![]() ![]() ![]() Note: Ordinarily we would write our content guide as spoiler-free as possible by avoiding naming characters so that a scene can be described without giving away the plot too much. CONTENT: IS ‘A SILENT VOICE’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN? It may look like a love story on the surface, but in reality it is about fighting each day at a time to make life work, which is a much more mature and realistic message to give. Be it the recurring themes of water or the slowing to breath in the gaps between moments, the sensation of the movie wins out even if some of the tears it tries to jerk fall flat. ‘A Silent Voice’ has strong and consistent artistic direction which eschews the typical anime flamboyance for subtle but beautiful twinges of longing. Through staccato flashbacks, dream like ambient soundtracking, and Ishida struggling to make amends and come to terms with his own suicidal ennui, ‘A Silent Voice’ glides over much of its run time in a smeared haze: effectively echoing the feeling of someone suffering with depression. This effect lasts through most of the movie, with the camera reflecting Ishida’s point of voice by skirting around instead of making eye contact which really draws the audience into his state of mind. Racked with guilt he sinks into himself, unable to look any of his classmates in the eye: something given tangible life by the presence of flickering blue ‘x’ marks drawn over the faces of all around him. Ishida, as ringleader of the bullying campaign (for no reason other than discomfort at disability), finds his life utterly destroyed once he is turned on by he so called ‘friends’. What ‘A Silent Voice’ does excellently though is explore guilt and anxiety. It’s odd, given that Nishimiya’s introduction as a new student is the catalyst for the plot, that of all the characters she is also the least defined – existing primarily as a punching bag for other characters. Whilst on one level this is understandable due to the disconnect from those around them felt by the deaf, and despite a few weak fightbacks (where she mostly apologises throughout), ‘A Silent Voice’ loses some of the emotional connection it so badly needs by, at least so far as Nishimiya is concerned, showing the bullying but not the repercussions of it. No matter how much abuse she receives she barely reacts, wearing instead the same vacant smile. ![]() And ‘A Silent Voice’ missteps heavily by making Nishimiya such a doormat and stoic character. With such a heavy set up it is the relatability of the characters that make or break your emotional connection. We share the story of Ishida and Nishimiya at elementary school age – where a popular but brash Ishida is a ringleader in picking on the deaf and friendly Nishimiya for reasons that he can’t quite articulate – through to high school age where a guilt racked and suicidal Ishida tries to make good the ills of his past. Starring: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yûkiīased on the manga of the same name written and drawn by Yoshitoki Ōima, ‘A Silent Voice’ (also translated as ‘The Shape of the Voice’) is a beautifully animated and mature tale touching on teenage issues of suicide, bullying, prejudice, guilt, and redemption (or lack of it).
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