Even though her one-shot Koe no Katachi won critical acclaim, it took a longsome law suit to get a magazine to publish it because of its socio-critical theme. Eventually, it was featured in the February edition of Bessatsu Shounen Magazin, where it placed first, and later in the 12th edition of the 2013 Weekly Shounen Magazine.
She has also collaborated with UBUKATA Tow for the manga adaption of his novel Mardock Scramble.
Warning: Don't start reading this volume unless you made sure that you are reading it alone, where there is no one at the same room. (Make sure to have a tissue box nearby as well)
This Volume is full of events. A peek at Nishimiya Family's past, what their reaction was when they discovered Shouko's deafness, how they ended up raised by a single mother, their life with granny the kindest heart in the universe.
The chapters talking about granny hit me with a force I can't describe! I wasn't able to hold back the tears that came rushing out.
If you remember correctly in my previous review for this magnificent series, I went on a lengthy rant about why I hate Naoka and pretty much this is the volume where I believe if I was a girl and was getting abused by Naoka I would knock common sense into her and teach her not to mess with me. I disliked her and this volume secured that hatred that I wished she had disappeared from the series all together.
The manga begins right where the story ended in the 3rd volume which is Shoko told Shoya that she loves him but he misinterpreted what she said and Shoko is embarrassed by the whole revelation that she ran back home and told her young sister. I did not mention this in the previous volume because I believe its a little treasure that is meant to be cherished and caught me a bit off guard even though it is clear that they love each other.
The whole gang are almost back together and they decide to go to the carnival fair to enjoy a nice day of rides and food. Everything was going smoothly and then Naoka fucked everything up. Naoka and Shoko ride the ferris wheel and when they finish the ride, Shoya notices that Shoko face is extremely red with hand print stamp on her face meaning Naoka slapped her. I do not know Japanese culture but from my personal experience you never slap a person in the face even if they do deserve it. First its extremely disrespectful to slap someone and its an indicator that you've done it before and that's not how you deal with anger and problems that surfaces in arguments.
I do not blame Shoya for getting furious and I would have done the same if someone slapped someone I cared about it and you don't abuse someone who has disabilities. Strike one was acting completely fake to Shoko, Strike two was for slapping Shoko, and finally strike three for not even feeling bad about hitting her. That's where I draw the line. I remember when I was little this girl in my class would slap guys if they disrespected her or annoy her. One day she was annoying me so as a child I did what I know best which was annoy her too and sure enough I got slapped. I didn't tell the teacher or got her in trouble but I am grateful that I was raised better and never hurt the girl. I had fumes coming out my ears and I was tempted to hit her back or do worst but I know I would be the one that would get caught in the act and get punished.
I do not like people hitting and abusing others regardless of the situation and there has been many occasions where a child abused another kid and they couldn't do anything about because they were of opposite gender or if the child tried to defend themselves they would be punished and not the abuser. I believe a man should never lift a finger at a woman but at the same token slapping a person in the face should not be a solution when confronted with an issue. DAMN YOU NAOKA YOU MADE ME GO ON A RANT AGAIN. Now back to the story...
The last quarter for the story is interesting because you get a major background story as to why Shoko's mother acts the way she does being tough and strict which I felt horrible for her. Shoko's father basically wanted a divorce because he could not handle a deaf child and believes it is the wife's fault for this defect and he didn't sign up for this life. With no one to support her she basically had to work like a slave while the grandmother took care of the kids. I cannot even begin to imagine what was going through the mother's mind on losing a husband, being the only source of income for her children, and she was pregnant with a second child that the husband had no clue about. Shoko's mother reminds me a lot of my mom and that background story helps makes the connection as to why she is tough on Shoko because she does not want her daughter to feel like a victim or seem weak because she is deaf.
the first half of this volume i personally really disliked cause it was mostly about a character i HATE and find totally irredeemable so i hated read it - it was like a 2/5stars
the second half was WONDERFUL and i LOVED it and it was SO EMO AND SAD and would have been a solid 4.5/5stars
This is a review of volumes 4-5 which I read together back to back. See the plot section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.
The Premise
We start meeting some of the other bullies in A Silent Voice vol 4. One of these is Nao, Shoya's contemporary from middle school. He didn't realize that she liked him back then. She has her own regrets from that time, that unfortunately have nothing to do with bullying Shoko and everything to do with bullying Shoya. I admit that I care little for Nao and only am intrigued with how Shoya deals with her. It's the major bomb in Shoko and Yuzuru's life that totally wrung my heart. The bullied deal with the bullies many times due to their loved ones support.
