Book reviews

Elle2915
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
I’m trying to parse through what I just read. This story, A silent voice, was nothing like I expected. I thought it would be a story of redemption and reconciliation between the bully and the bullied of the past; it’s not. This is a story about self-hatred and ignorance. Or, at least that’s what I’ve seen. The main heroine was disabled, and I thought that it was going to be used as a point of contention for the bullying. For me, that would’ve hurt the show. Instead, it becomes more like the fact that she’s deaf opens new avenues to view the world. Since she’s deaf, she starts to see herself as a strain on the lives of others. Since she’s deaf, an act of thoughtfulness is to learn sign language. Using her deafness like this instead of a way to conjure up sympathy is a part of what forms a strong basis for the show. She’s not even the one you empathize with the most throughout the show. For me, I grew fonder of the main character, the bully in the beginning of the show. I don’t think that words on a piece of paper could even begin to capture the poignancy of the show, but I’m willing to try.
There is a stark realization that the main character of the show, Shouya, is going to be a bad guy when he chalks up all his aspirations to escaping boredom. All his life, he wants to escape boredom and have a good time. He isn’t particularly worried about his future or the consequences of his actions. Getting in a fight or jumping off a bridge into a river for an act of courage is all to stave away boredom. It is visible in the harsh aesthetic of the drawings. The way it’s presented is grimy. It gives this muddy feeling like you’ve gone in the woods when you weren’t supposed to, got so dirty that there’s no hiding it, and when you leave this dark forest, there’s something waiting for you on the other side. Something ominous… That ominous thing is the main heroine, Nishimiya-san, a deaf girl who is unabatedly nice. For him, she is just but an object of his constant run from boredom. His harassment of her is just for fun, but he takes it too far and it all comes back at him. Once he’s caught, Karma has got him in its claws. He begins to get bullied and his mom pays for the hearing aids that her son had destroyed. Nishimiya transfers out from the school and all the bullying starts to get directed straight at him. It’s his ignorance that became his own fall. Like a fool, nay, a child, he did something because he derived amusement from it, yet he never knew what lied beyond the hill: consequences. It makes you empathize with him in a painful way. It’s easy to write off someone as scum for their actions without realizing they’re a human too; the man who hurts is also hurt himself. When you look past their humanity, it can be detrimental. From this event, Shouya begins to become warped as a person. He is shut out by others and shuts others out; he has a stain on his life which he punishes himself for constantly; he is hated by others and in turn, hates himself. From here, he turns from a foolish child into a more docile, self-hating, empathetic human by having it beat into him. Yet, there is no redemption for those labeled as bullies. It hurts to see how the past actions of this boy have screwed him over so badly. He tries to repay all the money he owes to his mother, working a part-time job and selling all his belongings before he kills himself. Can you really blame his ignorance? Even if he learned from his mistakes?
Right before he kills himself, he decides to apologize to the one he bullied. He had learned sign language and he goes up to Nishimiya to apologize which in turn keeps him from killing himself. The rest of the show serves as Shouya acceptance of himself and the world around him. He thinks he needs to repent and to make it up for Nishimiya without understanding the world around him. Nishimiya is more similar to Shouya than he thinks. To him, she’s just a victim of a monster like him who would’ve lived a happy life if he hadn’t done what he did. That misses the point. Nishimiya sees herself as a bog on the lives of those she comes in contact with, so she constantly apologizes, puts on a fake smile, and takes whatever she must while she secretly hates herself and what she thinks she’s done by existing. She doesn’t see Shouya as the monster he sees in himself. Their relationship starts to make the both of them come to terms with their lives, how they’ve affected the lives of others, and what they can do to be both better themselves and fix the mistakes they’ve made. Shouya tries to give Nishimiya the good childhood memories she missed out on, repent, and show sympathy for his actions and Nishimiya tries to be more open with herself and become closer with her new friends, no matter how hard it is. By seeing multiple perspectives, we see that everyone has their vices and virtues and that their ignorance and mistakes shouldn’t leave them to be eternally condemned. Both Shouya’s bullying, Nishimiya’s being a burden and the rest of the side cast who have to face themselves truthfully, along with their past, and learn to grow from it and become better as a person instead of letting it consume them and define who they are foolishly. This story doesn’t serve to condemn everyone or accept everyone. It serves to display that everyone has their misgivings and humanity and it does no good to write them off because in the end, we're all just ignorant fools who need the time and the nudge to learn from our mistakes.
Once the characters start to become accepting of reality, only then can they start to reconcile. Not with themselves, but with their own pasts. Shouya and Nishimiya’s bond served as a catalyst for all this to take place. Two people who were more alike than they ever thought who come together for each other and in turn pull those around them into a spring of change where the rotting petals can fall off and new ones can take their place.

