Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bullying, suicide attempts in excellent coming-of-age anime.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
A Silent Voice: The Movie
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 56 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a beautifully animated and emotionally powerful story that explores heavy themes such as bullying, suicide, and mental health, making it a poignant experience for older teens and adults. While it has some intense moments and mature topics, many praise its heartfelt messages of redemption and the importance of communication, recommending it as a must-watch for those who can handle its emotional weight.
- emotional depth
- mature themes
- strong messages
- character development
- beautiful animation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In A SILENT VOICE: THE MOVIE, a new girl has arrived in a sixth grade Japanese classroom. Her name is Shoko, she's deaf, and can only communicate with others by writing sentences in a notepad. Some of the students begin to bully and torment her, especially Shoya, the leader of a group of bullies. Shoya and the others do things like scream when they're directly behind her, make fun of how she talks, and steal and destory her hearing aids. Eventually, Shoko's mother transfers her to another school. Soon, Shoya becomes ostracized due to his bullying, and he finds that he can no longer look anyone in the eye. Mature enough to understand what he did to Shoko, Shoya seeks her out to try and make amends and befriend her. While they do become friends, Shoya finds that the journey to redemption is a rocky one. When things come to a potentially tragic point, Shoya must learn to regain his self respect, as Shoya, Shoko, and their friends grow every closer to adulthood.
Is It Any Good?
This is a beautiful anime that fearlessly explores uncomfortable topics. A Silent Voice: The Movie is a coming-of-age story in which a tween boy grows into adolescence trying to make amends for the hurt he caused a deaf girl due to his merciless bullying. Bullying, suicide, not fitting in, redemption -- these are all topics that the movie explores through this relatively (for anime) straightforward story. Of course, because it's anime, there's a healthy amount of sentimentality and melodrama, but these are more than offset by the stories of these young characters as they navigate the perils of fitting in, growing up, and learning from past mistakes.
It's a long movie, but, again, it does maintain a mostly straightforward story, unlike the "kitchen sink" story threads and knots that are a part of so many other anime movies. There are also so many gorgeous moments of animation, moments of lovely imagery. For those new to anime, this is a great place to start, and for those who are familiar, this belongs among the best of the genre. Overall, it strikes a near perfect balance of story, character, and visual style.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how bullying is conveyed in A Silent Voice: The Movie. Did it seem realistic? What does Shoya learn after he takes his bullying too far?
What does the movie say about redemption, of trying to make amends for the bad things someone has done in their past?
Does the movie's depiction of a deaf tween and teen seem realistic to you? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 17, 2016
- Cast : Miya Irino , Sayori Hayami , Aoi Yûki
- Director : Naoko Yamada
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Asian Movie Director(s) , Japanese Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Shout! Factory
- Genre : Anime
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School , Middle School )
- Run time : 130 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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