Koe no Katachi

Wow where to start with this manga...
It really opens your eyes to the lives that some deaf people actually have to live through although I think this story was just slightly exaggerated. The story was new to me and to me it captured a sort of mixed message about people and outcomes of seemingly harmless actions. It kept me reading by how I actually wanted to see how their lives ended up after going through what they went through. Lots of drama and a bit of romance mixed in.

The art was not light but it was not dark either. It seemed more realistic and dramatic than other manga which made it stand out. It showed the characters and their feeings very well and it matched the mood perfectly. Even so, I give it an 8 because sometimes there were a lot of things happening at once and sometimes it was a little too dramatic. I guess you could also say I have my own preference for manga styles.

The characters were all unique in some way although sometimes it would be a little excessive. Their actions wouldn't always make sense to me and I often questioned what they were thinking when they did what they did. It felt like some of the characters only had a single trait each which did progress the plot but still made me skeptical of the characters intentions. It doesn't seem like much of the supporting characters became developed but again I couldn't tell even at the end.

The enjoyment was still very good as whole because of the crazy characters and then the unique story...it made me read even late at night. I really did not know what could've happened at the end and it made me want to know.
Overall this manga is great for fans of drama and lots of sadness dealing with bullying, suicide, friendship and love. May even give you a new perspective on things. Try it out.

So to be honest this is my first review but I couldn't simply just sit back and watch people ignore this manga so if by chance you do read this review I highly suggest not to skip this manga. People have different opinions but in my perspective this was an amazing manga not only does it have a wonderful story but the character development was simply outstanding. This manga in a way offers you the question that if you were the bully but suddenly became the bullied how would it affect the way you see things regarding bullying overall and how it can drastically change someone's life to being a carefree happy life to someone who even questions if they should be alive.

Story (10/10)
The story is obviously in the synopsis so I wont explain too much as it could ruin the manga. But long story short its about a bully being the bullied and endeavours to try and fix his mistakes that he has caused.

Art (9/10)
The art style they used was perfect for the story the art was smooth and could really convey that the female protagonist was someone that always smiled and cared about other peoples feelings before her own. The art made it a pleasant experience to read.

Character (10/10)
The characters really were unique to a sense that you wouldn't find these characters in any random manga and that they were something that made it more interesting to read as they develop their characteristics and become someone different than they were per say 5 years ago.

Enjoyment (10/10)
This manga was enjoyable without a doubt as it offered a lot of attention to the characters and even the minor characters. Combined with the story which made it a pleasant read which really changed my perspective of the subject.

Overall (10/10)
As I have said through to this review this manga was simply amazing and an read you can take slowly but still experience the story and all its glory.

Thanks for anyone who viewed this!

this was the best manga i've read in my life, outstanding story, and a ton of feels and impacting moments. I cannot express how much i've enjoyed this.

Story 10: The story is really well made, it follows a few routes, and it is god to understand, the story itself is really dramatic, and some things leave you surprised, it brought tears to my eyes at some points.

Art 9: So the art looks really great, but at some moments it looks sketchy and kinda off in a way, or some body shapes look deformed, but not too often. I really like the art too, it impacts the story twice as hard, and you will fall in love with it.

Charecter 10: They are extremeley well thought out, they each have a own personality without bipolarism in two pages. it makes it seem as if you aare in the story itself, and along with the art, the charecters look their finest.

I ENJOYED THIS TOO THE MAX!! THE FELS OMG

Overall, 10000000. pls, read it if you havent, you won't regret nothinh.

Beautiful, I've never seen a manga or anime depict relationships within teenagers so realistically as this, it's just bloody relatable to me. I was expecting a total resolution and make up between the characters, but it just didn't go that way, instead, it went through the realistic route, the way that's known to me. The story was amazing, making me laugh and cry and feel a burning rage to the characters, so much so that it made me want to write my first review.