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Playcool2
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
Bullying is a concept that many have had to experience in their childhood. Whether it be from looks, intelligence, disability, or other causes, bullying is, unfortunately, commonplace in our society. Bullies are seen as terrible people and victims are shown in a light that causes those who witness it wanting to give the bully the pain they deserve. This is a traditional bullying story in media. However, A Silent Voice explores bullying in a much more realistic manner, showing a bully's life after their victim is no longer part of it, and asking relevant and thought provoking questions, such as: how does bullying affect the bully's life after the fact, can bullying cause self loathing not only in the victim, but also in the bully, and the central question of the story, can a bully find redemption and forgiveness from his victim, even if his actions in the past were cruel and seemingly unforgivable?

Shoya Ishida is a high school teenager who is a former bully. His victim: Shoko Nishimiya, a deaf girl who's goal was to get along with everyone in her sixth grade class. Due to Shoya's boredom, he begins to bully Shoko, through means such as stealing her hearing aids, writing horrible comments in her notebook, and mocking her speech pattern. Shoya is not the only one to blame for the bullying, as classmates such as Naoka Ueno can be seen as accomplices, but Shoya was the main source. The bullying became so much of an issue that it caused Shoko to transfer to another school. This causes Shoya to become a victim of bullying from those who used to be his friends. Years later, Shoya runs into Shoko by happenstance, and is persuaded to right the wrongs he had created in the past.

The themes in this story are very risky and could easily have come off as manipulative. However, the way these themes are handled are a perfect portrayal of how these issues are in reality. Shoya is plagued by social anxiety. He is unable to look people in the eye, he isolates himself from those around him, and he imagines those around him speaking of him in a bad light, even if their conversation is completely different from his imagination. This is how social anxiety legitimately functions. As someone who has dealt with social anxiety most of their life, this represents exactly how it can affect a person and their psyche. It's not sugarcoating the issue, which is why it is so admirable. All of the themes portrayed are admirable for being blunt and straightforward about their effects. Bullying is not simply shown as a bad person harassing a good person and showing how the good person wins. It shows the long term effects it can cause for a person, how bullying can enhance a person's doubts, how a bully can learn from their mistakes and become a better person. It doesn't create a simpler way to explain the matter. It just shows the reality of bullying, making it stand out from many stories about bullying. Self loathing and suicide are also important topics in this, but these topics are best experienced when reading A Silent Voice rather than having them explained to you. These themes could have easily turned into a manipulative romance story akin to a Nicholas Sparks film, but the author took the time to give the story realism and care in order to make an impact.

The characters have arcs in the story that give them such strong development that they seem to be real people at some points. Shoya is the character with the most development, as he must learn from his past not only to change himself, but to guide Shoko through her fears and doubts. He distances himself from others, but must learn to open up to those around him and be a part of the world around him like he was once before. He must struggle and he does falter and slip back into his habits at some points, but he always attempts to make things right once again. Shoko is also a very well developed character. She is a nice person and never tries to cause fights with anyone, and she is willing to give Shoya the second chance he desires. Many have expressed dislike towards Shoko, as they view her as a typical Mary Sue and find her unrealistic. However, this is not the case. As the story continues, you begin to realize that Shoko is not perfect and has her own demons she must conquer. While I will not spoil anything, I will say that her psychological issues are handled very well and are not just there to make you sorry for Shoko. They are legitimate issues that Shoko must resolve. The rest of the cast does not receive as much development, as they are not the main focus of the plot, but many of them are very enjoyable and have their own role to play in the story. Tomohiro Nagatsuka is the first person Shoya is able to open up to. He expresses friendliness towards Shoya and and almost obsession with him. This is because Tomohiro has found his first friend. His bond with Shoya helps guide Shoya to opening up to others. He also has the best comedic moments in the manga. Yuzuru Nishimiya is also a vital character, as she is the only one who truly understands Shoko. She is very overprotective of her older sister and expresses understandable disdain for Shoya, though their relationship does improve as the story continues. There are many other enjoyable characters, but these are the ones that stand out the most.

While all of the characters are necessary to the plot, there are two that are very anger inducing, even if they are a vital piece of the manga. The first is Naoka Ueno. Naoka is the kind of person that never truly learns from her mistakes. As Shoya is progressing and learning to be a better person, Naoka continues to be the same childish and immature person she was all those years ago. She continues to torture Shoko and cause her pain, while giving an excuse for it that seems petty and ridiculous. She is very important, as it shows how some people will not put in the effort to change themselves and will remain the same even if a change is needed, but this does not change the fact that Naoka is an infuriating character. The other of these characters is Miki Kawai, a character who is possibly more infuriating than Naoka. Miki is a narcissist who changes herself based on what she believes others will like. She paints herself as a saint who cannot do any wrong, while she also participated in the bullying of Shoko, just not as vocally. She never takes responsibility for her actions and lets others take the blame. However, even if these characters are ones that are written in a frustrating way, they still serve a purpose in the plot, which you cannot fault them for. These characters are needed and should not be removed from the plot. Removing them would give the plot less realism and would overall weaken it.

