(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

I read Koe on Katachi after having watched the movie, and I must say that I am disheartened at the fact that I will have to give two separate ratings for the same work of art being displayed on two different mediums. To be fair to the movie, it had a lot more pressure on it, considering that it hard to work on cinematography, transitions, and other aspects of production that a manga doesn't have to work on. Nevertheless, I am here to review the manga, and I shall do just that.

Koe no Katachi's power comes from the different nuances that come to the fore with each new chapter. Character development is really strong here because all of the scenes give us greater insight into how each of the characters became who they are, allowing us to empathize with them. Even if I was opposed to Ueno's perspective vis-à-vis Nishimiya, I would be lying if I said that I didn't understand WHY she felt that way. What I love about Koe no Katachi is that it is a manga series that gives each of its characters a "voice": while Nishimiya San is the one who has an obviously "silent" voice, it can be argued that the other characters were also silent in the way it took time for them to be able to flesh out their narrative, and eventually come to terms with their respective past. The symbolism of Nishimiya's voice becomes very powerful when juxtaposed to that of the secondary characters, and this is something that the manga series has that the movie fell short of delivering.

It's hard not to get teary-eyed at the monologues of Ishida, especially since they can be very relatable at times. Feeling alone, question what others think of you, and all these all-too-familiar questions. The process of overcoming his guilt over his dark past with Nishimiya has been both an excruciating and a rewarding process, both for Ishida, and for the readers of this manga to witness. It is this for this very reason that this manga series has this allure for me: we eventually come to love (or at the very least understand) the characters for who they are, and how they are being presented to us.

This manga series is a rare gem, and I do hope that more people will come across it and read it. 10/10