But, the one thing I disliked was how short the manga was. Kawai never got a chance to resolve her disgusting hypocritical personality and we never saw Mashiba's past, which although I would've liked to have seen isn't really all that important to the story. I would've also liked to see how Nishimiya fell in love with Shouya. It's hinted in the manga that they probably met at some point before she transferred, so I'm guessing then, but they throw in so many of these hints that I'm left in charge of completing the rest of the story in my head, which isn't bad in general, but in this case, the manga definitely could've benefited from extra chapters.

Another thing, I was expecting a resolution between the love triangle between Ueno, Nishimiya and Ishida, but it hasn't changed, which is still okay with me. I think I'm just looking for excuses to extend the manga now.

Anyway, the only fatal flaw of this manga is that it's too short, gives us too little time to fully understand the characters, and in fact, when Mashiba was first introduced, I didn't know his name until several chapters later, though he's definitely my favourite character now.

Koe no Katachi proved to be one of the hardest reads to put down I have ever encountered (and those reads include, among others, Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising and Without Remorse, Steven Pressfield’s Gates of Fire and Tolstoy’s War and Peace). On the surface, it’s one young man’s attempt at rectifying his past mistakes, if initially for rather selfish reasons. But underneath, the current of this story swirls into depths addressing bullying (and the types of people involved – victim, bully, and enabler), depression, family dysfunction, and personal redemption.

The premise is compelling enough to start reading it: 12th-grader Shōya Ishida seeks out fellow senior Shōko Nishimiya, a deaf girl he bullied during 6th grade into leaving the school he attended with the intention of trying to set right what he did wrong. This raises questions that offer interesting possibilities. Without divulging too many spoilers, we learn that Ishida, who started as the bully, eventually became the target of bullying at the hands of the same classmates he thought were entertained by his mistreatment of Nishimiya. During the next five years, Ishida withdraws from practically all participation with his classmates and spirals into a depressed state. It’s only when he attempts to apologize to Nishimiya that he learns that, contrary to all expectations, she had forgiven him and this begins to draw him out of the slough of despond in which he had become ensnared. Ishida cautiously starts a friendship with Nishimiya, but, after a dressing down from her younger sister, realizes that the change he made – apologizing to Nishimiya and learning sign-language – are only skin-deep and something bigger must change to prove he’s not just trying to assuage his own conscience. From there, Ishida actively works on building trust and friendship with Nishimiya and her sister, and starts working on becoming empathetic to those around him.

Ōima-sensei’s artwork is excellent. The use of varied angles, wide-scale images, and fine detail give a clear view of the world in which her story is set. One particular two-page spread worth mentioning is in Chapter 57, the final two pages, depicting the outdoors portion of the school festival. Ōima-sensei’s attention to detail for this one critical scene, including giving many of the surrounding characters specific details, should not be passed over quickly. Her color art is beautiful. With the sharply outlined characters and focal points against beautiful backgrounds, it’s hard not to pause and enjoy the imagery she presents to us. Given the serious tone of her story, Ōima-sensei doesn’t employ wild take style expressions, but, rather, keeping her characters expressions true-to-life.

The story itself, as I’ve said, is quite compelling. I think I ran through 18 chapters before I could put it down to go get a refill on my water glass. In fact, I wiped this whole series out in under 10 hours. (The perk of being a grad student on a non-class day. Yeah…yeah…I should be studying for that exam next week.) Ōima-sensei keeps the story focused on her primary subjects and doesn’t stray too far from them, addressing the serious emotional on the main characters that come from their struggling friendship, their friendship with their newly found friends, and the struggles that come with their family lives (particularly Shōko Nishimiya). The characters react reasonably as would be expected from their situations, including Nishimiya who starts as a quiet and timid type but eventually comes into her during the story’s latter-acts’ crisis. The supporting characters all have well-developed personalities with sold, foundational backgrounds that reasonably explain their story-present-time natures. Their presence not only provides the environment in which the two mains’ develop, but they create the seminal events that drive Ishida and Nishimiya’s characters to their fullest development.