A Silent Voice is not simply a manga you read for enjoyment. This is the type of plot that can change the way an individual thinks about certain subjects and can mold them into better people. This needs to be read by any bullying victim or former bully. Just as Shoko and Shoya had to move on from their past in order to change and improve from their flaws, those reading this may see that they need to change as well, and to not fear said changes any longer.
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Onakatarumi11
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
*Warning: spoilers for Koe no Katachi (Manga) ahead*

Koe no Katachi is a story about bulling and heavy themes likes being ostracized, so you already know it’s going to make you cry.

It’s a really good story with a very gripping plot, but it’s not for the faint of heart. It explores the discrimination and ostracizing/bullying that takes place in school, and it’s not done with finesse and subtlety. It’s really open about this, and I find this to be an admirable quality of the story. It also isn’t drama and tragedy just for the sake of having it or to make you cry, it carries actual meaning.

It has a nice average length as a manga, and as such doesn't have problems with pacing and filler. Some people have found it to end abruptly, but that I think has to do with what they expected/wanted, not what the manga had set out to do. It says what it wants to say and ends on a strong note, with an uncertain but bright future. Think along the lines of Steins;Gate’s ending.

The main pair and how they interact is the star of the show. Given that Shouko is deaf and mute, everything she expresses is done so visually, both in hand language and facial features. It’s the extreme of visual storytelling, where the main characters interact without much text at all, in a similar manner to the main characters in Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki. The group dynamic when the whole cast is together is also great, and everyone faces their own monsters in the same way Shouya does. This is a story about redemption through and through, and about owing up to the past, or to oneself.

Given that the story revolves around this communication without dialogue quite a bit, I’d have expected the art to be cleaner. In that sense, I expected the artist to use fine lines to capture the subtly of human facial emotions. Instead, it’s rather rough on the form, and the lines themselves are very inconsistent. I don’t think it’s a bad art style by any means, and the way they adapted it for the movie was sublime. I think it suffers from that inconsistency, and the artist certainly did not make it easy on himself. He does the backgrounds beautifully, and the inking is great, and then the lines defining the characters don’t fit the mood of the scene. It’s some great art overall and the only real problem is that inconsistency, that and his choice of screentones can become repetitive.

Koe no Katachi a smooth read, and not an especially long one at that. It flows well, and the plot and themes make the story very engaging, at least it did for me. It’s the type of manga that can have you empathize with and understand the characters, while also making you utterly despise others. It’s a great quality to have, and for such a rollercoaster story with heavy themes, I’m glad it had it.

Overall, it’s really good, but it’s also pretty sad. Especially at the start, like holy shit what a way to start the manga. That first volume gets heavy right off the bat, and even explores some touchy aspects about the way in which children and adults act.

It’s a 10/10 from me, whatever merit that has.
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WuxianXiaozu3
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
This manga was worth the read. While there were some parts that were better off not happening, I still really loved Koe No Katachi.

It's use of regret, loneliness, redemption, and depression was really great. It honestly could be applied to anyone else's life and it sure did to mine. I could feel myself relating to some of these characters and it made me love them even more. Of course the characters weren't perfect. They all each had some kind of pain from their past that's dragging them down but that's a good thing. It makes them more realistic knowing that they aren't these perfect righteous people that you would normally see in a manga or anime.

The story was also really great. The setting in which the manga is placed in really fit well with what it was going to show. The story also didn't stray too far from what it was supposed to be and it just shows us what we would expect from the description that we've been given (from the synopsis or any description in websites). Obviously, there were also some flaws in this category. That being a lack of an explanation. To further explain, I mean that the story ends rather open-endedly leaving some readers mad and confused. It also made my brain yearning for an explanation. I think most of the reason for the anger towards the open-ended ending was because of the romance. There was a significant event where there was a slight bit of romance between the 2 main characters but it wasn't delved much after that. And that's what I think the readers are mad about. There's also a bit of some characters own resolve that wasn't explained either. But despite all that, the story that's centered in Koe No Katachi is still unique and something that shouldn't be regarded as "bad".

