Movie Review: The Shape of Voice
There are many different kinds of movies in Japan, mostly were animated drama films. Based on the manga, “the Shape of Voice”, the animation film team puts their efforts on making the manga into a very heart touching and impressive anime film. Since it started to premiered in Japan during 2016, the movie had received the general praise of the film critics, turned out to be an influential popular anime movie.
the "Shape of Voice"
"The Shape of Voice", also called "A Silent Voice" was directed by the Kyoto Animation's Naoko Yamada, a Japanese animator, television and film director. This movie is about a young boy growing up and dealing with serious real-life issues such as bullying and suicide. It tells a compelling tale filled with complex characters and great depth to its plot. The story begins in sixth grade when Shoko Nishimiya, the main female character transferred to Shoya Ishida's elementary school.
"the first day when Nishimiya transferred to school"
Seeing a deaf girl joined with their class, Shoya, the main male character, cannot comprehend with Nishimiya who has trouble hearing and cannot speak normally that needed to communicate with others by writing in a notebook. In his juvenility, Shoya’s lack of understanding takes the form of hate and disgust towards Nishimiya which he emotes by bullying her. Because he takes things much too far, her parents moved her into another school, Shoya became the person that no one else wanted to be friends with. The unfriendly sight from others made him felt very uncomfortable, and he had once wanted to suicide, but he does not succeed.
"when Shoya tried to bully Nishimiya"
After that, Shoya learned some sign languages so that he can communicate to Nishimiya his sense of regret. A few years later, the main characters met in high school. He tried to understand and get to know her, tried to make up the things that he did wrong to her. During the time he spends on staying with Nishimiya, he became a better person and reconciled with friends that he had lost before, and is now a good person that helps others and know people's feelings.
"when Shoya tried to communicate with Nishimiya"
Throughout Shoya's transformation from a bully kid to a kind-hearted human being, it wasn't just the conversation that impacted me, but the visuals surrounding him. Every time he would pass by other people that knew him, they had X's on their face and pretend he doesn't know them, others just see him as a bully guy. This film is a great movie that tells about living one's life as a young person being affected by regrets and opening up to the world in a brighter manner than before, but it's also about reconciling with one's consequences of their actions.
"X on people' faces when Shoya passed by"
To me, those scenes feel very familiar and the emotion seems a mix of sadness; however, it reveals some kind of thoughts that students or even other people's minds toward their friendships with other people. Also, this movie shows how real life is like, and give us some ideas to face these problems, and your own troubles.
It is the best anime film that I’ve seen so far this year. The movie that will entertain just about anyone, and bring you to tears if you’ve been feeling depressed.
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