With these thoughts in mind, I happily give this manga a 10/10 and eagerly await the anime adaptation’s arrival in the US.

Being someone who's relatively fresh to manga, I can truly say this was something else.

Ishida is a bully, picking on Shouko because she's deaf and therefore different. That alone caught my attention. It's a unique start to what would be an amazing journey for both me and Ishida.

This manga ended up giving me a sense of most emotions, such as happiness, sadness, and even anger. The way they're protrayed throughout the story baffles me because of how well done it is.

The art is incredible, and it's consistent as well. That's something I consider rare nowadays. Every character, in my eyes at least, was unique in nearly every way.

Overall, I truly loved this work. It brought a lot of enjoyment to read it, and I honestly am still kind of blown away by how it went. Some people might not enjoy the particular way it ended out, but for me it was satisfying, and for that, I'm giving this a 10/10 all across the board. This is a work of art.

No one has any idea how much I want to rate this higher. I went to 5 different stores across London to find all 7 of these because I really wanted to read it. I haven't seen the film yet which Is what sparked my interest in A Silent Voice, that and Your Name. There are moments in this where I'm thinking this is 10/10 material! I read the thirst 3 Last night, and spent the whole rest of this day reading the last 4, now I'm emotionally distraught because I can't stop thinking about it. Well really I keep thinking about why I kept reading this even after it's disastrous pacing, that reason was Nishimiya Shouko.

(SPOILERS)

Despite the whole series existing because of her and the only reason Ishida is on his path of redemption is because of her. She is the best...and completely under developed character in this manga. I hope to God the film focuses more on her and Ishida and not...the making of the movie. Now you are all going to start by saying "Its not a romance! You didn't get it", no you are right that the story is not just so Ishida can have a romance with Shouko, but that doesn't mean they can't love each other. The sad thing is, Shouko goes throughout the manga unexpressed, her voice is silent and I mean that both literally and metaphorically.

The side characters (most of who are just a massive time waste, they only stand out on rare occasions, yes I understand they all represent something in Shoko's life but the story focuses way to heavily on them. It loses the whole plot all together after V3. Shokou's sis was one of the redeeming characters who had a believable friendship with Ishida) all have their motives and reasons expressed, but Shouko never gets that. There were so many moments - especially the tear jerking scene when Ishida wakes up to find her - where she could have explained why she forgave Ishida, why she put up with all the shit she went through, and maybe tell Ishida what she really thinks. But no, it never happens, she's a loving character who never gets the characterization as the side characters. To me, the manga ended with Ishida after he woke up and Shokou on the bridge if only Shokou was allowed to express herself properly. Some would argue that was the authors creative Genius, it represents her character of how she never allowed to have a voice. The story makes out that it was Ishida was the first one to hear her, but if he really did...then he would have gone with her to Tokyo to continue his path of redemption.

If the story actually focused on Ishida and Shokou after the chapter Moon (V3) and instead of mostly bad filler between the ending of V3 and Shokou's attempted suicide in V5 then not only would this be more enjoyable, it would actually be more realistic and make more sense! Seriously so many people seem to forget the SERIOUS LACK OF INTERACTION BETWEEN ISHIDA AND SHOKOU BETWEEN THE ENDINGS OF V3-V5. V6 Should have entirely focused on Shokou, but it doesn't sadly, instead it focuses on all the side characters who get more focus than the 2 main characters. I practically cherish every single damn moment between those 2 because of how actually rare it is. If its not suppose to be a romance, then its a slice of life, but these 2 so rarely have moments together and moments where they connect, it's just heartbreaking in the wasted potential and development, its not good writing.

I wouldn't be so empty, so disappointed if I didn't love this manga, there were so many moments I loved but there were also moments which didn't make sense, pacing and focus which could have been done better, and characters who deserved a voice.

