A story of pain, joy and suffering. A story of friendship and heartbreak. If you enjoy any form of anime, you must watch a silent voice. It’s moving in the most beautifully sad way.
The story is about a little boy who wanted to fit in with his friends. After a while he realised that those friends were not really friends at all because they bullied a deaf girl. The girl got bullied so badly by the boy and his friends that she ended up leaving the school. The day she left, all the boy's friends turned on him, singling him out as the only bully. The film then flash forwards to the boy as he is older and alone. He no longer looks people in the eye until he meets the girl he bullied again. He’s learned sign language now so he finally understands her and remembers that all she wanted was to be friends. The movie then becomes one of self discovery, and character growth.
The animation itself is spectacular and the soundtrack/ music throughout the movie is so moving and matches the mood for each scene.
Originally the movie came from a manga called ‘The Shape of Voice’ which had 62 chapters. The movie had to cut parts out to fit within a time limit but that is not to say the manga is better or worse than the film. This tale has one of the few instances where both presentations were incredible, despite the movie being more popular.
It will make you feel almost every emotion in the book. This film is not one for the light of heart. From hatred and betrayal to a love story between friends, this movie has it all. If you have a list of anime to watch, you must have this at the top of your list.
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