A Silent Voice: A Victim of School Bully and Depression

[J.Cole]

 

 

Deafness becomes a metaphor for isolation and miscommunication in Japanese anime “A Silent Voice,” which tracks the fracturing friendships in a school class when a hearing-impaired girl enters the mix. Narcissism, self-loathing, secret crushes and longing for acceptance — all the trademarks of puberty are vividly evoked in beguiling hand-drawn visuals. Moreover, the film boasts a fresh and engaging approach in tackling the ubiquitous Japanese subject of school bullying from the perspective of the bully rather than the victim. The third feature directed by Naoko Yamada has roped in nearly $20 million domestically and reverberated into cinemas in territories all over Europe, Latin America and Asia; it may create as much noise internationally as Japanese phenomenon “Your Name.”

 

Yamada, whose first two TV-spinoff films “K-On!” and “Yamada Love Story,” were highly rated, is regarded as a rising star in Japan’s competitive anime industry. Her screen rendering of Yoshitoki Oima’s multiple award-winning manga is written by anime-adaption guru Reiko Yoshida and produced by Kyoto Animation, an emerging anime studio founded by Yoko Hachida. With this all-female combo, it’s no wonder the film exudes a delicate, reflective sensibility, especially in its light-handed treatment of the romantic undercurrents flowing between the three main characters.

 

My Review

 

The movie is listed on the top 10 movies in the modern anime and known to only some weebs. After watching the movie, it left me in depression for quite a while. The movie does not contain any action or even a slight bit of fight. I'm a weeb myself, and I was never fond of watching romantic anime or the depressing one, but this movie changed my opinion about anime forever.

Edited August 6, 2021 by J.Cole

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