To say my final words, I think the author managed to create something good with Koe No Katachi. It may not deserve it's 8.80 rating (as of this review) but it still gave us something that we enjoyed. That I enjoyed. Thanks Yoshitoki Ooima for making this.
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mouthpiece15
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
Story:
The idea for this story is something so real, and it's about a guy doing something that so many of us wish we had the guts to do. He has become a victim of bullying as a result of bullying a girl until she had to drop out of school, and now he wants to apologize to her. Whether or not he actually deserves to be forgiven is up for debate. You see the cruel things he did to her, and the cruel things done to him in turn. It's hard to sympathize with the terrible things he did, yet at the same time you find yourself feeling sorry for him.

Art:
The artwork was pretty different from that to which I am accustomed, but I got used to it pretty quickly. It's not bad, but unique, and it's done nicely in its own unique way.

Character:
While some characters are pretty two-dimensional, most of them have more depth. This story deals with something so simplistic and turns it into a plot. What is that simplistic thing? Kids are cruel. They lack sympathy and do terrible things to people in order to have fun. Sometimes the only way for them to understand that they're a bully is by becoming a victim.

Enjoyment:
I've never quite understood the "slice of life" genre before. What constitutes as "slice of life"? It's fiction, so how am I supposed to relate to it? This manga was what finally made me understand the genre. While it's circumstances are extreme, it deals with something so real. To whatever level it was done, when you were a kid, you were probably bullied, and like it or not, you probably WERE the bully at points. I know I was. I always thought I was being bullied, and it's true that I was. Though when I look back at some of the things I did, I was also a bully, for no other reason than the fact that my peers and I thought toying with people's emotions was fun.
Reading this manga made me want to go back in time so I could apologize to the people I hurt, because I know how much it hurt. The cycle of bullying shifts, and the bully becomes the victim, and the victim becomes the bully. Over time we regret, and we beat ourselves up for that. In the end, sometimes the person who bullies you the most is yourself. This manga cuts deep; it hits close to home, and you can't help but be curious as to see what happens next, and there is likely at least one character you'll be able to relate to.
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SANstorm8
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
Koe no Katachiis a good, but very uneven manga. The story is really about Shouya and him dealing with a wide range of issues that include low self esteem, depression and social anxiety and to that end the cast mostly serve as props as he deals with all of these issues.

In many ways, the story is quite idealized as Shouya never does anything reasonable about his situation, nor do any of the adults do anything reasonable like suggest he seek professional help. This is particularly jarring after his mother discovers he had intended to kill himself! On one hand you have to be forgiving about this because it's just light entertainment, but on the other hand it sends a strange message to young readers about how to deal with mental illness and depression.

All of that aside, the good parts of this manga is the awkward relationship between Shouya and Shouko, but the bad parts of it involve common manga tropes around people being oblivious to feelings and unable to communicate their intentions clearly. In that way, it's quite stereotypical, which for such an unusual set-up is a bit disappointing.

Koe No Katachi, despite it's unusual premise, isn't a very unusual story. It puts perhaps too much focus on the idea that "getting a long with people" and "being a good part of society" is the way for people to feel good about themselves, and is less introspective on the feelings that motivate people to engage in anti-social behavior. There is one shining example of a character acting like a normal human being and that's when a side character, Mashiba, stands up to an adult that is clearly in the wrong. Sadly Shouya doesn't really follow his lead, nor seem to really grow from the experience.

If you can look past the faults of this manga, there is an enjoyable and sweet story here that's well worth reading, but there isn't any real wisdom or messages that I think people should internalize. The good parts are really good, but ultimately Koe no Katachi suffers from some uneven pacing and simplistic moralizing.
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Resiverence12
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
One day I sat down with a friend and we were talking about A Silent Voice. He read the manga before watching the movie and said how the movie wasn't as good so I decided to read the manga too after watching the movie. And I will say this, if you never did both, I say do both! Doesn't matter what order, because I don't think one is superior to the other. As the movie tells a story more visual with it's great directing and how it's little attention to detail that we get to see a narrative being played out.

Now I'm not here to talk about the movie as I gave that a 10/10 myself but here to talk about the manga. I think compared to the movie, the manga has a more in depth character built of who they are and to see the inner struggle of each of the characters. We get to see what they are thinking and witness how they struggle to grow or change. Those of us who used to say stupid stuff and do dumb thing, we still think about those things as we grow older. It's not like you can just be like, "well that didn't bother me." Wait I think that back, there are people like that, and I believe Miki was a perfect illustration of that type of person. People who doesn't acknowledge their wrong doing and believe they are in the right without truly maturing.

Then there are those of us who are like Shouya who struggle to learn to accept that people can change. That we contemplate with life and suicide and I'm always sad to see many young people take their life away because of dumb mistake they made in the past. We all make dumb decision in our life, but it's about learning to own up to these mistake and growing and maturing.