Read it all of this in 2 days, 2 and half to be more precise, and everything it's so beautiful and as we say "dense" or "heavy stuff", so let's go to the point

A deaf girl is being bullied to the point of forced to transfer, leaving the ring leader s new target, making him regret his past and seek for redemption, moving forward, and as you go, you'll see how each character had fighted it's own demons, in a beautiful yet simple and deep way, in the POV of each one.

It's definitely a masterpiece, the way you can get immerse in each character, their points of views, how do they feel, and especially their backgrounds, teaching the reader that we all carry our own burden and we must move forward, while this one conscience it's readers about very controversial themes like the hearing disability, bullying, forgiveness to the wronger and more.

In my opinion, only the original one-shoot is powerful enough to bring it's readers to a whole new experience and caught it's interest from the very beginning to it's end.

While the characters at time could be a bit static, this story was an incredibly heart-warming look into the problem of bullying, redemption, and bettering yourself. It's a must read for anyone who wants a good cry/ wants to fall in love with a new manga. I wish the ending was a bit more developed, and I wished the characters changed more and (especially the mc) were less dramatic and brooding. However, both of these are incredibly minor concerns, and SHOULD NOT stop you from reading it!!!!

The art was beautiful, the story line was enthralling, the characters were lovable, and it was a nice quick read. Most of all, it was very relatable. Everyone, at some point in their life, is forced to change their ways and regrets some action they have committed. The characters in this manga are faced with this same reality, and learn the meaning of friendship, how to be a good person, and the difference between wanting to be a friend because you want it and to be a friend because it is good for the other person.

Ok, i try not to spoil the whole manga for u.
The one shot i stumbled by in manga rock, hooked me into the manga and i couldnt stop re-reading it.

At the starts of the story, I disliked Ishida and felt sorry for Nishimiya (hearing-impaired young girl), that she is being bullied by Ishida. Later on after Nishimiya left, I slowly felt sorry for Ishida who is being bullied back and Nishimiya was the one who is helping him clean up the mess left from others classmate. But soon later, Ishida finds himself on redemption to earn back the trust of Nishimiya.

The storyline is lovely and sad, seeing so much change on the way and finding redemption. Some parts of the story would deepen ur heart with sad, cry and wants u to scream that u the audiences cant do anything about it but to continue on.

The art style was beautiful engage the audiences to continue and Ooima, Yoshitoki, did a great job. including at the start, where u see alot of details used when Nishimiya and Ishida is being bullied. She knows where and when to continue the emotion scenes in without mixing or disturbing the storyline.

There is alot of supporting characters who tries to help re-connect Ishida and Nishimiya relationship. But i do hate some supporting characters as they arent helping or just really annoying and it does interrupt the story abit.
I love Nishimiya characterizes, she is brilliant, beautiful with long hair and gentle girl who always forgives Ishida for his past mistakes and help people bring enjoy to them. All Nishimiya wants is re-connecting with new/old friends. She is light hearted and sweet that makes her forgive people easily.


Overall, I enjoyed the manga, its a really emotional manga to read as it inspire u to make the right choices in real life whether to bully people or it express the true feeling of people who a bullied. I would probably put it as my top 5 recommended manga to read.

Koe no Katachi was a fantastic read from start to finish. I found myself frustrated with several of the characters throughout the entire manga, but never to the point of wanting to stop.

I had a hard time moving on to other tasks at the end of every chapter because I wanted to keep reading so much. I think the reason for this was because I did not identify with any of the characters in the series individually, but they all had certain characteristics that I found were similar to me in some way.

This series is finished and ended in a way that I thought was cut and clean. I am not disappointed in the ending at all, even though it was not what I was expecting. The manga is supposed to be turned into an anime (more specifically, an anime movie) and I will most definitely be watching it.

I read this manga in about three days, and I recommend it it to you as well.

