Review of A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016) by Dauntless07 — 12 Jul 2019

A Silent Voice is a remarkable film that tackles disability, bullying, suicide, and redemption, and leaves a moral that resonates with us all. It's impossible for me to explain further without some minor spoilers of the setting, but I wouldn't worry, as I know you will love this movie regardless if you are a fan of Anime at all.

The story's main character is Ishida, who relentlessly bullies a girl named Nishimiya in elementary school because of her deafness. Nishimiya is eventually transferred out of the school, and Ishida must answer for his misdeeds. However, while those around him either remained silent about or even participated in the bullying, he is ostracized by his former "friends", and finds himself the victim of the same abuse he inflicted on Nishimiya. Fast forward: Ishida and Nishimiya happen to meet as high schoolers. While things are tense at first, Nishimiya sees Ishida has sincerely changed, as he made an effort to learn sign language since elementary school. They begin to spend time together, try to empathize with each other, and contemplate the true meaning of friendship.

One reason the story works so well is because it never ignores the severity of Ishida's bullying. Even he comes to see his situation as something he deserves; going so far as to plan his suicide. He is so full of guilt, he can no longer even look those around him in the eye; instead envisioning a X obscuring their faces. The viewer comes to empathize with him regardless, and hope he finds redemption, because we see his indefinite self-loathing doesn't help anyone. The film also does a great job in making Nishimiya's situation clear. The audience has the benefit of her signs being translated, so when those around her can't understand what she tries to convey, it hurts for us too. I have to say, this film's ending is incredible. By the time the credits roll, chances are you may be crying right along with the characters. It is fully earned, and completely satisfying.

As for the supporting cast, however, things are a bit hit-or-miss. Over the course of the film, Ishida finds himself slowly making friends with some of his former classmates, and a few newcomers as well. Some of these are likable and interesting, but others feel like missed opportunities. Kawai, for example, is notable for putting all the blame for the bullying on Ishida, and minimizing her own fault in going along with it, but this has no real impact on the plot. In the Manga, Ishida wonders if he has become an unreliable narrator who merely imagined others bullying Nishimiya. In reality, he had changed for the better, while Kawai stayed the same. Eventually, Kawai has to accept the guilt of her participation, and resolves to become a better person.

In this film, nothing like that ever happens, which makes her inclusion feel pointless. There are too many characters to go into such detail about every one, but there are similar circumstances, where it feels like something important has been omitted, and because it seems like they have nothing to do with the story, the film drags whenever they're on-screen. I'm not opposed to the film's long run-time of 2 hours, but I can't help but feel it should have been just a bit longer to develop those supporting characters properly, or shorter and cut them altogether.

Overall, I think the apparent consensus of 8/10 is about what this film deserves. It won't win any awards for animation or music, and it drags a bit, but the core of the film, the story between Ishida and Nishimiya, is really good. I can't recommend this film for everyone, but I can say that I will never forget it, or how it warmed my heart. For me, this is a classic in animation.