Then there's Shoko, those of us who feel like we're a burden to the world and feel like we are useless. That we only hinder others and wonder if people would be better if we never existed. I too know this feeling and reading this I can relate to her so well. For someone who doesn't say much, she speaks in so many volume to those who feel the same way. And if you're someone who's thinking the same thing, seek help.

The overall theme of this manga is not about a relationship between the two main lead though I do hope they end up together (which is implied). This is a story about learning to communicate with others, learning to not only speak... but listening... but not just listening... hearing someone, not their words only, but what's on their heart. Sometimes we only hear the words but not the deeper things. A silent voice captures that beautifully.

There are many other manga that deals with such issue but I feel like this stands out more then most because of how it handles a lot of stuff. It feels more real to each other and we can go on and break down each characters, but this is just a review for now about the manga and I highly recommend reading it! And also watching the movie as you can see the two different way of how they told the story. Is one better then the other? No, they both are masterpiece.
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euniceeloise3
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
When I decided to read this story, I expected that this is going to be good but I didn’t expected that I will like it right away. The first chapter was some kind of sypnosis taken from Ishida’s (Shouya) POV. It’s about what happened in their elementary years where he bullied a transferred student who has impaired hearing. When I decided to read this manga, I already know about the bullying so I thought I’m calm, but reading how he bullied Nishimiya, I was really really really mad.

This story started a flashback of Ishida’s elementary years when their teacher introduces a new transferred student Nishimiya Shōko, which became a target of bullying because of her disability. It was ofcourse started by Ishida and reading about what he did to her really makes me mad. Back then, Ishida really hates her. He thinks she’s a nuisance and he blames her for everything that is happening to him and for ruining the whole class. His bullying to her escalated until the time comes that he became the target of bullying too. That intensified his anger towards her that they’ve been engaged into a physical fight. The next day, they just found out that she transferred. That’s also the start where he was bullied big time and left alone with no friends to speak to and absolutely no plans for the future.

All were explained properly on how the bully was now become the one being bullied. Well, karma is a b*tch they said, and I think he just got his share much sooner. And I would be lying if I said he didn’t deserve it, because he really did. I know, I know, no one deserves to be bullied and even though I think he deserves it, I still feel sorry for him especially that even his teacher didn’t believed him when he said that he was bullied and that he even told him that he kind of deserves it. Like what the heck?! That teacher doesn’t deserve to be a teacher at all! Isn’t he the adult here?!

I really want this review to be spoiler free, but it can’t be helped. So I’m going to speak straight ahead and tell you what I really think about this story 😉

Ishida is now a senior in high school and he practically planned everything and save some money by selling all his belongings to maybe not feel guilty about what he’s going to do. He’s not angry to Nishimiya like he did before but he is now guilty of what he did to her. After saying sorry to Nishimiya in person, he’s planning to jump off the bridge and commit suicide. Yep. This story is kind of dark, well, what do you expect? Bullying sometimes leads to suicide, but instead of the one being bullied, it’s the bully who’s committing it. But after meeting Nishimiya again and talked to her, he kind of changed his mind. I really thought that she will kick his butt after what he did, but she just smiled. Wow, this girl really is so nice and so innocent even after all that happened to her.

Their first meeting after 5 years didn’t just stopped there until they finally became friends, isn’t that just nice? I’m still suppose to hate Ishida because of what he did to Nishimiya before but after what he endured and he finally decided to live his life repenting and making sure she’ll be happy again, I guess that should be enough eh?

Ishida then helped Nishimiya to reunite with Sahara, their classmate in elementary and every kids that was supposed to be close to her. All was doing great actually and btw, we’ve got to meet Nishimiya’s younger sister Yuzuru too. She was bullied too before because of her sister’s condition so I really thought she’ll going to resent her for that, but instead she’s protective of her that she even looks like a guy now because of her short hair. After the incident at school, she did her best to make her sister happy. But I guess by now she understands that she became more happier now that Ishida is here. I know it’s bound to happen but I still can’t contain it when Nishimiya tried to tell Ishida that she likes him. Aww, young love indeed.

Nishimiya was then reunited with Ueno and Kawai but it wasn’t that pleasant like it did with Sahara. These kids really have a lot of issues and is acting like they didn’t do anything wrong to Nishimiya. Ofcourse it’s Ishida that should be blame the most but those two including his former “supposed” friends are to blame too. They did some nasty things too anyway. It happened too fast that I was surprised when Nishimiya tried to commit suicide ’til Ishida came to rescue her, but he then fell and was comatose. I know Ueno was a b*tch but she became nastier after the accident. My! I really wanted to get her out of the manga and strangle her. So is Kawai, she’s acting nice and all but deep inside she’s really not that nice.

I think all of them has their own issues including both Ishida and Nishimiya’s mothers but I’m glad that in the end, they both settled it. Well, to be correct, they all actually settled it. I’m just happy that finally all of them is in the right track especially Nishimiya.

