A Silent Voice (film)

A Silent Voice (Japanese: 映画 聲の形, Hepburn: Eiga Koe no Katachi) is a 2016 Japanese animated family drama film produced by Kyoto Animation, directed by Naoko Yamada and written by Reiko Yoshida, featuring character designs by Futoshi Nishiya and music by Kensuke Ushio.[3] It is based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Ōima. The film premiered in Japan on September 17, 2016, and worldwide between February and June 2017.

A Silent Voice
Theatrical release poster
Japanese映画 聲の形
HepburnKoe no Katachi
Directed byNaoko Yamada
Produced by
  • Eharu Ōhashi
  • Shinichi Nakamura
  • Mikio Uetsuki
  • Toshio Iizuka
  • Kensuke Tateishi
Screenplay byReiko Yoshida
Based onA Silent Voice
by Yoshitoki Ōima
Starring
Music byKensuke Ushio
CinematographyKazuya Takao
Edited byKengo Shigemura
Production
company
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • September 17, 2016 (2016-09-17) (Japan)
Running time
130 minutes[1][2]
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office$33 million

Plot

Japanese high school student Shoya Ishida intends to kill himself. Changing his mind at the last minute, he recalls his days in elementary school and the events that have led him here: A new student named Shoko Nishimiya informs the class that she is deaf. She tries to integrate with the class but ends up being an easy target Shoya and his friends to bully. When word of the bullying reaches the principal, Shoya is singled out as the culprit by his teacher. Soon, the class's bullying is directed toward him. Shoya blames Shoko, and the two get into a physical altercation. She is subsequently transferred to another school. He later finds Shoko's notebook, which she left behind, and keeps it.

In middle school, Shoya's reputation of being a bully led him to become an outcast. Now in high school, he has fallen into depression. He now blocks out the faces of those around him, unable to look them in the eye. Tomohiro Nagatsuka, another loner, befriends Shoya after he helps him out with a bully. Shoya visits the sign language center and faces an unexpected reunion with Shoko Nishimiya after 5 years. Shoya Ishida then tries to redeem himself with Shoko Nishimiya by showing her that he learned sign language. He then tries to gain back Shouka´s trust little by little.

One day, Shoya accidentally drops Shoko's notebook into a river, he then jumps in to retrieve it, which is prohibited. Yuzuru, Shoko's younger sister, takes a photo of Shoya jumping in and posts it online to get revenge on him, eventually leading to Shoya getting suspended. Shoya finds Yuzuru, who ran away from home, and brings her to stay at his house. When she leaves in the middle of the night, Shoya follows and the two of them make up with each other and become friends.

Shoya and Shoko reunite with Miyoko Sahara, a classmate from elementary school who was friendly to Shoko. Shoko gives Shoya a gift and confesses her feelings for him, but because she tries to speak her affections rather than signing them out, Shoya mishears her.

Shoya invites Shoko to an amusement park with Tomohiro, Miyoko, Miki Kawai (another classmate from elementary school) and Satoshi Mashiba (Miki's friend). There, they meet another classmate from elementary school, Naoka Ueno, who drags Shoko into a ferris wheel. Naoka voices her feelings of hatred for Shoko, blaming her for creating a rift between her and Shoya, whom she is infatuated with. Yuzuru, who had been secretly recording the encounter, shows the video of this to Shoya. Desperate to remain blameless for her part in bullying Shoko following the leak, Miki exposes Shoya's past to the students who were oblivious to it. Later, she attempts to apologize to the group, but Shoya blows everyone off after Naoka remains dismissive.

Shoya learns Shoko and Yuzuru's grandmother has died recently. To cheer them up, Shoya takes them to the countryside and sees that Shoko blames herself for everything that has happened to him. Shoya decides to devote his entire social life to the sisters.

During a fireworks festival, Shoko goes home under the guise of finishing homework. Shoya follows when Yuzuru asks him to get her camera. When he arrives, he finds Shoko standing on the balcony, about to commit suicide. Shoya succeeds in grabbing her and pulls her back up, but falls into the river below. He is rescued by his former best friends in elementary school but slips into a coma. Hoping to help Shoya, Shoko meets with each of the group members to explain her and Shoya's situations.

One night, Shoko dreams about receiving a farewell visit from Shoya. Horrified, she runs to the bridge and collapses in tears. Shoya, awakening from his coma, stumbles to the bridge and finds her there. He apologizes for the way he treated her, asking her to stop blaming herself and admits that, while he once considered ending his own life, he has since decided against it. Shoya then asks her to help him continue to live.

When Shoya goes to the school festival with Shoko, he finds out how much his new friends still care for him, and they reconcile. During the festival, Shoya is finally able to look at other people's faces again. He looks around at his family and all the new friends he has made, and cries.

