Review: 'A Silent Voice' gives an authentic look at human relationships

Secret ending? No.

Running time: 129 minutes (~2.25 hours)

“A Silent Voice” is a Japanese young adult anime drama in Japanese, with English subtitles. It is based on the manga which shares the same name as the film. It is also known as “The Shape of Voice”.

The film is about a deaf girl and how she is bullied in school. She eventually leaves, but her tormentor ends up being bullied by the other students in school. Years later, they meet again — but will things be different this time?

“A Silent Voice” is directed by Naoko Yamada, with a screenplay by Reiko Yoshida. It features the voice talents of Miyu Irino (Shoya Ishida), Mayu Matsuoka (young Shoya Ishida), Saori Hayami (Shoko Nishimiya), Aoi Yuki (Yuzuru Nishimiya), Kensho Ono (Tomohiro Nagatsuka), Yuki Kaneko (Naoka Ueno), Yui Ishikawa (Miyoko Sahara), Megumi Han (Miki Kawai), Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Satoshi Mashiba).

“A Silent Voice” is a wonderfully animated film that explores the awkwardness of adolescence and the straightforward but complex motivations of teenagers. It has surprising depth as it explores themes that are relevant to all ages, and seemingly childish characters show great maturity in how they handle situations. Most of all, it’s an authentic look at human relationships, warts and all.

Highlights

Good animation

The animation is superb. Fluid movements and detailed artwork mean that the characters come to life in beautiful animated glory. The romanticised backgrounds also lend a sense of wistfulness to the film, especially since water is a recurring motif in most of the scenes. It shows you a new perspective to everyday locations as you seen them depicted in a picturesque but realistic fashion.

Deep and thought provoking themes

What gives “A Silent Voice” such impact is the fact that its messages cut deep to the heart. The characters may still be going through puberty, but they face struggles and issues that are just as relevant to them as they are to older adults. The film examines these difficult themes without sugarcoating them, making us acknowledge the uncomfortable realities of our daily existence. Still, since it is an anime, it comes across as palatable

Strong characterisation and evolution

Despite having very few lines, Shoko Nishimiya (Saori Hayami) sees the greatest character development throughout the film. Her evolution is gradual and subtle, but it comes with huge consequences. Shoya Ishida (Miyu Irino), the other lead, sees a more visual struggle and is able to verbalise his conflict. Yet this does not diminish his character growth, which is rife with tearful revelations.

About the little things

“A Silent Voice” is not about grand gestures or over-the-top actions. What makes it real and relatable is that the characters act so much like the sort of classmates we had in school. Human behaviour is inexplicable and our motivations can be inscrutable, but it all makes sense somehow. Ishida’s classmates are portrayed similarly, and give you the sense that they have their own lives outside of the anime. These minute details are what add up to give “A Silent Voice” a genuine poignancy.

Letdowns

Odd symbolisation

Despite its many beautiful motifs, “A Silent Voice” makes use of very odd symbolisation to represent Ishida’s struggle. The problem is that it is a very stark and jarring technique that’s unlike the other types of symbolisation used in the film. It does its job, but you can’t feel feeling that there could have been a more elegant way to go about it.

“A Silent Voice” is a humble slice of life that touches on many levels.

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.

Should you watch this more than once? No.

Score: 4.0/5

“A Silent Voice” opens in cinemas:
– 9 March, 2016 (Singapore)

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter, having written for Police & Thief, Incredible Tales, Crimewatch, and Point of Entry. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site. The views expressed are his own.

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