A Silent Voice arrays the story of a grade school student, Shouko Nishimiya, being bullied by her new

classmates because of her hearing impairment and the lack of ability to communicate well. The film
follows her story but in the point of view of the bullies’ ringleader, Shoya Ishida. After the bullying
incident reaches the authorities of the school, the class’ bullies laid all the blame to him, and is singled
out as the culprit. All of his friends then turn on him and soon, also gets bullied because of it. Shoko
transfers to another school. Shoya then finds himself alone, isolated, treats himself as an outcast and
rejects socializing. The film then follows his own story as a teenager conveying his struggles to make up
for what he did, for himself and for his mother, evincing the horror of guilt he has been experiencing and
the cruelty of social paranoia and depression, having an “X” mark on all of the faces he encounters.
Before committing suicide, he then meets Shouko, again, he attempts to rectify the pain he’s brought to
her life by restoring loss friendships from elementary school, spending time with her and their friends,
and encouraging her so that she gains confidence in herself. The desperation of wanting to resolve the
issue before he commits suicide. Fast forward, after saying to Shouko, “I want you to help me live”, she
agrees. Their past has finally been reconciled. Both of them now choosing life, find themselves restoring
relations among their friends and their families. For the first time in a long time, Shoya sees the world
around him. The X’s peel off everyone’s faces to reveal warmth and positivity; not the heartless
expressions he has previously seen.

It was last year when I first saw this film and I remember I cried so hard during the scene where Shouko
always apologizes when she gets bullied even though it’s not her fault. There’s just something in her
eyes that you can see deep inside, even if it’s just animation, that she is hurting even the times when
she smiles, you know that there is sadness in there. I just felt so sad because I assume just like
everybody, I have experienced bullying. The bullying part of the movie on the other hand made me think
about all those times I have hurt people through bullying. The film also made me think about back in
junior high school when I always avoided socializing. I recall that I always get my head bowed down
because I don’t want to look at people, I don’t want the attention and it felt like people were judging me
when they look at me, but now just like Shoya, I’m constantly improving myself; I desire to see the
beauty of the world around me.

The film depicts the cruelty people with disabilities face and how people tend to act when they
encounter a person that is different from them. The film is an epitome of thoughtfulness and realness
manifesting events that are relatable to real human experiences, avoiding clichés and genericness in
typical movies, considering that it is animated, it is well done.

The film made me realize not to judge people by their past because people learn and people move on.
We don’t have the right to prevent, hold and stop people from trying to change because change is
inevitable and change is a sign of growth.

God is not only the God of second chances; He is the God of another chance. A Silent Voice taught me to
give chances, to show and possess empathy and to look not through people’s eyes, but through people’s
experiences and stories; it doesn’t really matter who people used to be, all that matters is who they
have become.