, and the characterization of each of the supporting characters sets the stage for the development that each of them will experience over the course of the film. In the present, the story shines in that none of the characters’ problems resolve easily. Each one has deep and unique issues that need to be worked through, supplementing the story of Ishida and Nishimiya that lies at the story’s center. Be it overcoming bullies, finding friends, coming to terms with cowardice or selfishness, or learning how to be civil with those who we will never truly like, the many characters of the story work through problems that are markedly relevant in a modern setting. By the film’s conclusion, not everything has worked out perfectly, but there has been growth and there is potential for even more, and the audience is left with a sense of accomplishment.
A Silent Voice: The Movie shines with its beautifully relevant storytelling, which is enhanced by its excellent art style and well-designed score, on its way to becoming a film that deserves its place among the greats and has something for everyone to connect with. The depth of the film’s subject matter makes it one that not everyone should be watching all the time, but it remains unquestionably impactful. This film is currently available to stream on Netflix if you’re looking to give it a shot. I highly recommend it.