First of all I honestly didn't expect this manga could bring me on such a feels trip, but it did. The story revolves a hot headed dare devil Ishida Shouya and how he bullied and mentally tortured a deaf girl by the name of Nishimiya Shouko to the point the entire class joins in and she is forced to transfer to another school. Soon after the class's attitude turns to Ishida and the one who started it all is the new target. Years later of being the class's punching bag and scapegoat he begins to realize how badly he treated Shouko and after coincidentally running into her once again he decides to walk the path of redemption by making for the years he selfishly taken from Shouya while at the same time making sure the crimes of his ugly past doesn't come back to haunt him.


This story touches on so many real world topics, : Bullying of the disabled, the pain of learning that because you're different someone or everyone will take advantage of the situation making your or someone's life hell in the long run. It also covers learning to deal with your past transgressions, learning how to make friends from scratch and most importantly how people, good or bad can change. Ooima, Yoshitoki definitely will capture your heart and emotions when you read this from start to finish.


As of this review there has been a movie announced so I'm pretty excited to watch the heart tugging feels I felt while reading now on my laptop screen. Hopefully the emotions of the characters to the music brings me back to the first time I read the manga.

I just finish reading Koe no Katashi or a silent voice all in one read, it's a brilliant tale of coming to terms with social anxiety, true friendship, and love, all the characters is suggestive of the hidden problem of today teenager. My heart has swelled to twice it's size and full of love for the first time in years...and I'm married, I glad there still something that make me feel this way, grateful even. What else can make me cry like this? Until now I only know one kind of tears: Sadness. But I didn't cry because it sad but because this story simply touch me. I'm a working writer/director, I called myself a storyteller, and I'm ashamed that I never tell the story as good, as beautiful as this in my entire career. I look it up and see that the girl who wrote it are the same age as me, we even born the same month, I even fantasized about flying to Japan and thanks her in person (my wife would kill me though), I'm failed as a storyteller so far and from now on the new goal of my career is to create something that make people's feel the same way I do with this story. I love this manga. I glad I can across something like this at least once in a life time and I'm highly recommend it. Sorry about my English, it 3am, I'm really emotional right now.

After hearing a movie was coming out for Koe no Katachi, I felt obligated to read the manga. So I read the summary and was 100% hooked on this from the get go.

This is a cute and EXTREMELY sad manga, you will get hit in the feels. You feel sad, happy, angry, and empty as you read this until the very last chapter. Honestly I wish I read it when it came out because it's brilliant and a must read. I wish it was longer but I was definitely not upset (with every part but one) with what I read and I would recommend this to my friend's any day. Can't wait for the movie.

This is probably my first review of this manga but let me just say this story was a master peace the story follows about a bully making things right for a deaf girl.

The way the story went from beginning to the end oh my lord is just amazing characters were amazing so much feels i don't even know what to say but this is generally amazing i highly recommend this manga before the movie comes out i hope this review was helpful.

Story 10/10

Art 10/10

Character 10/10

Enjoyment 10/10

Overall 10/10

IF you want to have a go reading it don't hesitate just read because i tell you one thing this story is just so touching its unbelievable.

#100% spoiler free
"Koe no Katachi" or "A silent voice" or "The shape of voice" is a very unique and appealing story.
The title itself makes you wonder about the context of the story.
If you like reading shojou or highschool or slice of life romance and want to try something new, then just go on try this, just read the first chapter or the one-shot, and try to make yourself not read the rest of the story.
We all know how terrible and horrifying school bullies are and on top that bullying a deaf girl(sounds really far-fetched, i know right) , and yet sensei has made such a beautiful masterpiece out of these dark elements. I got to know from various sources, that his work got condemned and criticized my many top shot editor as they didn't know whether to publish it or not, because they may had to face troubles in the future ahead. But regardless of anything he still got it done and sold more than 4mn copies.
I liked the story because i like stories which are based such themes which are based on actual human nature. The story is not only focused on "school bullies" but also on how self centered we are and jut how easily we want to give on everything and how mighty and powerful "love" is which wins over all such dark human entities and change you.

So, do read it and don't forget to enjoy! 😊

P.S. this was my first review and i know this was different from other reviews but i'm glad i did it.

