If you followed anime back in 2016 to even a minor degree, there were two films that came out that were dominating the headlines: Your Name and A Silent Voice. Your Name definitely edged out A Silent Voice in many categories, hype and anticipation, animation, and art to name a few, but that was to be expected. Your Name was directed by Makoto Shinkai who also directed other behemoth titles such as 5 Centimeters per Second and The Garden of Words. Both of these other films are renowned throughout the anime world as some of the greatest works due to their animation, soundtrack, artwork (especially the art, don’t get me started), characters, and storyline. As much as I’d love to enlighten those of you who haven’t already on why you should watch these Makoto Shinkai films, I’m going to have to play the role of a contrarian. Contrary to what most viewers of Your Name and A Silent Voice say, I’m going to vouch for the underdog and share with you the greatness of A Silent Voice.
Before diving straight into the film, let me give A Silent Voice the introduction that I gave Your Name. A Silent Voice, also known less commonly as The Shape of Voice, was produced by renowned studio, Kyoto Animation. KyoAni is well known in the anime scene for their distinctive cutesy style of art which is simplistic and wholesome. After watching just one or two of their works, you can easily identify what’s a KyoAni creation and what’s not, as there’s very little variation in their artstyle from show and movie to show and movie. The use of their art is almost cookie-cutter, and if you’ve watched enough of their works you’ll find yourself thinking, “Man, didn’t I see a character that looks just like that in (enter different KyoAni anime here)?” The only difference might be a slight change in style for characters from title to title (eye color, hair color, maybe a slightly different hairstyle if the ambition is really high). Unfortunately, A Silent Voice will leave a lot to be desired, at least in terms of character design. Outside of the characters, the landscape takes a more realistic approach and makes the characters pop out more. If the characters don’t leave an impression on you, the actual background and setting will take your breath away. The way the waters ripple and flow and the animals reflect their real world counterparts will make you appreciate watching this film. I also do want to mention that although this movie contains the usual KyoAni art style, the effort that went into it is noticeably a level or two above the art of their typical anime series and you can really tell. They did really good with the art on this one, guys. I’m begging you to bear with it if it’s an art style you’re not particularly fond of, you won’t be disappointed with everything else the film has to offer.
As for the plot, we follow a group of kids that all were victims to bullying or were the bullies in 6th grade. Early on in the film the main protagonist, Shoya Ishida, attempts to take his life before hesitating and backing out. We’re given a flashback that shows him back in 6th grade when a new transfer student, Shoko Nishimiya, comes in. It’s revealed that she’s deaf and the class initially attempts to be friendly towards her, but the obstacles they have to overcome in accommodating her prove to be too irksome and she starts getting ostracized and harassed. Ishida himself spearheaded the mob of students that bullied her, leading them all to land in hot water with the school once the transfer girl’s mother complained about it to the principal. To save their own skins, Ishida’s friends turn their backs on him and confess to the bullying that the new girl had to endure while omitting their own involvement. This brings us back to the present after Ishida decided against committing suicide. Now, with a new goal in life, he befriends Nishimiya and attempts to make amends with his former friends. We’re invited to follow him on his path to redemption and the roller coaster of emotions and twists and turns that follow such complicated and damaged relationships and people.
The beautiful thing about this movie is how the whole thing is basically just gray area. We can all identify the characters in the movies in our own lives. There are the goody two shoes that think they can do no wrong, the bratty teens that think they’re better than everyone else and know everything, the friends that mean the best for you but might be too cowardly to face adversity with you, there’s an entire colorful cast that reflects a lot of what we see in our own lives and the lives of others. And we’re led to many conclusions, but one among them sticks out like a sore thumb. None of us are entirely innocent. We’re all flawed in our own ways and incapable of handling everything perfectly. That’s just what makes us human. You can pick your sides and draw your lines, but nothing is free of a little dirt.
Chris Animation Blog 