The movie that Tomohiro wants to make causes a lot of trouble between Shoya and the group. The popular kids take over when Tomohiro wanted it to be a labor of friendship. It causes the past to be stirred up and some of the bullies aren't facing the past as it really was. And Shoko feels totally responsible and decides to do something about it. What floored me about A Silent Voice vol 5 is that Shoya was once at this same exact spot at Shoko. I bet he totally understood what lead to this moment and feels just as responsible as Shoko does.
The Buzz
Nao is such a bullying brat. To me she flails around because she's so unhappy. Things between her and Shoko come to a head in A Silent Voice vol 4. I was shocked, shocked at what she did. Yuzuru is a rock star how she handled the situation. Shoko is such a lovely and humble person I just can't believe that Nao won't give in. Realize that this girl takes the world on her shoulders as it is!! The movie that Tomohiro insists Shoya help make gets under way too... I'm excited to see what they do for the story...
Guilt and regret about the past and how we handle it seems to be the themes in A Silent Voice vol 5. Shoya knows his part in the bullying of the past... but others aren't so forgiving as Shoko is nor do the other bullies want forgiveness. In fact, for Miki denial is the way to cope. Satoshi we learn is also in one camp and his response is violence. He can't do otherwise. I was most disappointed in Tomohiro. But not every friend is the best friend always. It's really a fascinating look at friendship and what it means and how we cope when we mess up.
The Feels
Meeting Shoko and Yuzuru's grandmother was the highlight of A Silent Voice vol 4. We see how she supported her daughter against her cretin of a husband and in-laws. Yuzuru is quite close to the old woman and we see how she helped the younger girl to cope. Then there is the way their grandmother maneuvered Shoko and Yuzuru to learn sign language!! GAHHHH this woman is the reason both survived all of the bullying and struggles of a deaf person and their family. I totally cried at one point because Shoya kills it and my heart seized. Even Yuzuru's mom said something nice to him...
Shoko is a girl I don't always understand. But for a Japanese person guilt is a powerful motivator. Her reaction to the events Shoya is going through in A Silent Voice vol 5 is quite strong. It totally killed me and I knew exactly what Shoya was feeling as he raced for her hand. Ironically Shoya takes all the blame on himself too. If only these two would talk!! That is what I'm looking for in the next volumes of A Silent Voice... I want to see more communication and some honest admittance to each bully's role in torturing others.
The Visuals
A Silent Voice vol 4-5 bring back the individualistic art style of Yoshitoki Oima! And I can easily say I'm a fan. It has its own character that brings this story to life. The body language isn't just in their expressions but extends all the way out to full body shots. GAHHHH its so emotional and adds so much to the story. And the balance between backgrounds and close ups is so perfect.
A Silent Voice vol 5 used the art to really make the story hit home. The moments when Shoya thinks about his past are drawn on black backgrounds and made me feel his emotions so much sharper for it. His confrontation with the bullying teacher from the past made me shiver for him. And Satoshi's reaction is so classic! It all was heightened through the art. The last chapter of the volume though... GAHHHH how can love and despair be made to look so beautiful?!
A Silent Voice vol 4-5 builds us a story of bullies, victims and suicide that makes my heart hurt. These are themes that Asian kids are dealing with today in extreme numbers... there is much we can learn about bullies and the bullied reading this series. We need more stories that are hard hitting and so honest they hurt to read but you push through anyway.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
This is a multi-volume series and there may be references to the plot of those volumes... SO READ WITH CARE! Here is my review of 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
______________________ You can find this manga review and many others on my book blog every Monday @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews at the bottom of the page.
Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
The middle was a little bit mehh, but the ending definitely made up for it.
That ending, you guys! I'm crying. I love me a good shojo, thank you for all the feels. Also, I love how we got a backstory about Nishimiya and Yuzu's mother, and .... I'm heartbroken!
I don't know how or when but this series has grown on me so quickly over the last three volumes and it's slowly creeping up on Death Note and Tokyo Ghoul as a new favourite manga series!!
This is my favorite volume so far - you dive a bit deeper into the memories of other characters as well, it was really interesting - but this also kinda feels like the "happy" volume before everything goes wrong?
This vol was split into 3 parts and each were really significant. I liked that now that all the characters had been established the exploration and depth had no limits.
