A Silent Voice

Adapted from a popular manga serial, filmmaker Naoko Yamada’s remarkable animated feature takes on the issue of school bullying through the story of Shoya, a fun-loving rascal who feeds off the attention he gets when he starts making fun of Shoko, a deaf girl who joins his grade school class. When Shoya pushes the ridicule into cruel and destructive acts, Shoko transfers and Shoya is shunned by his classmates, who take the blame for their own complicity in his bullying. Years later, high school student Shoya (still an outcast) attempts to make amends by reaching out to Shoko—even learning sign language. The story itself is much more complex than this summary—it opens with Shoya planning suicide and follows his later struggles with guilt—and it features a nuanced cast of characters. While Shoya makes a sincere effort to be a better person, classmates who encouraged and even joined in the bullying are also forced to confront their own actions (or inactions) when he brings Shoko back into their lives. A Silent Voice delivers a powerful and important message about kindness and responsibility while also exploring issues related to self-esteem, forgiveness, and the confusing emotions of adolescence. Presented in a dual-language edition in separate DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo releases, suitable for 13-up, extras include promo videos and a music video. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)