I really like this story. I’ve been into romance lately and it’s really kind of hard to sway myself away from that mood, but this story just did that as early as its first chapter. I love the message of this story. It is really something that all of us should ponder and learn especially younger readers. It doesn’t just talk about bullying, redemption, family but also about friendship and how to overcome your fear. All of us can totally relate to each characters; you could either relate to Ishida, to Nishimiya, Nagatsuka, Ueno etc.

It was also great that the author added the part about Nishimiya’s mom; on what happened why she’s so strict to her and even mean especially about her haircut when she was in Elementary. And speaking of haircut, I think it’s because of Ishida’s mother that she’s influenced to take hair dressing course.

It was actually my first time reading a story where the main character has disability and it was really kind of nice. Well, scratch that, it was great!
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melonpanfan12
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
Personal Rate: 10
Rate based on the different characteristics: 9.75 rounded up to 10


I came to read this manga after having watched the movie which I loved to bits. Slice of Life series usually get at best a 7 in my books because I just tend to get bored easily. I personally think it's one of the most difficult genre since, it is difficult to avoid giving the feeling that the story is getting nowhere.

If you haven't watched the movie... I'd advise to watch it first... because you're bound to find the movie lacking compared to its manga version. I had the chance to love the movie before trying the manga and I'm glad it was such. The movie's wonderful really... but yeah, the manga is even more.

Maybe it's because I've been the subject of bullying myself that the story struck a cord so vividly I don't know... But overall, I do think this is a series that should be read by teenage kids... And here goes why:


Story: 10

We follow our main character's journey to redemption after he's bullied and been bullied for what he did in the past. The story isn't so much about the fact that the girl he bullied is partially deaf but rather this character trait explains why she was such an easy target. This being said, it's made clear that anybody can be the subject of kids' amusement, it's mostly a matter of bad luck.

There is not much to the story itself, after all it's slice of life... But it is handled with such care that no scene feels empty or devoid of meaning.


Art: 9

It's gorgeous. It took me a me a bit of getting used to, but it's pretty and contributes to the serene atmosphere throughout. I bought the French edition so I don't know how it's published in the US or in the UK, but the French edition chose to publish the colored pages in black and white... which is a pity because I'd rather have paid some extra euros to get them in their pretty version.


Character: 10


That is definitely Koe no Katachi's strongest asset. Its characters are flawed but real. In fact, I could even tell who was who is my own life reading it.

Shouya is a one of the most compelling character I had the chance to read about. Yes he was a bully, but his repentance and his own self-hatred is very difficult to watch at times. Very early on, it's made pretty clear that Shouya's biggest problem isn't getting forgiveness... It's that he just can't forgive himself which is made even more difficult by Shouko, the girl he used to bully, because she never got/gets angry or blamed/blames him.

All the secondary characters felt real and palpable from Shouya's best friend who hides his hurt behind a fake bravado to Satoshi Mashiba who cannot get past his own hurt and gets angry as soon as he sees someone getting the same unfair treatment he did.

Nobody gets Scott-free either. The silent witnesses, those who wanted to go against the flow but got bullied for it and those who participated although they were uncomfortable doing so. Even the home teacher is open to judgment. He's not judged per say, but his attitude and comments speak for themselves. Unfortunately, I could also relate to that, I've had the bad luck to meet the same type.

Naoka's character is the most difficult to like and excuse... but it is also true that sometimes you just can't get along with everyone. She's a difficult person, and we've all met people that we just can't get to like even if everybody says they're nice.

If I had one thing to complain about, that would be that we don't get a closure for Shimada and Hirose, Shouya's former best friends who turned against him. It's true that in life, well you have to let bygones be bygones and in that sense it's realistic. They've moved on with their life, probably thinking of what they've done from time to time without having the chance to get a real closure. It's the same for Shouya. It would have been nice, if they could have at least talked but the open ending leaves that to the imagination.


Enjoyment: 10

Needless to say, I've enjoyed immensely. I was surprised at how much I wanted to see what followed. I wanted to root for Shouya and for him to forgive himself. I found it even more difficult when some that were partially to blame as well were happy to let him bear all the guilt on his shoulder. It was unfair and he never tried to get away from it.


Overall: 10

It's been a while I haven't loved a slice of life story so much. Of course, we all have different stories but whether you were bullied, or were the ones bullying or observing silently stressing about being the next target, the overall message is that as long as you try to use these experiences to move forward as a human being, you've got the right to forgive yourself just as forgiving others is the only way to move forward as well.

If you've started life on the wrong foot, keep striving forward. That is very simple and sounds cliché but Koe no Katachi manages to show you how such a simple thing is really difficult to achieve when you're really trying hard.

