A Silent Voice Analysis

A Silent Voice Analysis: Contains Heavy Spoilers

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A Silent Voice is a 2016 anime movie produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Naoko Yamada. It is based on the manga of the same name written by Yoshitoki Ōima and features music from Kensuke Ushio. For the longest time since 2020 when I first saw A Silent Voice, I personally didn't know how to review a movie like this. It's the only movie I have ever seen where I wanted to watch it again the very next day after seeing it. This movie feels so personal to me and even now whenever I watch this film I still feel the same emotions I felt when I first watched it. A Silent Voice is the most important film that speaks to me more than any other movie has. It's a human experience that I can only showcase my feelings towards by analyzing the entire film. My perspective is coming from a person who has never read the manga before.

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A Silent Voice opens with the character of Shoya Ishida on a bridge seriously thinking about killing himself. The scene itself feels dream-like as it shows Shoya quitting his job, giving money to his mom while she is asleep, and then the scene finally shows Shoya walking alone to this bridge. There is no dialogue explaining his thought process or why he's thinking about taking his own life here. The only thing that snaps him out of his trance is fireworks going off below which wakes him up from his current mental state. From here the movie flashbacks to Shoya's elementary school days and has an intro playing My Generation by The Who. Right from the intro alone, Shoya's personality can already be identified and shown. Shoya's upbeat and carefree attitude is shown as he jumps into a river with his friends or as he shoots a piece of paper on a desk with a rubber band. In this intro, he's still just a naive kid whose brain is still developing and Shoya clearly doesn't understand consequences yet. The intro ends with him walking to class and as he sits down his teacher introduces a new transfer student named Shouko Nishimiya.

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The teacher tells Shouko to introduce herself but she doesn't reply. The teacher then taps her shoulder gently and from this, you can see that her sense of touch is more heightened as she responds to the motion. Shouko doesn't say a word and only smiles as she holds up a sign that says "I can't hear." It is shown from this that she is deaf and it comes as a surprise to the other classmates. Because she is deaf not only is it hard for her to speak but she also has to communicate through people writing things down in her notebook much to the dismay of her other classmates. The school and the teacher both don't properly accommodate Shouko with what she needed and because of this Shouko starts to become a hindrance to her other classmates. An example of this happening is with one of the classmates named Naoka who has to constantly take notes for Shouko or read things to her. The bullying of Shouko starts with the character of Miki who only sees Shouko as a tool for her to look good in front of others by belittling her in her own way. The first example is during choir practice when Naoka and Shouko are next to each other. Naoka moves her lips and doesn't actually sing and because Shouko is deaf she thought it was time to sing when nobody actually was. When she sings the students criticize her voice and Naoka steps in to try to correct Shouko's timing trying to make herself look good when in reality she humiliated Shouko for her own self-gain.

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From here the bullying only gets worse. Shoya at his younger age is shown to be competitive and act clownish around his friends and at school never taking anything too seriously. With this mindset, he is still immature and can't connect to Shoko's disability, and instead of seeing her as a human being with real struggles and emotions, he sees her as a freak and a problem for everyone else. As Shoya starts doing things such as throwing pebbles at Shouko or making fun of her voice in class, all Shouko ever really wants during the entirety of her elementary school years is to have a friend and to be listened to and accepted. Even during a scene when Shouko tries to communicate through sign language that she wants to be friends with Shoya, Shoya doesn't try to understand her and only bullies and insults her more. When a new teacher comes in to try and convince the other kids to try sign language nobody acts interesting except for one girl named Miyoko who gets cast aside by her classmates and later transfers schools because of this. Shoya continues to bully Shouko even more going so far as to constantly rip out her hearing aids and hose her head with water. Meanwhile Shoya's friends only watch and laugh which in turn encourages Shoya's bullying even more.

