A Silent Voice: The Movie

"Sometimes the answer is as simple as learning to listen."

2016 2h 9m JA

🙌

8.4

BANGER

★8.4TMDB · 4,721

AnimationDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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...?

“Sometimes the answer is as simple as learning to listen.”

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Cast

Miyu Irino
Shouya Ishida (voice)
Saori Hayami
Shouko Nishimiya (voice)
Aoi Yuuki
Yuzuru Nishimiya (voice)
Kensho Ono
Tomohiro Nagatsuka (voice)
Yuki Kaneko
Naoka Ueno (voice)
Yui Ishikawa
Miyoko Sahara (voice)
Megumi Han
Miki Kawai (voice)
Toshiyuki Toyonaga
Satoshi Mashiba (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Naoko Yamada
Writers: Naoko Yamada, Yoshiji Kigami, Takuya Yamamura
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CAST

Did you know

202+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Naoko Yamada, shot by Kazuya Takao. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kensuke Ushio. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kengo Shigemura shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Miyu Irino and Saori Hayami and Aoi Yuuki carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Sometimes the answer is as simple as learning to listen.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt5323662 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Naoko Yamada directs. Kazuya Takao behind the camera. Kensuke Ushio scores. Kengo Shigemura cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 10 years ago.
2202+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
3Directed by Naoko Yamada, shot by Kazuya Takao. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Kensuke Ushio. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Kengo Shigemura shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Miyu Irino and Saori Hayami and Aoi Yuuki carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Sometimes the answer is as simple as learning to listen.".
8IMDB entry: tt5323662 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9The top-rated still from this film on TMDB has multiple community votes — a signal the frame composition stuck with viewers.
10Classified under 19 themes, including "high school", "friendship", "suicide", "suicide attempt".
11Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazuya Takao
Original score: Kensuke Ushio
Editing: Kengo Shigemura
Runtime: 129 min · 2h 9m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $30,819,442
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016)

Also by

Naoko Yamada

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2017-07-30
★ 7/10
A second chance to fix the past mistake. This is the next best anime in the recent time after 'Your Name'. Not that you know this director very well, not at the international level. But with a film like this, she's going to be. This is another teen romance. Well, romance is not exactly a word that matches with what this film is about narrative, but there's no other way to describe its theme. It was like before romance, that mean before committing to a relationship and after you had started to like someone while fixing the mistakes made in the past. It's a high school tale. Before that, it opened with a brief flashback of the elementary school events, where Shoya Ishida bullied a new admission Shoko Nishimiya for her hearing impairment. Soon after that, she'd transferred to another school. Now, a few years later, they meet again in the high school, where Ishida tried to fix what he had done wrong a while ago for her. So a relationship develops, despite people around them does not understand their commitment. At some point, it will be tested, which might lead to uncover their true feeling to one another. This is surely aimed at the teen audience. Especially, the romance and sentimental parts are intended for the youngsters, but anyone would enjoy it. So, I felt them, but not like I'm still young. Otherwise, I would have said it is a masterpiece. That's only from the story perspective. The sketches and animations were not bad. The film characters were awesome. Each one was very unique and different people pick different characters as their favourite. I liked Yuzuru as I always like tomboyish type roles. But obviously Ishida and Shoko make this film. ❝Please don't make such a serious face. And, let me say... I am sorry.❞ Smooth animation. Technically comparable with any big names (anime titles). That also means the director is now in the league of the best anime-maker. She's young and I hope she keeps doing more films. As I said many times before, that after Hayao Miyazaki retired from making films, we need more people like this filmmaker to fill that empty space. The film won many awards for its great achievement, as well as box office success in the domestic market. Expecting the rest of the world and anime fans to receive it at the same extent. It was originally based on the manga of the same name, and a television series was made before this feature anime. As I collect film quotes, the best ones, I was disappointed on that context. There were many emotionally and romantically appealing lines, but not on the moral perception. That does not mean the film lacks the social consciousness. In fact, the film highlights the bullying and its severe consequences. That alone is enough, this is a must see for the school kids. Surely kids, teens and some youngsters would love it, but as far as the adults, this is not an ideal thematic, yet you can't ignore its artistry and the intention of the film. Sometimes it might help you to like it in the second viewing. Because this is one of those kind. My issue was understanding the Japanese sign language. Besides, the subtitle for that was not much helpful, as it was exactly translated as what the hearing impaired character babbled which is an alternate spelling for every word and sentence. I had lots of fun watching it, as well as other moods like romantic, touching, annoyance, but overall it leans towards the good side. Just over two hours, it never looked too slow or hurried in the story or the character developments. Could be the best to pick as a date flick or get together with your school friends, particularly opposite sex friends. My final saying is, it is not to be missed for many reasons I've mentioned in this review and the other one is it being an anime, a quality one. 7/10
tropicalicecedar2023-07-26
A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016) is an absolute gem! 🌟 This beautifully crafted anime film takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, touching your heart and leaving you with a sense of hope and understanding. The characters are so well-developed, and the animation is simply breathtaking. Prepare to be moved and inspired by this poignant story of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of empathy. Highly recommend it for anyone looking for a touching and meaningful cinematic experience!
tmdb717573542024-09-13
★ 10/10
A film that changed my vision of the life "A Silent Voice" is a film that has changed my vision of the life, understanding better the importance of the human communications. Including profound reflections related to empathy, self-esteem, redemption, self-improvement, and the importance of understanding and listening to others. This film was truly made with love. Because it has a Sound-Track, thought and composed as if they were simulating the stimuli that a deaf person can feel throughout his life, such as the touch of someone or the vibrations of a cup of water. Also, the way that it is made the animation and the camera angles, reflecting the feeling and the evolution of each character. Giving a unique impact because of the way it is well-thought-out. Making me love this film even more for these details, feeling a unique and nostalgic experience when watching it, leaving it definitely one of the best films on a personal level. I don't understand how this film hasn't won any Oscar.