Ishida actively bullies her as a way to impress his peers, and in an act of childish cruelty, he winds up stealing and destroying her hearing aids. She makes up for this shortcoming by trying to be overly selfless and helpful so that she won’t be a burden to her class, but eventually the other students begin to resent her. We quickly learn that Nishimiya is a girl who is deaf and is unable to properly communicate with any of the students around her. The story is told completely through Ishida’s perspective. The first volume of A Silent Voice introduces us to two grade school children, Shoko Nishimiya and Shoya Ishida.

Inside Out, Portrait of an Eating Disorder.Conversely, the rest of the soundtrack is appropriately subtle and sparse, given the film's subject matter, and comes to an emotionally satisfying climax at the very end. While the song may suit the mood of that sequence when taken in isolation, it feels out of place in the greater context of the story and tonally incongruous with the rest of the film. The somber and introspective tones that accompany the harrowing flashforward that opens the film come to an abrupt halt when The Who's 'My Generation' blares as we're transported back in time to see a young Ishida playing with his friends. The only minor gripe I have with A Silent Voice is the inclusion of one particular song amongst an otherwise subdued and moving score. From the sunshine-soaked, lush outdoor locales to the dark and rainy streets that reflect the headlights from passing nighttime traffic, each and every setting is incredibly detailed and a sight to behold. The gorgeous backgrounds must also be praised for their lovingly-crafted, painterly aesthetic, which marry beautifully with the varied, yet coherent character designs. The film goes so far as to superimpose purple X's on the faces of those to whom he's estranged, and while this visual cue initially appears a bit unnecessary and distracting, the way in which it's handled over the course of the film, right up to its emotionally rousing end, ultimately justifies its inclusion. Shots of the ground provide a first-person perspective of Ishida's downcast disposition, and accompanying shots of the bustling crowd around Ishida, with only his face in focus, reinforce his detachment from those around him. Likewise, the camera's varying focus goes a long way in not only adding to the film's visual appeal, but outwardly reflecting Ishida's internal state. The dynamic camera offers multiple perspectives of any given scene, providing a real sense of place and preventing the film from ever feeling visually stagnant. Kyoto Animation is widely regarded as one of Japan's most talented animation studios, and A Silent Voice certainly lives up to the studio's pedigree. Ishida awkwardly attempts to establish a friendship with Nishimiya As someone whose childhood friendships were built in service of self-gratification, Ishida's road to establishing genuine friendships is a cathartic journey that nearly everyone will be able to relate to in some capacity. Ishida's stark 180-degree turn from being an ignorant, self-absorbed bully to an emotionally bankrupt teenager, humbled by a desperate desire to atone for the sins of his elementary school days, is entirely believable, thanks to the brilliant pacing and expertly woven narrative threads that create an emotional coherency to the progression of his character. One particular scene during which Ishida's mom confronts him about his dire physiological state is extremely effective in hammering home the wide-reaching impact of depression, however insular it may seem to the person crippled by its effects. While a romantic element is present, it serves to complement, rather than overshadow, Ishida's pursuit of the true meaning of friendship, which, according to Ishida's bushy-haired classmate Tomohiro Nagatsuka (Kenshō Ono), 'lies somewhere beyond things like words and logic.' Likewise, the expanded view into Ishida's home life, as well as that of Nishimiya's, provides additional context for understanding the mental states of both Ishida and Nishimiya, thereby heightening the emotional impact of their actions (both past and present) and the ripple effect it has on those closest to them. What follows is an emotional coming-of-age journey about opening up to others and learning to forgive oneself.

Silent voice