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Things reach a breaking point when Shoya rips out another set of hearing aids out of Shoko causing her to bleed from the ears and be in pain. The entire time Shouko has been trying to be kind and make friends never lashing out at Shoya or anyone for her mistreatment. There is a distinct sadness and loneliness in her eyes and smile as she desperately tries to connect with someone but she can't because the classroom itself is toxic. The fear of being ostracized causes the kids who don't bully Shouko to not do anything to help and the teacher clearly knows Shouko is getting bullied and does nothing until she actually gets physically hurt by Shoya. When the principal of the school gets involved the teacher instantly blames Shoya for all of Shouko's mistreatment and bullying to which Shoya replies that other classmates bullied her as well.

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Shoya is right about this and blames specific classmates including Kazuki who was one of Shoya's friends who watched and laughed as Shoko was getting bullied by Shoya. After this occurs Kazuki and his friends bully Shoya relentlessly the same way Shoya bullied Shouko. Shoya's mom confronts Shoya about the bullying and harm he's caused to Shouko and she pays money to Shoko's mother for the hearing aids that were destroyed. Shoya at school walks over to his desk to see Shouko cleaning it for him. Shoya doesn't understand why the girl he's bullied so much would do something so nice for him. He now blames Shouko for him getting bullied by his former friends and he lashes out in anger at her because of this. The two get into a physical altercation with Shouko finally breaking down and the next day she transfers schools.

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Now back in the present day, Shoya is now a high schooler who decides not to kill himself so he can wrap up loose ends with Shouko. Shouya learns sign language at the sign language center for Shouko in an attempt to understand her more and goes there to see her. This scene does such an amazing job of showing so much emotion from the two characters with so few words said. Shoya wants to make amends to Shouko as he goes to return a notebook of hers that he threw away when they were in elementary school. You can tell instantly that Shoya acts like a completely different person than his cocky and careless elementary school self. He acts much more gentle, reserved, and soft-spoken and does his best to make Shouko feel comfortable with talking to him. When Shoya and Shouko meet, he introduces himself again, and at first Shouko smiles but as she remembers who he is and how he treated her she becomes scared and starts to run away. Shoya catches up to her and not only gives her the notebook but also asks in sign language if they can be friends. Shoya clearly understands now that his actions in the past were wrong and he can't forgive himself for all the pain he's caused. He's not looking for a relationship with Shouko but rather he is trying to not give her any more pain and suffering anymore. Shouko's reaction here is enough to cause tears. She doesn't say a word and only uses sign but when Shoya starts using sign language her face goes into shock and complete bewilderment. When she receives the notebook and gets asked by Shoya to be friends she starts crying tears of joy because up until now, nobody tried to properly understand her.

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Shoya's past actions and how he got bullied himself have eaten away at him in his everyday life. His depression and loneliness are conveyed in a unique and effective method. He can't look people in the eye, he stares down at the floor and whenever he sees people he only sees X's around their faces. Shoya feels like he doesn't deserve any happiness and thinks people have conversations about him and how it would be better if he killed himself. A Silent Voice shows Shoya's constant regret and hatred of himself along with his good days and bad days. Even when Shoya wants to go and see Shouko again he feels like he needs some excuse to justify why he's going to see her because he isn't confident in himself. As he finds a reason to see Shouko the reason being to feed the koi fish bread he is stopped at the door by Shouko's younger sister Yuzuru who asks him if he is her friend. Shoya becomes speechless and doesn't reply because he doesn't know what it means to be a friend. After this Shoya notices at his school that a bully is harassing and trying to steal a classmate's bike. As Shoya hears the cries for help from his classmate Shoya steps in and lets the bully take his bike instead saving his classmate in the process. Later in the day the same classmate he saved named Tomohiro finds Shoya and finds his bike for him. Shoya did an act of kindness for Tomohiro which to Tomohiro was the nicest thing anyone at school had done for him.