Story: 5/10

Koe no Katachi began smoothly. The exposition properly "exposed" the main characters, themes and foreshadows of the future plot. Every chapter and every page had its value in the overall story. Unfortunately, this did not last. As the plot progressed, it deteriorated. Its pacing greatly slowed down, nearly useless events were shown (a.k.a. fillers) and the character relationships decreased in growth.

Art: 4/10

The art is barely decent. In fact, it looks more like an American comic than Japanese manga. The intricate art that Japanese manga is known for is nowhere in the manga. The facial features seem like they are drawn without any effort. In fact, most characters have nearly identical faces. The hair also lacks shading and depth.

Character: 8/10

The characters of Koe no Katachi are its best aspect. From the first chapter, you can already tell that most of the characters have depth. Their personalities are realistic but likable. How they change due to different occurrences in their lives shows that their characters are truly well constructed. Being a slice-of-life manga, each character gives you a different "slice of life".

Enjoyment: 5/10

I began Koe no Katachi because of its praise on Tumblr. In the beginning, I loved it. However, as I read further, my passion for it went no farther. Each chapter released is barely even 20 pages long and often, nothing important would happen. Rather than enjoyment, I felt great impatience and annoyance.

Overall: 6/10

Koe no Katachi had great potential. Unfortunately, its potential was not flourished. It is, by far, the most overrated manga I've encountered.

Anywhere we go in the world. There is bullying although it may only seem to apply to children but anyone can be victimised, forgotten which can make them angry, sad, depressed or even TAKE there own lives. We can not stop this completely as its integrated into are society however we can make the world a better place. Ask yourself this question if you are bullying someone. "Why do I do it?, How does it make me feel?". Of course the awnser might be obvious but the action is completly different. "You can change things in this world, however one thing you cannot change is the past". I am pretty sure anyone has regrets in there life and maybe there will be more in the future. That's why it's better to take action now the later cause I am sure you will suffer in silence. You can ask for forgiveness from the victim but you cannot take his/her past experiences. It's an engraving which has been permanently marked into their memory. The solution to mask this is by creating memories with laughter and happiness.

For people to bully others. There must be a reason why try do it?. Of course there are complete idiots in this world who think nothing and feel nothing. Anyone must have experience this in school and even saw it happening. Most humans are kind and respectable but there who look a blind eye and turn around walking away from the scene.

When we are bullied we either ignore it and suffer in silence or take action. This in turn effects our behaviour and furthermore effects the people around you.

Koe no Katachi or the silent voice (In english) takes the above points and gives a story by giving amazing depth into characters, plot and most importantly development.

The manga artist sure knew how to make reality into non fiction. The emotions, setting, characters and even down to there appearances. All were a mirror of life in motion.

But it doesn’t stop there. Ishida Shouya knew his mistakes and he made himself go under heavy change just to meet and pay back what he has done to Nishimiya Shouko. He worked hard to the best of abilities to ensure he has no "Regrets".

Although he knew an apology would not get him anywhere he would try his best to ensure he will compesate his past.

Knowing your realtionships with friends, relatives and any other person is a key factor in your life. You can either be sad or happy choosing one will lead you to your goal but choose wisely as this is your ultimate descion.

You will look at your past one day and see that a better future might be waiting for you. If you cant change the past please remember that you can STILL change the future.

This story will carry your emotions and your soul. Get ready for a ride which gives you a greater or even a little more view of the world.



Thanks for reading.

Writing review again, i will try to not spoiler the story throughout my review.
Sorry if my grammar is wrong, because it is not my main language.

Do you ever feel betrayed by your BEST friend ?? someone you thought will always support you no matter what happened, someone who will always stand up for you whenever you get bullied ??

Story 10/10
I gave the story 10 score because, the story where the main character bullying action, backfire to him, really catch my attention. At first, it seems the story is really boring because it just showed us a typical kids playing after school with their friends, until someone who couldn't hear come to their class, and the main character relationship with his friend, gradually disappeared because they didn't want to take a responsibility for the bullying action they did together, and just blame everything on the main character.

