A Silent Voice: Redeeming Oneself

 A Silent Voice 

"Please God, give me just one more once of strength, starting tomorrow I won't escape from the challenges in my life"

'A Silent Voice' is a Japanese animated slice of life film. It is an adaptation of the comic series 'Koe No Katachi' which means shape of voice in Japanese. 

"what goes around comes around" is a common saying, our actions have consequences thus we should treat people how we want to be treated but what happens when you are the only one remorseful for your negative actions, what happens when you are the only one faced with the consequences, what happens when you are the only one carrying the burden of the weight of your past.

'A Silent Voice' is a movie about a bully that goes through the process of redeeming himself and trying to be a better person to the one that he bullied in the past. The first part of the movie takes place in an elementary school, the protagonist Shoya Ishida bullies a new transfer student Shoko Nishimiya who is deaf. Shoya, however is not the only that bullies Nishimiya he is accompanied by his friends as well but when the school principal finds out about the bullying incident everyone immediately blames the protagonist Shoya for his actions, not taking accountability for their own actions.

After Nishimiya transfers to another school Shoya's life is made hell as he is treated the same way he treated Nishimiya thus due to this he goes through a spiral of depression and anxiety. When he joins high school, he is unable to even look at people at their faces traumatized by his past, he avoids any possible interaction with anyone in school. 

Mention of suicide

The act of redemption and self-forgiveness are two important aspects of silent voice. The protagonist redeems himself for his past actions by trying to make amends with Nishimiya (the girl that he bullied), from wanting to take his own life to saving Nishimiya's life. After saving Nishimiya's life Shoya achieves a renewal of self-respect, self-compassion and self-acceptance. In the process of changing oneself it is important to still have compassion for ourselves and not to be consumed by guilt and hatred for our past selves, understanding ourselves and self-forgiveness is important for the process of growth. Shoya's character goes through a wonderful transformation as he commits to making amends with Nishimiya.

To watch 'A Silent Voice' is to buckle in an emotional rollercoaster. The heartbreaking storyline and how it explores the themes of guilt, redemption, friendship, and self-acceptance resonates with the audience. The portrayal of the unjust society against disabled people and the different perspectives of the protagonists truly teaches us lessons in life.