Scene still
Disclaimer: Although this review does not have any explicit spoilers on the whole, it does go through the first episode and its various themes. If you like to go into an anime with a fresh mind perhaps this review won’t be for you, but if not then keep reading and enjoy!
Story: A psychological and coming of age drama about a boy named Shoya Ishida seeking forgiveness for his past years as a bully.
Art and Animation: Absolutely beautiful! Very crisp and aesthetically pleasing. Kyoto animation has a very specific art/ animation style and is easily recognisable. They found new and creative ways to portray emotions too for example, the X’s to represent how closed off Shoya has become. I haven’t seen an anime studio doing that with a slice of life anime before so I was quite surprised— in a good way.
The whole movie has a very subtle colour palette which makes it really relaxing on the eyes to watch to the point where you sometimes stop and marvel at the backgrounds shown in the movie.
Music & Soundtrack: The soundtrack really suits the story, although it’s very sad and emotional at times it has an overarching message of self reflection, self improvement and growth. The soundtrack from what I remember— mostly consists of several piano pieces. I think this type of music does a good job of showing the shyness and angst the two main characters face. Listening to the soundtrack while watching particularly moving scenes really allows you to immerse yourself in the world. I think that’s what the music is there for, it’s nice how it’s not just an add on.
Although I’d say the soundtrack is a little forgettable, mostly due to it’s subtle nature. It sounds similar to other piano pieces so I think the soundtrack/ music is great to listen to but you’d have to be reminded to listen to it. It’s not the type of soundtrack where you’d constantly search up.
Characters: I think this movie’s best asset is its characters and story elements. Every character has a role to play and has a purpose to expand the story.
Let’s look at Shoya, the main character. He’s tormented during his entire teenage life up to the point of the movie for something he did in his childhood. We get a lot of movies surrounding the victim (which is entirely justified) but at the same time we don’t get a lot of content surrounding the bully and the after effects once they are caught for their actions. Shoya is a great example of where this type of story is portrayed. I respected how it also showed the impact of male mental health issues too. I really like a good and satisfying redemption arc and this character has it and more! You start by hating his guts to feeling extremely sorry for him and then feeling really happy for him by the end.
Shoko is another great character, the voice acting for her is really good. It’s a really nice to have an insight to what the deaf community might be facing, I think Shoko makes you care a lot and empathise with her. She is a super nice, very likeable character.
Side Characters: I think my favourite character has got to be Shoya and Yuzuru! Yuzuru is such a chill and relaxed person, but underneath she’s quite tense so it made me think of myself. Tomohiro Nagatsuka is also a great best friend and made me smile watching him.
Silent Voice does a great job at creating arcs even for side characters, which given the amount of time they have on the film it’s quite amazing how they can tackle so many arcs at once! Even the villains of the story have a great deal of detail and backstory which I was surprised about. The characters you meet in the beginning of the story effects the ending of the story. This is great because it means every moment you watch in the movie has a purpose.
To sum it up I’d say the likeable characters you love a lot and the villains you tend to hate a lot!
Islamic Factor: It’s a much needed movie for Muslims and non Muslims to watch alike. The film makes me think about our own Deaf community and how much we try to include them in our lives.
The movie itself doesn’t have any sexual content, it has barely physical touching scenes between the main two characters which I was surprised about! I heard the author didn’t want the manga to be Shoujo which kind of explains it!
The movie is psychological so has heavy themes about mental health and suicide. Some people may be deterred by it as it can be triggering, though the story does not glorify or romantise it at any point in time.
Overall: I think this movie is a great way to start a conversation with ourselves or others about our own mental health. The movie captures the essence of improving and liking oneself, a topic which is much needed for the youth these days.
Score: 9.7/10!
Credits to Kyoto Animation and Yoshitoki Oima.
Originally published on Anime4Muslims. Source: https://anime4muslims.muslimmanga.org/2021/05/26/a-silent-voice-beyond-the-looking-glass/.