A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice, a movie anime that debuted long ago, known for its meaningful story that revolves around Shoya, who was a grade school student along with Shoko, a deaf girl. Shoya was a bully along with his other classmates, and finds himself in a hole with Shoko, which gets bullied. After quite some time, Shoko transfers schools and Shoya gets consequentially blamed for his actions, alone. As they grow up, Shoya finds himself regretful.

Story
I want to say that I find myself similar to Shoya, to which, I can empathize with him. In their grade school moments, he used to bully Shoko, where he would often make fun of Shoko's disabilities, constantly playing with her hearing buds, and do more unethical behavior towards her. While at it, Shoko often finds herself questioning whether he wanted to be friends with her, but ends up getting rejected anyway. After quite some time, this leads to Shoko truly showing her true feelings to Shoya, and telling him that she is trying to be his friend. In the end, Shoko transferred schools, and Shoya gets left behind by his friends because they were too afraid to take responsibility, and had to put all the blame to Shoya. The both of them grew up, Shoya became an outcast, having no friends, suffering from depression and social anxiety, often finds himself in a world where he's all-alone, and people have "X" in their faces. Coincidentally, they meet up to create and try settling everything new.

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Later on, more significant issues pertaining to suicide, relationship issues, self-loathing, forgiveness, and underlying themes as such, will arise

Thus, creating meaning and development towards most of the characters. Truly, things are able to change, but sometimes, even if the past doesn't define who one is, it's also possible that one cannot escape the past, unless he or she truly lets it go. It's like a scar that never fades. This is why Shoya was so regretful that he wanted to make amends with Shoko after they coincidentally meet.

The story is realistic. This is why many people were able to empathize with the story because they either found themselves in Shoya, Shoko, or the friends, or the families. We truly live in a world that's so fascinating that we face so many problems that create themes that allocate positive and negative aspects in life. It's inevitable. However, just like how Shoya, who once suffered the consequences of his actions, and has seen himself in a life that is filled with hopelessness, the story tells you that a glimpse of hope, timing, and even a tiny seed of faith, can change everything. What we become always comes from internally or externally, which is why empathy is a necessary thing when watching this anime since everyone's roles in this world, whether you're a good citizen, or a criminal, or different, or similar, it all has reasons and there is a need to thoroughly acknowledge their stories, their sufferings, their experiences, and their reasons.

Characters
I feel like Shoya and Shoko are wonderfully, yet, cautiously made. These characters are different, meaning, it's harder to create works concerning a person's aspect- like behavior, plotline, status, living apparatus- all that, since it needs to be researched heavily, and there is a need of empathetic nature that comes along with it. Their families are averagely made, while they truly show their true emotions in the story, it doesn't match up with the main characters, but since they're supporting characters, it's understandable. The friends are complex, yet, fairly made, for some reasons, I think that each friends that Shoya and Shoko have made are similarly different to each other. There are some of the supporting characters who I think has the potential to become one of the biggest lessons towards Shoya or Shoko, or Shoya and Shoko's relationship, but they were not explicitly pertained, which is okay, considering that the supporting characters still have their substance, which made the ending non-dismissive and actually realistic.

Visuals
I would like to commend the way the environment is being drawn in the movie. It's so comforting that it feels like the real-life. The characters are fairly drawn, and realistic to its approach. The visuals are a work of art, but it's expected knowing that its a movie-quality one. The themes are also filled with atmosphere and emotions that it is alike the real-world. It's comforting.

Overall
A movie that truly talks about sensitive topics that are worth mentioning to raise awareness. I commend the movie for especially signifying how dreadful it is to experience mental illnesses or disabilities, and family problems, and friendship problems, and work issues, and everything else, and while it is truly amazing how it can be put to a single movie, I was truly expecting for them to maximize this movie's potential. This movie might not be for all, but it is worthy. For some reasons, while I am empathetic to this movie, I only feel the need to return to this movie when I want comfort or that there's some lessons I missed. It is a work of art, I'm not gonna lie, but it's not a movie that I will keep on watching on repeat. Truly, it has various lessons that can be applied to the real-life, but just as the other critics says, it also has its flaws that should be acknowledged. But, that's fine, all movies have their flaws, and we need to focus about the movie's positive and negative side, and what it wishes to convey.

Again, the world is filled with people of roles from positive to negative, but to be empathetic, is the best thing that can be contributed when it comes to social relationships. The past doesn't define who we are, but it's definitely a part of us. While there are some rare cases of people who truly were able to let go of their past, but it doesn't apply to most. Which is why, self-forgiveness is important. Also, kudos for mentioning outcasts who truly have a hard time in this earth being alone and suffering from something significant without help. I hope just like the movie pertains to Shoya's life being able to change, even for the slight better, might become a hope for other outcasts out there.