A Silent Voice

The film's brilliant pacing and expertly woven narrative deliver an empowering story that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

Its wrenching honesty provides a potent counter to the simple-minded let’s-all-be-friends-and-sing-a-song inanities of “My Little Pony,” “The Emoji Movie” and other recent American animated features.

Where director Yamada excels is in depicting the interior worlds of the two main characters, paying particular attention to details, whether visual or sonic, that seem to place a constant divide between Shoya and Shoko.

Yamada makes a point of contrasting the agonising complexity of high-school life with the clean simplicity of the moments that really count: hushed conversations on a bridge in springtime, a shared roller-coaster ride under empty blue skies.

Viewing the heightened emotion and drama of adolescence with an unjudgemental eye, it’s a reminder that schooldays are always the best.

Uses drawn images to peer into the dark corners of teenage life: bullying, self-loathing, and depression.

It has some interesting visuals, but A Silent Voice demands investment in the redemption of someone who’s impossible to root for.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Incredibly emotional, less romantic than heartwrenching, but made me cry— which I barely do at pretty much any type of media. It tackles subjects that aren’t talked about seriously in enough mainstream movies and shows (in the USA at least, imo).

The animation is really pretty, at least visually speaking. The color's uses are really good and the illustrations it self are impressive. About the content: it is a little disappointing. The story seems to touch everything and ends touching nothing. They talk about accessibility with the deficient person, they dont talk on a realistic way about bullying (Once that the protagonist was a bad guy just because he was, without any reason), they dont talk about the negacionism and autoritarism in the schools. So, they justo sell a cute story with so many potencial, but thats it.

It was a really nice movie but alot of key moments from the manga was missing, would have loved if this was a two parter to give it space to grow instead of feeling rushed.