Communication is an accumulation of every sense, not just sound. Everything from the ripples in a lake to the vibration of railings to the heavy warmth of the sun all help create the song of life by giving it a certain tangibility. The rhythm is slow and hardly noticeable, but if you pay close attention, you can see how each blade of grass dances in unison, how each drop of rain falls into a pattern, and how every person connects in silence. There is a certain flow to society that is silent, yet universally heard. This wave of normalcy keeps the complicated, intertwining dance of society going, so life is grueling for those who don’t understand it. A Silent Voice is a Japanese film that shows the struggle of finding self hatred in the lack of understanding society’s silent rules.

The film follows the broken boy Shōya Ishida who’s friends isolate him after Shōko Nishimiya transfers schools in elementary. For years Ishida torments himself, believing he doesn’t deserve happiness after bullying Nishimiya for being deaf. After a long awaited reunion, Ishida apologizes to Nishimiya in sign language, admitting he learned it in hopes to apologize and reconnect with her one day. While the story is incredibly written, Yoshitoki Ōima focuses more on how it makes you feel, purposely muddying the plot to form emotions of anxiety or abandonment. By doing this, you can relate with Nishimiya having to rely on picture rather than the voice of the film.