A Silent Voice

I've been a fan of anime for as long as I can remember.  So, when something comes to me highly recommended, I have to watch it.  Right?  Okay, so maybe not.  But what if your 17-year-old tells you that you have to watch it and that you'll cry? 

Yeah.  

So, I finished this last night and I cannot say enough good things about it.  First, the blurb:

A young man is ostracized by his classmates after he bullies a deaf girl to the point where she moves away. Years later, he sets off on a path for redemption.

And the trailer:

I know, right?  Especially in our current climate, that's rough.  But there's more, because this movie hits on so many sensitive topics that the disclaimer could not be long enough, honestly.  But then, change never came from being comfortable, I suppose.

A Silent Voice tackles bullying, disabilities, mental health, suicide, all in one beautifully animated movie.  It also promotes the ability to make amends for the things you've done in the past.  Even if the victim won't grant you forgiveness, you're shown that making those amends isn't a wasted effort.  

I won't lie, I could not stand Shoya at first.  The way he treated Shoko in elementary school went beyond the usual childhood cruelness.  Although he wasn't alone in his bullying, somehow coming from him, it bothered me more.  However, his character development throughout the two hours of this movie is amazing and inspiring.  

Shoko, on the other hand, tries her best to not let it get the better of her.  She's forever trying to make friends and be heard, despite her hearing loss.  At times, she's a little too naive, but it fits her in a lot of ways as well.  

Hands down, my favorite character is Tomohiro.  He's nerdy and chubby and honestly the funniest part of the movie at times.  He's fiercely protective of Shoya and is highly suspicious of anyone and everyone trying to be Shoya's friend.  It's very endearing, if a bit over-the-top.  But then, this is anime, even if it's a serious one, it's still anime.  

This movie is beautifully animated, well-written, and heart wrenching. I was standing in the kitchen, making dinner last night, watching the pivotal scene in this and started to sob because it couldn't end this way, could it?  (Spoiler: it doesn't, but that's okay.)  My daughter came downstairs and said, "You got to that part, huh?"  I love that kid.

I'm going to leave you with this gorgeous screencap from the movie.    You can see more of the animation in the trailer above, but this really speaks to me.  It's from early on in the movie and gives me such hopeful vibes that I can't not add it here.  

If you've seen this, chime in and let me know what you thought.  Or, if you have recs, those are always welcome, too! I started Violet Evergarden this morning and so far, so good.  

Viewing source: Netflix, although I believe it's on Crunchyroll as well.