I wish I had the chance as Shouko did to meet my former bullies. At least if I saw they changed, I'm sure I could leave this bad aftertaste behind. No such luck unfortunately.

Anyway, must read. Really. And I think this author just moved up to my "to-buy" list.





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sofiaxbh5
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
This review is based on me watching the movie first and reading the manga second within a few hours apart from each other. Pardon the comparison.

To start off, and it may even be a contradiction to my prior statement, the movie and the manga feel like two different stories. The movie leaves out details that have bothered viewers that were faithful to the source material. However, the movie works around these changes and in turn change scenes accordingly, and it feels justified.

My point being. the movie is better in a sense of value, the amount of time spent vs the enjoyment received from it.

Spoilers ahead.

One of the main problems that I have with the manga is the fact that some of the supporting characters are not fleshed out and fail to redeem themselves.

Take Miki Kawai, the narcissist of the supporting characters, we discover that she is one of the people watching and laughing along with shouko's bullying. When she mentions to stop the bullying they are halfhearted and are said just for the sake of saying it. Which is fine and in fact makes sense for a child to do so. However, when the scope of the film is for not only Ishida's redemption but the reflection of the other characters wrongdoings, I find an issue where this character finds nothing wrong about herself throughout all this time. This character is not only a blight on the movie but even in the source material itself which is unforgivable. There are moments where its clear that she cares for the misfortune that befalls the main characters Ishida and Shouko but its not justified. There are at least 4 other supporting/minor characters that fall victim to this. I'd rather they just be cut from the plot in general....

There are details within the manga that I desperately wanted in the movie, they give context to the actions the characters take, but I think in general the movie took a better approach than the manga. .


The ending, the manga is a failure for closure, not in the sense that leaves me wanting more but rather I felt neutral about how it ended.

Why is the movie satisfying?
The movie uses its time well, cutting even some crucial moments out of the manga to make a believable and coherent story. Although there are still faults that are shared between both mediums, the movie is a superior experience.


Sooner or later, I will make a more fleshed out review of both the Manga and the Movie, but for now these are whats on my mind. Thank you.
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StrawhatSabo11
Apr 17, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
8.5/10 Very good.
This had great potential

Characters: 8.5/10
-Protagonist(M): 9.5/10 Has some very good conflict and the way the reason for his resolve changes over the course of the story is expertly written.
Starts out with resolve to make amends so as to justify his self loathing. This however changes over the course of the manga, and it feels natural and well written.
Also, the X marks / fantastic in conveying his mindset towards others. Unique.
-Protagonist(F/LI?): 8.5/10 A very good example how someone can become the product of their environment. Her self loathing is on par with the protagonist's, only, she has never been at fault.
This mindset is so completely human, that she has garnered my sympathy in a way that few other characters across media have. Even though I cannot relate with her plight, her mindset is so classically "Good" that it makes no difference.
-Support: 8/10 A wide selection of dynamic supports. It is rare that you see dynamic supports when the focus is on the protagonists. However, a few of the supports are just horrible people. I've never read of supports that are this quick to resort to physical violence. And while they change in other aspects, they are still horrible by the end.
It is even said to them by the protagonist that "they are fine the way they are" and "they don't need to change", while this is in character for the protagonist, as to say otherwise would label him as a hypocrite, this doesn't really promote a sense of resolution.
The resolution doesn't have to come from the protagonist, but without it, it is all to easy to see this cycle continuing for a while. Better, but continuing none the less. Hurt, argument, fractured group, redemption, (fracture 2, redemption 2), whole group. Repeat.

Plot: 7/10
The overall plot was well written, however there are a few gripes I have.
-First of all the amount of physical combat in this book felt a little bit forced. And all it does is distance the reader from some characters that are already pretty horrible. Some of the fights are perfectly justified and are well done to express characters motivations and confusion and inner feelings.
However, when you constantly have certain characters ready to throw down, they turn from scummy characters into immature morons that I could not care less about and all I want is them out of the story in some way so they can stop hurting the ones they are trying not to hurt.
And these frequent fights only add to how jarring their unavoidable forgiveness is.
-Second, I felt that the romantic plot (subplot?) remained unresolved. The end of the book makes some extremely vague hints towards it's eventual conclusion, and is obviously intended for the readers to extrapolate, but the actions previously leave too many variables for this to be even a 50% confidence.
The hint at the end is hardly enough to further progress this plot and I think it does more to suggest the two protagonists slow healing.
To elaborate on the above point, the manga just... ends. There is a paltry final chapter that doesn't do the preceding emotion justice.

