A Silent Voice (film)

For the manga, see A Silent Voice (manga).

A Silent Voice
Theatrical release poster
Kanji聲の形
Revised HepburnKoe no Katachi
Directed byNaoko Yamada
Screenplay byReiko Yoshida
Based onA Silent Voice
by Yoshitoki Ōima
Produced by
  • Eharu Ōhashi
  • Shinichi Nakamura
  • Mikio Uetsuki
  • Toshio Iizuka
  • Kensuke Tateishi
Starring
CinematographyKazuya Takao
Edited byKengo Shigemura
Music byKensuke Ushio
Production
company
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • September 17, 2016 (2016-09-17) (Japan)
Running time
130 minutes[1][2]
CountryJapan
LanguagesJapanese
Japanese Sign Language
Box office$30.5 million[3]

A Silent Voice (Japanese: 聲の形, Hepburn: Koe no Katachi, lit. 'Shape of Voice') is a 2016 Japanese animated drama film[4] based on the manga of the same name by Yoshitoki Ōima. The film was produced by Kyoto Animation, directed by Naoko Yamada and written by Reiko Yoshida, featuring character designs by Futoshi Nishiya and music by Kensuke Ushio.[5] Plans for an animated film adaptation were announced back in November 2014, Kyoto Animation was confirmed to produce the film in November 2015. Miyu Irino and Saori Hayami signed on as voice casting in May 2016 and the theatrical release poster and official trailer were released in July 2016.

The film covers elements of coming of age and psychological drama, dealing with themes of bullying, disability, forgiveness, mental health, suicide, and friendship of opposite sexes. It follows the story of a former bully turned social outcast, who decides to reconnect and befriend the deaf girl he had bullied years prior.[6]

The film premiered at Tokyo on August 24, 2016. It was released in Japan on September 17, 2016, and worldwide between February and June 2017. The film received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise going to the direction, animation, voice acting, musical score and the psychological complexity of the characters. It has grossed over $30.5 million worldwide. The film won the Japanese Movie Critics Awards for Best Animated Feature Film. While nominated for the Japan Academy Film Prize for Excellent Animation of the Year, as well the Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film, it lost to In This Corner of the World and Your Name, respectively.

  1. ^ "A SILENT VOICE". British Board of Film Classification. February 8, 2017. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  2. ^ Green, Scott (August 7, 2016). ""A Silent Voice" Anime Movie Listed For Over Two Hours". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  3. ^ "A Silent Voice". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "A Silent Voice". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "映画「聲の形」(2016)". allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  6. ^ Film, Into. "A Silent Voice". www.intofilm.org. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.