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A Silent Voice isn't all hopeless. There are many times when the characters will hang out together and their relationships will blossom. An example is when Shoya and Tomohiro hang out after school to go see a movie and eat. During their meal, Shoya asks what it means to be a friend to someone, and Tomohiro replies and says that there are no qualifications or logic involved and that it's something deeper than that. This in turn helps Shoya to go and meet with Shouko again. Shouko's sister Yuzuru becomes more involved in Shoya's life as well such as being there when Shoya meets up with Shouko again and even understanding and bonding better with Shoya. As they are using sign language on the bridge to communicate with each other Shouko drops her notebook in the river and Shoya tries grabbing her hand and misses. This foreshadows and represents their relationship as Shoya and Shouko right now don't fully understand each other and cannot fully connect yet. They like each other and want to help one another but are still separated by distance. Shoya does start to get closer to Shouko and even helps her with some things in the movie.

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Shoya helps Shouko be able to connect and go see her one friend from elementary school Miyoko again. As the two take the train over Shouko looks at Shoya and has a genuine smile of happiness and gratefulness instead of one of sorrow and loneliness. The two get closer throughout the film and there are even times when they get gifts for each other and take bike rides. Tomohiro also becomes better friends with Shoya as he constantly has his back and stays as a wonderful friend for him. Shoya also gains the respect of Yuzuru as well. Yuzuru knew that Shoya bullied Shouko but as they spend more time together Yuzuru sees that Shoya is doing his best to be there for Shouko and to become a better person. Shoya gets more of his elementary school peers together and they decide to go to an amusement park together. Shoya, Shouko, Tomohiro, Miyoko, Miki Kawai, and Toshi Mashiba (Miki's friend) all get to spend time together as a group. As Shoya is having fun he constantly questions during the day if he deserves to even have fun or hang out with friends in the first place. It's the saddest thing that the person who forgives Shoya the least is Shoya himself. This only gets heightened when rumors are spread to other classmates by Miki about Shoya bullying Shouko in elementary school so she can save her own skin.

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When this happens there is a confrontation at the bridge where Shoya and Shouko feed the koi fish. Shoya has a falling out with all of his friends and blames every one of them except Shouko for specific things. He blames Naoka Ueno for continuing abuse against Shouko which she does throughout the film even in the present. He blames Miki for having a victim complex and pushing her own guilt onto others. He blames Miyoko for running away from her problems when things get hard and finally, he blames Tomohiro and Toshi for being outsiders and not understanding anything from the situation. Shoya feels like he deserves this and should be alone. Shouko watches as the falling out happens and you can see the sorrow on her face. Shouko thinks that everything wrong that has happened is all somehow her fault. The truth is that Shouko hates herself and keeps a lot of her self-hatred inside herself. Shouko thinks that she's the reason she drove Shoya's friends away. Even when she was younger she constantly said to others that she was sorry for something and that everything happening to her was somehow her own fault. Shouko being deaf has made her think that she can't understand or relate to others and that there is truly something wrong with her. Shouko thinks that she is nothing but a burden and that her being dead would be better off for the happiness of everyone else.

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During summer break Shoya would spend a lot of time with Shouko and Yuzuru going to various places such as art museums, theaters, and restaurants. They also celebrate Shouko's mom and her birthday which helps Shoya mend the relationship they have. Shoya feels like everything was going well for them and that he had a good situation but Shouko felt the exact opposite. Shouko still feels like she drove all of Shoya's friends away and that guilt has been eating away at her each day. There are several things throughout A Silent Voice that foreshadow Shouko's attempt to take her own life. Shoya missing in grabbing Shouko's hand, the fireworks going off at the beginning, the pictures of the dead animals that Yuzuru takes, and the summer festival itself and how it is portrayed. During the summer festival, Shouko says in sign language to Shoya that she needs to go study and that she will leave the festival early. Instead of her usual sign for leaving which is to see you later her sign this time is goodbye. The festival also is on a Tuesday coincidentally the same day Shouko and Shoya feed the koi fish every week.