Art: 9.5/10
Some of the best I've every seen. The faces are so expressive. No dialogue is ever needed to explain what the characters look like. Many manga suffer from this 5 expression trap, where the facial features never really vary outside of the basics and never with any subtlety to convey anything more than the base emotion.

Overall: A good heavy read, but with lots I felt went unresolved due to a very abrupt end. While this can sometimes be done correctly, this whole story was such a whirlwind of emotions and voices (lol) that nothing can really be said for sure and it just leaves you wanting to read that little bit more to wrap everything up and leave you feeling content.
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WuxianXiaozu3
Apr 16, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
Koe no Katachi is simply the best manga I have ever read.
At first, I really didn't think I would like it. I bought the boxed set but kind of dismissed it earlier on because I'm not a very emotional guy.
Boy was I surprised.

Story & Character - The entire manga revolves around its characters so we can talk about Story and Characters at the same time. Every single little detail in this manga are impeccable. The plot itself is extremely believable and might happen to anyone, you never know.
The characters are endearing and likeable (well some of them, anyway). They might not all be relatable but they feel oh so real. They pretty much each cover a stance on bullying from different point of view, which I find original and interesting. It's not trying to be deep or anything and it's pretty obvious but it doesn't make it worse.
You can more or less understand every decision they make from an objective point of view and that's what makes this manga feel special in my eyes. The only exception to that I would make to this is Shoko but whatever.
Some of them are assholes and some of them are nice, just like real life.

Art - The art is genuinely 10/10 for what it is (a story/character driven-shonen) and the page turn (for those that read physically) is very well executed and sometimes struck me pretty hard (specially at a certain moment near the end, those of you who have read it know what I'm talking about).

Enjoyment - Sitting at 7 volumes and 64 chapters, I had a great time for what I consider a very short manga. Even if you don't think you'll enjoy it, like I did at first, I suggest you just give it a try. You never know, might just end up with a new favorite manga!

This is my first review so I'm very open to criticism, have a good day!
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Yuu_Masuhara14
Apr 16, 2021
Koe no Katachi review
I've already seen the movie but somehow it didn't satisfied me. It has a little flaws that make me curious how is the original ending look like. So I'm starting to read the manga to see the differences. And yes I saw something what I didn't saw in the movie.

Koe no Katachi or basically a Silent Voice tells you how do you feel when one day. You woke up and no longer can hear anyone. It's sad isn't it? You wish you could hear for one last time but God forbids you. Of course all that you can do is sincere and accept your life as it is. In Javanese we call it "legowo". But life isn't easier to do. People sometimes see it as a treat. Like, "I don't want to do this." "I don't want to live like this." Why is this happening? Is life is a treat? Or something? Humans basically want to live perfectly. Have a good grades, have a lot of friends, being respected by other, have a good job title, live a life so healthy and many others. But there are no perfect humans in the world. You should know that God create humans fairly and equally. So that humans can learn how to respect each other. But not all humans want to learn that way. Those who tend to dislike something will bashing or insult something that is said to be imperfect. Hence born hatred. In this case, what happens when a community who disrespect something imperfectly? They will bullied it.

Ishida Shouya. Once he is a boy who hate a boredom. Often wants to find something new, challenging, and thrilling experience. He call it the "courage test". This led the readers to know that he is "A boy full of sensation. Live among dangerously adventures." And of course he hates something imperfectly. One day he met a new student who fortunately deaf. Nishimiya Shouko. A beautiful girl joining a classroom. As child most of them didn't like her. Especially Ishida. He treats her like a tool to alleviate his boredom. Another challenging experience - this girl. As time goes. Bullies is something that Nishimiya consumed. What makes me cry that Nishimiya understand what "legowo" is. She even accept bullies with a smile. Something that Ishida displeased. One day, they're engaged with fights that makes Nishimiya leaves the school. Then karma attacks Ishida. So deeply with a sharply cut blade sword. Leaving him no friends, no one respect him. Leaving him live in an adventure quest in order to forgive what is already done in the past. Especially Nishimiya Shouko. Is not an easy task because everybody hates him. And he wishes to want befriends with anyone once again. Not everyone accept forgiving. A new challenge for Ishida Shouya to find a path to redemption.

This manga tells you that bullying isn't a right thing. It tells you how important to respect everyone else. Especially forgiving. Forgiving is easy but somehow people did not want to accept it. People often cursed what a person has done in the past. People love to find someone mistake, but not with a kind that someone has done to them. All the characters contradict with their opinions. In the end. This manga is tell you how beautiful to forgiving others. A simple act that brings many benefits to everyone.

A very well done story by Yoshitoki Ooima. I'm actually loved manga more than the movie because the story and the characters develop well. I recommend you should read the manga first. And then the movie.
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Koe no Katachi
Koe no Katachi
Author Ooima, Yoshitoki
Artist --