Synopsis
Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. But as the teasing continues, the rest of the class starts to turn on Shouya for his lack of compassion. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya do not speak to each other again... until an older, wiser Shouya, tormented by his past behaviour, decides he must see Shouko once more. He wants to atone for his sins, but is it already too late...?
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Cast
- Miyu IrinoShouya Ishida (voice)
- Saori HayamiShouko Nishimiya (voice)
- Aoi YukiYuzuru Nishimiya (voice)
- Kensho OnoTomohiro Nagatsuka (voice)
- Yuki KanekoNaoka Ueno (voice)
- Yui IshikawaMiyoko Sahara (voice)
- Megumi HanMiki Kawai (voice)
- Toshiyuki ToyonagaSatoshi Mashiba (voice)
- Mayu MatsuokaYoung Shouya Ishida (voice)
- Sachiko KojimaYoung Kazuki Shimada (voice)
Recommendations
- 95
IGN
The film's brilliant pacing and expertly woven narrative deliver an empowering story that will stick with you long after the credits roll. - 88
The Verge
A Silent Voice didn’t necessarily demand to be an animated feature. But because KyoAni’s creators are able to put so much expressiveness into the characters, it communicates much of what they’re feeling without words. - 80
Time Out London
Yamada’s creative direction shows a filmmaker with a distinctive way of looking at the world, following in the footsteps of other maverick Japanese talents like Ozu, Kitano and Miyazaki. Yep, she’s that good. - 80
Total Film
Viewing the heightened emotion and drama of adolescence with an unjudgemental eye, it’s a reminder that schooldays are always the best. - 80
The Telegraph
Yamada makes a point of contrasting the agonising complexity of high-school life with the clean simplicity of the moments that really count: hushed conversations on a bridge in springtime, a shared roller-coaster ride under empty blue skies. - 80
The Guardian
It’s a beguiling film: subtle, sensuous and delicate. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Where director Yamada excels is in depicting the interior worlds of the two main characters, paying particular attention to details, whether visual or sonic, that seem to place a constant divide between Shoya and Shoko. - 80
Los Angeles Times
Its wrenching honesty provides a potent counter to the simple-minded let’s-all-be-friends-and-sing-a-song inanities of “My Little Pony,” “The Emoji Movie” and other recent American animated features.