Ueno was such a dynamic character that even whilst I hated how she acted, I understood and almost agreed with what she said. She wasn’t wrong in saying that Shoko always took the easy way out by apologising and smiling and hating herself. As someone who also wants to see people fight for themselves I recognised how right Ueno was about that. And if it made Shoko a better person then maybe in the end the confrontation was worth it. This was how the movie and the manga differed subtly; in the movie Ueno seemed to be only a stuck up bully whereas in the manga she was still a stuck up bully but there are some aspects of her that involve a level of integrity that’s almost admirable.
The exploration of the Nishimiya family was fascinating. I could understand it all from everyone’s perspectives and it was extremely sad to see that the way Shoko’s mum was blamed for her deafness made her cold and strict with her daughters when what they really needed was her comfort and support. This was also something the movie seemed to differ on. The presentation of the mother in the movie was completely different, it’s almost as if the movie removed her entire personality in order to save time having to explore it.
Seeing how vulnerable Yuzuru was and how willing Shouya was to help her was extremely touching. I loved that the bond between Yuzuru and Shouya extend beyond Shoko. I can’t wait to see more of that friendship in the vol 5!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
o jezu, jak mnie wkurwil początek tej części. na miejscu shoko chętniej zeskoczyłabym z dwunastego piętra niż zrobiła reunion z moimi former bullies, girl?? czytanie tego jako unforgiving bitch gave me the biggest ick fr
kurwa i ten ishida nieszczęsny, chłop co zaczął mylić swoje deluzje z rzeczywistością (he thought he made everlasting friendship after one fckn meeting💀 chyba on i ja żyjemy w dwóch różnych uniwersach)
besides, ableizm bohaterów nadal mnie dobija, doslown zatruwaliscie dziewczynce życie tylko przez to, że jest głucha AND YOU STILL HAVE THE AUDACITY TO BLAME HER FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED?????? leczcie się
In questo volume conosciamo di più la famiglia Nishimiya e cosa ha dovuto affrontare e la madre si Shoko. Alcuni punti molto toccanti, soprattutto l'affetto tra le due sorelle. La nonna meravigliosa. Ishida troppo tenero ^^
Scusate se ho poco da dire e neanche detto bene, ma questo volume è stato molto intenso. E' difficile per me parlarne. Ho anche versato una lacrima. Sono emozioni che non riesco, e secondo me, non si possono descrivere. Per capire bisogna solo viverle insieme a loro.
The fourth volume is an improvement over the third, and this continues to be a very good teen series about friendships, disabilities, and the loneliness and angst that comes about when you don't really know how to properly communicate your feelings, which continue to change dramatically, of course. More secondary characters develop and complicate the scene in this one. Family issues come into play, too. This is one of the better teen manga series I am reading, for sure.
I still haven’t found out what the stick things are and she still doesn’t get mad but fun. Rip nan!!
📍Update (finished the series) : Found out what they were for and like, ok?? Is that supposed to be sad 🤨 anyway that ‘rip nan’ part was outrageous wtf. That’s sad I can’t mock it. But it’s staying there anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
De verdad este manga es genial. Es cortito y cada tomo es importante al completo. Este ha sido el mas emotivo hasta la fecha. Me encanta la Yuzuru pequeña <3.
A lot of challenges are presented in this volume in a way they haven’t been before. Family and other friends show up in a more prevalent way and the challenges of juggling those things with one’s personal feelings and emotions is at the forefront of this volume. This volume really challenges how one looks and feels about themself and puts it up against those in our lives who both care and do not care for us. I’m relating a lot of this story to growing up in the environment that I did and having some of the relationships in high school that I also did. While that was some time ago, the memories of growing up and the relationships I had at that time are brought back so clearly.
it was great to get more insight into the Nishimiya family - I love the grandma so much (and damn it, I knew where this was going, but it was still heartbreaking), and especially the mom's backstory, which, once again, seems entirely too real and explains her behavior really well.
I was.....also pretty intrigued by Ueno in this volume. I don't like her and her victim-blaming attitude at all, but she's quite complex as a character and adds an important layer to the story imo.
Also Yuzuru is such a treasure and has definitely become one of my favorite characters at this point as well!
In volume 4 there’s more backstory and development for the side characters, especially Yuzuru, Shoko’s little sister. We also meet their grandmother and see some more of their mom’s backstory that explains some of why she is so harsh. Naoka is proving a more nuanced character as we see her develop a friendship with Miyoko and more about her antagonism towards Shoko.
I love seeing the friendships developing and Yuzuru’s relationship both with her sister and Shoya.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.