Art 9/10
Why i gave this manga's art 9/10 ?? i thought the design of the main character is really ugly. hahaha, just kidding, the art is not very outstanding but it fits the manga theme very well.

Character 10/10
I definitely gave this manga's character 10 score because their attitude throughout the manga.
The main character attitude, at first was really bad. He didn't even think about his bullying target feeling at all, He act impolite to his friend and sometimes to his mother. But after the incident, he gradually change his demeanor and became a well mannered high-schooler. Main character friends, even though at first, they became a traitor just to save their life, they eventually repair their relationship with each other.

Enjoyment 10/10
In the end, i really enjoy this manga. i never feel bored when i read this manga.

Overall 9/10
Overall, i gave this manga 9 score, because of its good story and good character.
Always cherish everything you have, especially your friends and your family. Don't do something that will hurt their feelings, always maintain a good relationship with them, because once they leave your life, you will regret it.

I wish I could like this manga, but sadly I can't. I can only say that it was a missed opportunity to write a really moving story, at best. It's not that I hate this manga, but it's certainly not what I expected.

My main problem with Koe no Katachi is its characters. Starting with the main ones, Ishida and Nishimiya. These two should've been the best written characters in the story, and considering the kind of plot this thing has, I would've expected more engaging and complex interactions. In every instance when these two had a talk, I couldn't help but think "what kind of stupid situation will happen next that will ruin it all?"

Now, I understand that they're troubled kids (especially Nishimiya), but their reactions and decisions are so weird that I fail to believe that a normal teenager would behave like this, to the point of becoming annoying and thus, not realistic enough to make you feel interested in what they do or in what they achieve. And in this regard, I have to admit that Ishida, among all of the characters in Koe no Katachi, is the best one. His struggles and urge to redeem himself are the main focus, after all. However, it's annoying when you see the main character be so miserable almost of all the time and being so slow in understanding his environment. This leads to the plot not advancing in a meaningful way, and you just feel stuck in the same place.

And Nishimiya? My God, if Nishimiya was a real person, not only I would feel sorry for her, but also I'd wonder if she's a living sandbag. I can't come up with a better definition of Nishimiya as a character: a living sandbag. She barely does anything, she tries to engage in problem the least amount of times possible, and she feels sorry for no reason. Her deafness is the excuse for her being so utterly miserable, passive and pitiful. So much so to the point of exaggeration. You're telling me just because she's deaf she will be the target of constant abuse by both her family and peers and she will do nothing about it? Not even push them to a wall and punch them in the face two or three times? Nishimiya is such an unrealistic character, I just can't take her seriously. It's like she created her character as a device that makes pity in the reader out of thin air, without ever putting her in a situation where you can honestly say "gee, now that's messed up, I feel bad for her." My guess is that her design is cute, but for me that's not enough. A cute character design by itself won't make me feel anything if said character doesn't feel realistic and believable.

What can I say about the supporting characters? Not much, they're pretty much useless and a nuisance that barely has any effect or permanent consequence in the story as a whole. They're even less developed than Ishida and Nishimiya, and end up being annoying because of how one-dimensional their traits are. They're there to give a (un)motivational speech to the main characters or to make the story longer with tiring explanations and whining that aren't that important to begin with. They fill up space, they're uninteresting and have no purpose, other than create a fake sense of conflict that doesn't have much impact.

Do I recommend this manga? To be fair, yes. Even though I said bad things and my disappointment was obvious from the start of this review, I can't say it's the worst I've read. Far from it, it's just not the masterpiece most people think it is. And with stories this highly rated, the best thing you can do is to read it yourself and get rid of the "hype". The synopsis is interesting but because of its characters, it ends up being poorly executed, leaving a bad taste at the end.

In summary, a mediocre manga with wasted potential. In any case, read it for yourself so you can understand (or not) what I'm talking about.