A Silent Voice Manga Review

Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice Of Life
Published: 2013
Volumes: 7

“We all have a voice”

Greetings everyone 🙂

My goodness has been a while since January, was the last manga review I did. Oops. My manga reading has been making progress and wanted to share with you a inspiring one I finished as of recent. I first discovered this title from watching the PV trailer for the anime adaption it was getting and being done by the amazing Kyoto Animation. I got really excited and just had to read this muchly talked about title as Lita reviews the inspiring, lovable The Silent Voice.

Story

 Hearing impaired (Deaf) Nishmiya becomes the prime target of former bully Ishida. He loved nothing more than taunting Nishmiya any way he could along side his friends. Nishmiya eventually transferred out of school, then all Ishida’s class mates turn their back on him, then he became the one being bullied. Few years later the two of them meet one again but Ishida was not the same person previously, he wanted to try and befriend Nishimiya. Ishida even learnt sign language to communicate better with her, but will past sins be forgiven?

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Characters

Ishida

The whole manga I found not to be really fully focused on Nishimiya but Ishida. His character development was excellent and you really got to know him as a character, he was a stand out the whole time. He learns some valuable hard lessons, and suffered for his actions towards Nishimiya. The attitude he built from being bullied himself was represented in the manga where other characters had crosses over their faces. I thought at first this is weird but came to understand, these were people Ishida wanted nothing to do with, I felt that was a clever idea.

Ishida’s character I believe will strike a connection with any reader, it’s very life related of anyone who has been bullied. It leaves you feeling degraded and just depressed, the way Ishida dealt with it, he just took like he was being kicked in the gut the whole time. Funnily enough he is one of the reasons I ended up loving this manga so much, of watching him learn from his mistakes and of opening up himself. 

Though I have to admit I never liked his character in the beginning, just of reading all the things he did to Nishimiya.

Nishimiya

Nishimiya was an adorable character, I fell in love with right off the bat. Although she was sweet and caring, her being deaf never made me feel sorry of what happened to her the whole time. In the beginning I felt sorry for her but as the manga went on, Nishimiya could begin to see she was just running away. Hiding her feelings, putting up a fake smile, forgiving Ishida when he was being a jerk.

I felt she didn’t feel much resentment toward Ishida, was too nice for her own good. But when Ishida wanted to try and befriend, I think Nishimiya may have thought people deserve a second chance. Although it’s an odd situation of a former person bullying you wishing to be friends. Character development was not much, sure she finally got the courage to speak her mind a bit more, instead of taking the brunt of things. Still Nishimiya is sweet heart and would happily love to be friends with her, Easily struck a cord in me as I work with someone myself who is deaf. 

Yuzuru (Nishimiya’s Sister)

Yuzuru was a very entertaining character. Easily to be mistaken for a guy which I did think, when her character was introduced, funny moment in the manga Ishida thought that. I admired of how protective she was of Nishimiya, it was understandable as of how cold she was towards Ishida. I felt sorry for Yuzuru as she felt helpless of how to help her sister or know of her true feelings. She dealt with a lot more peer pressure than she should have too and just teared her frustration in two. 

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Art style I liked was simple and cute.

I ended up reading the one – shot manga and full manga series both, preferably loved the full manga series more. The one shot only dives into the back story of Nishimiya and Ishida a little but you’ll get the full experience if you read the full series. I really connected with this manga from strong personal reasons, no manga has made me cry until I read this one. Having strong themes of bullying is what delved deep for me, it is what what I feel anyone can relate to if they read The silent voice. Nishimiya and Ishida were the representation of this they are I feel two peas in a pod. Both have their own sins and pain they experienced one in the same, which is why I can feel the connection between the two.

The plot of this story is what I believe makes this series so different to other romance, slice life manga’s. The difference was Nishimiya being deaf and as typically it would be a guy bulling a sweet, shy girl , then she grows confindence. Silent Voice became an out shiner on this typical plot. I will be honest there is some deep emotion in this manga, real realism that just flows out through some of the dramatic scenes

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Conclusion

Silent Voice was one of the best reads I’ve read in a long while,a different story line to any other kind of romance, slice of life out there. It draws deep on the themes of bullying and communication, the representation through the two main characters was done amazingly. This manga for me showed of how vital and important communication is to anyone even if they are hearing impaired. It shouldn’t matter as long as your willing to try and realize there are people out there who won’t ignore you, but will hear you out. 

I hope readers you enjoyed this review!!
Highly recommend checking out this manga because it left me wanting more…… WHICH INDEED IT IS A MOVIE ADAPTION HOLY COW !!

Check out the teaser trailer for it

Comment below any thoughts you have 🙂

I’ll see you all in the next manga review! 😀
LitaKino

so EXCITED FOR THIS !!!

 

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