![]() While Shoya is consumed by anger from the start, the later part of the film slowly chips away at his outward persona to reveal his unconventional family background and other insecurities vis-a-vis his more popular classmates. The advantage of the audience experiencing this from Shoya’s vantage point is that one sees the psychological impact of bullying - that it scars the bully as much as the victim. The film’s unflinching depiction of teenagers’ covert cruelty culminates in a riveting turning point when Shoya realizes that whatever goes around comes around. ![]() When Shoko, who’s finally had enough, flares up in one scene, the impact is heart-stopping. ![]() But this is not as clear in the movie version, making some of Shoya’s actions, like tearing her hearing aid away so her ear bleeds, quite disturbing.Įven more insidious is the peer pressure at work, such as with Shoya’s buddy Shimada who never initiates but laughs along with his pranks, Naoha Ueno who’s a willing accomplice, and Miki Kawai whose insincere protestations on Shoko’s behalf only egg the bullies on. Of course, it’s common for prepubescent boys to tease girls they daren’t admit they fancy. In the manga, Shoya’s initial attitude toward Shoko is one of curiosity, but he doesn’t know how to reach out to her. In a few casual scenes, the film traces how social-ostracization doesn’t happen overnight, but begins with the victim’s ‘difference’ which triggers minor irritation, impatience and eventually intolerance. The teacher encourages the class to befriend her, but after a few half-hearted efforts, everyone soon tires of having to communicate by writing in her notebook. Set in Oima’s hometown Ogaki, in Gifu Prefecture, the story proper begins at elementary school when Shoko Nishymiya (voiced by Saori Hayami) arrives as a transfer student. In fact, the film opens with the high school boy attempting to commit suicide but doesn’t connect the dots till the second half. Still, by narrating the entire story from the viewpoint of protagonist Shoya Ishida (voiced by Miyu Irino), audiences can peer into his troubled, often defensive psyche, daring the them to continue to empathize with him even when his behavior is inexcusable. Sometimes, Yamada is so finely tuned to the adolescent mindset that the narrative becomes choked with conflicting emotions. With this all-female combo, it’s no wonder the film exudes a delicate, reflective sensibility, especially in its light-handed treatment of the romantic undercurrents flowing between the three main characters. ![]() Her screen rendering of Yoshitoki Oima’s multiple award-winning manga is written by anime-adaption guru Reiko Yoshida and produced by Kyoto Animation, an emerging anime studio founded by Yoko Hachida. Yamada, whose first two TV-spinoff films “K-On!” and “Yamada Love Story,” were highly rated, is regarded as a rising star in Japan’s competitive anime industry. Moreover, the film boasts a fresh and engaging approach in tackling the ubiquitous Japanese subject of school bullying from the perspective of the bully rather than the victim. The third feature directed by Naoko Yamada has roped in nearly $20 million domestically and reverberated into cinemas in territories all over Europe, Latin America and Asia it may create as much noise internationally as Japanese phenomenon “Your Name.” Narcissism, self-loathing, secret crushes and longing for acceptance - all the trademarks of puberty are vividly evoked in beguiling hand-drawn visuals. Deafness becomes a metaphor for isolation and miscommunication in Japanese anime “A Silent Voice,” which tracks the fracturing friendships in a school class when a hearing-impaired girl enters the mix.
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