Voice cast
Shoya Ishida (石田 将也, Ishida Shōya)
Voiced by: Miyu Irino,[4] Mayu Matsuoka (child)[5] (Japanese); Robbie Daymond,[6] Ryan Shanahan (child) (English)
A high school boy who bullied Shoko Nishimiya, a deaf girl, in elementary school. He becomes the victim of bullying when the principal finds out. Now a social outcast, he strives to make amends with Shoko.
Shoko Nishimiya (西宮 硝子, Nishimiya Shōko)
Voiced by: Saori Hayami[4] (Japanese); Lexi Cowden[6] (English)
A deaf girl who transferred to Shoya's elementary school where she was the victim of constant harassment by Shoya and his friends, forcing her to transfer again.
Yuzuru Nishimiya (西宮 結絃, Nishimiya Yuzuru)
Voiced by: Aoi Yūki[5] (Japanese); Kristen Sullivan[6] (English)
Shoko's younger sister who is opposed to Shoya being around Shoko.
Tomohiro Nagatsuka (永束 友宏, Nagatsuka Tomohiro)
Voiced by: Kenshō Ono[5] (Japanese); Graham Halstead[6] (English)
A rotund high school boy who befriends Shoya.
Naoka Ueno (植野 直花, Ueno Naoka)
Voiced by: Yūki Kaneko[5] (Japanese); Kira Buckland, Gia Grace (child)[6] (English)
Shoya's elementary school classmate who joined him in bullying Shoko.
Miyoko Sahara (佐原 みよこ, Sahara Miyoko)
Voiced by: Yui Ishikawa[5] (Japanese); Melissa Hope, Catie Harvey (child)[6] (English)
One of the few classmates in Shoko's elementary school who was friendly to her.
Miki Kawai (川井 みき, Kawai Miki)
Voiced by: Megumi Han[5] (Japanese); Amber Lee Connors, Annabelle Corigliano (child)[6] (English)
A classmate of Shoya's from elementary to high school.
Satoshi Mashiba (真柴 智, Mashiba Satoshi)
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga[5] (Japanese); Max Mittelman[6] (English)
Miki's friend, a high school boy who befriends Shoya.
Kazuki Shimada (島田 一旗, Shimada Kazuki)
Voiced by: Ryo Nishitani, Sachiko Kojima (child) (Japanese); Michael Sinterniklaas, Spencer Rosen (child)[6] (English)
Shoya's elementary school friend and accomplice in bullying Shoko. When the principal finds out, he starts to bully Shoya.
Keisuke Hirose (広瀬 啓祐, Hirose Keisuke)
Voiced by: Takuya Masumoto, Hana Takeda (child) (Japanese); Brian Beckerle[6] (English)
One of Shoya's friends in elementary school who later starts bullying him alongside Kazuki.
Takeuchi (竹内, Takeuchi)
Voiced by: Fuminori Komatsu (Japanese); Marc Diraison[6] (English)
Shoya's teacher in elementary school.
Miyako Ishida (石田 美也子, Ishida Miyako)
Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Sara Cravens[6] (English)
Shoya's mother.
Yaeko Nishimiya (西宮 八重子, Nishimiya Yaeko)
Voiced by: Akiko Hiramatsu (Japanese); Lipica Shah[6] (English)
Shoko and Yuzuru's mother who disapproves of her daughters being around Shoya.
Shoya's Older Sister (将也の姉, Shōya no Ane)
Voiced by: Ayano Hamaguchi (Japanese); Stephanie Sheh[6] (English)
Maria's mother and Pedro's wife.
Maria Ishida (マリア, Ishida Maria)
Voiced by: Erena Kamata (Japanese); AnnaBelle Deaner[6] (English)
Shoya's niece and the daughter of his older sister and Pedro.
Ito Nishimiya (西宮 いと, Nishimiya Ito)
Voiced by: Ikuko Tani (Japanese); Barbara Goodson[6] (English)
Shoko and Yuzuru's grandmother and Yaeko’s mother.
Pedro (ペドロ, Pedoro)
Voiced by: Ryunosuke Watanuki (Japanese); Chris Jai Alex[6] (English)
Maria's father, the husband of Shoya's older sister and Shoya's brother-in-law.

Production

The anime adaptation of the manga was announced in the manga's final chapter that released on November 19, 2014,[7] later specifying that the adaptation will be an anime theatrical film on December 17, 2014.[8] In the Weekly Shōnen Magazine's 46th issue of 2015 that released on October 14, 2015, Kyoto Animation and Naoko Yamada were announced to be the animation studio and director of the film adaptation, respectively.[9] The film's distributor, Shochiku, listed the adaptation releasing in Q4 2016.[10] On April 8, 2016, the film adaptation's official website opened, announcing that Reiko Yoshida would write the script for the film, Futoshi Nishiya would designed the characters and the film was scheduled for release in Japanese theaters on September 17, 2016.[11] Kensuke Ushio and Pony Canyon composed and produced the music, respectively.[4] The film's theme song, titled "Koi wo Shita no wa" (恋をしたのは), was performed by Aiko, while "My Generation" by The Who was used during the opening credit.[12][13]

For the English dub, deaf actress Lexi Cowden was cast as Shoko.[14]