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Possibly the most memorable and emotional scene in any movie I have ever seen is the fireworks scene. Shoya has to go back to Shouko's home to get Yuzuru's camera. As Shoya arrives the fireworks are still being lit outside and he wonders where Shouko is at. He then sees Shouko by the balcony and wonders what she is doing and as he takes his shoes off he slowly but surely realizes what is about to happen. The music intensifies as Shouko climbs on the balcony and is about to jump into the river below. Shoya screams don't do it as he runs to her frantically screaming her name as she jumps and then the music stops. There is a pause of silence only showing the fireworks up in the night sky then you see that Shoya is hanging by the ledge grabbing Shouko's arm as she is dangling. Shoya pleads to god that he'll look people in the eye at school again, listen to people as they are talking, and become a better person as long as Shouko will end up okay as he tries to get her to safety. As Shoya safely gets Shouko's hands on the railing causing her to survive he instead falls into the river below screaming all the way down. As he falls into the river he thinks to himself that it's cold as the music fades and everything turns black.

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Shoya gets saved by his old elementary school friends the same friends that bullied him relentlessly. Shoya is now in a coma at the hospital where Shouko's mom goes on her knees and apologizes to Shoya's mother for the actions of her daughter the same way when Shoya's mom apologized to Shouko's mother for Shoya's actions at the beginning of the film. Shouko also gives her most sincere and heartbreaking apology to Shoya's mother and later vows to change for the better. Shouko tries to rebuild what she destroyed where she reunites all of Shoya's friends without blaming herself for what happened. She does this successfully and reconnects the bonds between them and Shoya. After this Shoya wakes up from his coma hearing Shouko's cries for him at the bridge where they fed the koi fish. Shoya goes to Shouko on the bridge and finally expresses his feelings breaking any barriers that could have separated them. He apologizes for his actions in elementary school, tells her to stop blaming herself for everything that has happened and he admits that he too has thought about killing himself and has since decided against it. Shoya finally asks Shouko to help him continue to live as the two hold each other's hands firmly.

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Shoya heads back to school for the cultural festival with Shouko. In one of the saddest and most beautiful scenes in the entire film Shoya quietly tells Shouko that he has trouble looking people in the eye still and that he still looks down at the floor. Shouko then holds Shoya's hand and guides him through school and all of his friends greet him and make amends with Shoya. Shoya realizes that he isn't alone anymore and that people love and support him for who he is. The best example is Shoya's heartfelt reunion with Tomohiro who hugs him and tells him how important Shoya is to him and his friends. Shoya then greets his friends outside who all talk to him and are glad he is okay and here. Shoya then gains the confidence to ask if they could all join in for the school's cultural festival. As Shoya is outside and sees all of his loved ones and the people around him he finally looks up and all the X's peel off of everyone he sees. It's truly a beautiful and emotionally cathartic scene in the film that serves as a perfect ending and closes Shoya's character arc. He starts crying and he looks at each of his loved ones and after he sees Shouko smiling the movie ends.

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A Silent Voice is the most human movie I have ever seen. Its morals and the way they are executed are flawless and it's a beautiful experience that I will never stop watching. The OST by Kensuke Ushio is easily my favorite movie score ever with every song being used perfectly in every scene to convey the emotion it wants you to feel. Not only are there scenes of extreme emotion but there are also a lot of light and joyful moments as well. There is humor in A Silent Voice that is really funny and adds more depth and likability to the characters. The visuals throughout are gorgeous and the locations they animate in the movie are real. Real locations like Midori Bridge and Yōrō Park are used along with other real streets, buildings, bridges, and parks. Every character is either fleshed out or has a reason for being in the movie. There isn't a single scene that feels out of place and the pacing is perfect. A Silent Voice is a film about human compassion and the importance of not only understanding but also the importance of compassion and forgiveness. If we look inside ourselves and learn how to forgive others and ourselves, there is a whole other beautiful world out there full of joy, youth, kindness, and acceptance. It assures us that people will be there for you to listen, accept and see you as your best self. You can talk, cry, let out your emotions, your thoughts, your personality, and any quality you have and someone will be out there that will accept who you are. There can be parts about yourself that you hate but they shouldn't ever eat away at you or convince you that you don't deserve to live. Life is ugly and cold but there is also beauty and life to it. Your existence does have a meaning you can reach out to others who will care about you, you can do a kind act today and find your self-worth. You can change starting now.