Spoiler-free Summary: Shouya Ishida, a young high schooler, has many regrets about his past. Even his daily life is a prison, as he remains isolated and agonized by his actions. But one day, he meets the one who he tormented, and begins to slowly recover from his afflictions.

Preface:
When I'd first found "A Silent Voice", I was vaguely disinterested. After all, the movie isn't something with a lot of action, or romance. But, begrudgingly, I did entertain the thought of watching it, for the sole purpose of curiosity. How could anyone make a SOL plot like this interesting, especially for those who preferred shonen? Clearly, I was wrong.

Plot:
Like it's name, Silent Voice is a silent masterpiece, both subtle and humorous, yet powerful and emotional at times. Even after re-watching it multiple times, it doesn't fail to bring out something, whether tears and smiles. And similar to many coming-of-age ani-movies, it's characters are absolutely imperfect, but still work around their problems in a meaningful way.

Characters:
After reading many, many reviews, and watching the movie just as many times, I can still fondly remember its cast. Each character has their own personality, flaws and motivations, always revealed, but close to never outright. Each of the main characters' lives are deep, built with connected events that provide insight into the plot and reactions. The relationships between each and every individual are also unique; no two characters attempt to fill the same role, and neither does any character simply take the brunt of comedic relief without any other relevance. Now, many also state that there is often no change; no exceptional development of the characters, but I would argue there is, or if not, at least reason for why. Many of the main leads, in their journey to heal past wounds, learn about the importance of expression: to release themselves from their own shells to understand their place in the world, and in the minds of other people. Others learn about the consequences of their actions, or inactions. And then of course, Kawai tries to learn about how to not be hated by everybody, but gloriously fails.

Animation and Music:
Sounds and animation can arguably be the most powerful tools for an anime, either shaping an excellent story to something with little value, or bringing out a new world out of the words on a page. In that, it is safe to say that, once again, KyoAni did not disappoint. A Silent Voice is, frankly speaking, breathtaking. The warm palette bring out the beauty in even the smallest of moments, from a tiny splash, to the burst of fireworks. Every scene is a painting, a world in a canvas that magnifies the value of each frame alongside a touching dash of piano keys, woven into an orchestra of colors, imagery and sound. The scenes are consistently harmonious with the art and noise, directing a flood of tears at every sad, beautiful and painful moment. Again, it is very simply breathtaking.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, I don't believe that this movie was "made" by any of its elements. Without the fabulous work from Kyoto Animations, the plot and characters would be much less interesting, and without the complexities of its plot and characters, I wouldn't name this my favorite anime ever. But, much like its cast, the sum of all these elements is much greater than each individually, with flaws in all aspects which somehow act to empower the message and beauty of the movie even more. I would recommend this movie to everyone, but as it stands, I cannot. Please do not watch this simply for the sake of watching it. From experimentation, I know this movie cannot be forced, and so, please only watch it if you find curiosity in it. Thanks, and have fun!