Release

The film premiered in 120 theaters across Japan on September 17, 2016.[11][15] It was screened at the 2016 Scotland Loves Animation festival on October 22, 2016,[16] and at the ICA in London on February 5, 2017.[17] Anime Limited distributed and released the film in the United Kingdom and Ireland on March 15, 2017.[18] Purple Plan released the film in Singapore and Malaysia on March 9, 2017.[19] Madman Entertainment released the film for a limited duration in Australia and New Zealand from April 9, 2017, and April 16, 2017, respectively.[20] Viz Media Europe acquired the film for distribution in Europe (excluding the UK and Ireland), Russia, Turkey, and French-speaking Africa in 2017.[21] In 2017, Konnichiwa Festival released the movie in theaters in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Peru for a limited time in May, while in countries like Argentina and Uruguay, Anifest had a theatrical release in June.[22] Pioneer Films released the movie in the Philippines on May 10, 2017.[23] Eleven Arts screened the film at Anime Expo on July 3, 2017, with a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on October 20, 2017,[24][25] and a second screening in January 2019.[26]

Home video

Pony Canyon released the film in Japan on May 17, 2017, on standard edition DVD, standard edition Blu-ray, and a limited edition Blu-ray. The limited edition Blu-ray contains two animated videos of the film's theme song and "Speed of Youth", one of the original soundtracks by composer Kensuke Ushio.[27] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Anime Limited released the film on standard edition DVD and Blu-ray, and a collector's edition combo set on October 30, 2017.[28] Madman Entertainment released the film on standard edition DVD and Blu-ray, and a limited edition combo set on December 6, 2017.[29] Shout! Factory released the film on a standard edition DVD and Blu-ray combo set in North America on April 2, 2019,[30] and Right Stuf released the film on a limited edition combo set on November 26, 2019.[31] Netflix released the film on their website on June 5, 2019.[32]

Reception

Box office

The film opened at #2 at the Japanese box office behind Makoto Shinkai's Your Name, and grossed a total of ¥283 million from 200,000 admissions within two days of its premiere across 120 theaters.[15] As of November 30, 2016, the film has grossed a total of over ¥2.2 billion from 1.7 million admissions.[33] It ranked at #16 on Nikkei Hit Ranking for 2016 from East division.[34] It was the 19th highest-grossing film in Japan in 2016 and also the 10th highest-grossing Japanese film of the year in the country (tied with Death Note: Light Up the New World), with ¥2.3 billion ($19.56 million ).[35]

In China, the film grossed CN¥44.5 million [36] ($6.7 million ).[37] It also grossed $310,407 in the United States and Canada, $110,552 in the United Kingdom, $437,577 in Bolivia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Spain and Thailand,[38] and $5,471,482 in other territories,[39] bringing the film's worldwide total to approximately $33 million .

Critical reception

Makoto Shinkai, director of Your Name, called the film a "fantastic piece of work" and a "polished and grand production" which even he is unable to replicate.[40] It won Best Animation of the Year in the 26th Japan Movie Critics Awards, where director Naoko Yamada also received praise for her work on the film.[41] At the 2017 Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the film was selected as one of the nine feature films in competition.[42]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 34 reviews, and an average rating of 7.61/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "As beautifully crafted as it is powerfully written, A Silent Voice looks at teen bullying from a soberingly hard-hitting perspective that's uncommon for the animated medium."[43] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[44]

Accolades
Year Award Category Recipient Result References
2016 Japanese Movie Critics Awards Best Animation Feature Film A Silent Voice Won [45]
2017 Japanese Academy Award Excellent Animation of the Year Won [46]
Best Animation of the Year Nominated
Mainichi Eiga Concours Best Animation Film Nominated [47]
Comicbook.com Golden Issue Awards Best Anime Movie Nominated [48]
Newtype Anime Awards Best Anime Movie 2nd place [49]
Tokyo Anime Award Festival Anime of the Year (movie) Won [50]
Best Reiko Yoshida Won [50][51]
Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division - Excellence Award A Silent Voice Won [52]
Japan Movie Critics Awards Best Animation of the Year Won [53]
Festival d’Animation Annecy Feature Film Nominated [42][54]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards Best Animated Feature Film Nominated [55]
Sitges Film Festival Feature Film Nominated [56]
Anim’est International Animation Film Festival Feature Film Nominated [57]
Camera Japan Festival Won [58]
2018 The Anime Awards Best Movie Nominated [59]
Best Animation Nominated
Monstra Lisbon Animated Film Festival Feature Film Nominated [60]

See also

References
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  2. Green, Scott (August 7, 2016). ""A Silent Voice" Anime Movie Listed For Over Two Hours". Crunchyroll. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  3. "映画「聲の形」(2016)". allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
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  5. "A Silent Voice Anime Film Reveals Trailer, More Cast, New Visual". Anime News Network. July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  6. "'A Silent Voice' UK Home Video Details". All The Anime. September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  7. "A Silent Voice Manga Has Anime in the Works". Anime News Network. November 17, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  8. "A Silent Voice Anime Project Is a Theatrical Film". Anime News Network. December 15, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
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