“A Silent Voice” is a beautiful anime and manga series about a boy named Shoya Ishida. His life changes after he is found guilty of bullying a deaf girl in his school. This bullying incident causes him to lose everything, including his best friends. As a result, when he starts high school, he maintains his distance from others as he doesn’t want anyone to find out the person he used to be.
It is unfair to compare the two versions of a beautiful tale of two teenagers who came so far in life after hearing each other’s voices. For instance, the anime lacks character development like Yaeko Nishimiya, Ito Nishimiya, and Toshi Mashibasa. On the other hand, anime has advanced in providing a voice cast, especially Shouko, which has helped to understand her character better. These differences may seem minor, but these elements add uniqueness to their respective formats.
Beginning
In the anime opening, viewers are introduced to the main character, Shoya Ishida, who attempts to kill himself by jumping from the bridge. It isn’t clear at first, but as the story progresses, it is revealed that Shoya’s strange behavior has to do with the things he did in his childhood. In contrast to the manga version, it starts with Shoya going to Shouko’s school to return her communication notebook. It was revealed that Shouko had to change schools due to bullying from Shoya.
Making A Film Together
When Tomohiro Nagatsuka first decides to make a film with Shoya Ishida, he has no interest in it. But as a friend, he agrees to help him anyway. After hearing about the film, Toshi Mashibasa wishes to help them. Later, he finds out many of his childhood friends have come together.
The same scene occurs in the anime, but the only difference is its impact on Shoya’s life. Both cases show how well these characters worked on the same thing by putting their differences aside, but the manga series makes it more emotional for the main character.
The Death Of Shouko’s Grandmother Has More Weight In The Manga
In the manga, Shouko’s grandmother’s death takes an emotional toll on the Nishimiya family. She was the one who took care of Shouko and Yuzuru when her mother went to work. She also learned sign language to communicate with Shouko. The person whose life was impacted the most was Yuzuru, as her grandmother was the closest person in her life. Losing her grandmother does lead Yuzuru to start going to school. It was her grandmother’s last wish before she passed.
Lack Of Opportunity For Character Development In Anime
Like many anime, “A Silent Voice” features an ensemble cast with numerous characters. In the anime, there’s a little more room for these characters to develop and form relationships with each other. The anime ignored Toshi Mashibasa’s connection with bullying despite it being an element of the manga. In the manga, Toshi Mashibasa punches Shoya in the gut after discovering that he bullied Shouko in childhood. Furthermore, this is the moment when everyone separates from each other.
Less Darker
The anime version of “A Silent Voice” is considerably less dark than its manga counterpart. Given that the series raises several social issues like bullying, social anxiety, self-hate, and redemption, seeing them on the screen can be more emotional. But not at the same level as in the manga. In the manga, Shouko is bullied more than once and has to change schools multiple times. Furthermore, while Shoya is held responsible for bullying Shouko, others get away with bullying Shouko.
Manga Has Made It Clear What’s Going On Shoya’s Mind
The entire story of “A Silent Voice” revolves around Shoya Ishida, so fans should know as much as possible. The anime did a great job of letting viewers know who Shoya Ishida was by dedicating much of the story to showing his inner thoughts.
At the beginning of the anime, Shoya is depicted as a teenager who is afraid to show his true self. He holds himself responsible for the trouble he brought to his mother and the things Shouko missed in school because of him. But the manga made it easier for fans to understand Shoya’s mindset. At one point, he wants to end his life, but at the other, he wants to become friends with Shouko. The two versions are equally good, but these little differences make the plot unique.
Manga Made It Clear To Understand Shouko’s Reason For Ending Her Life
Viewers are left shocked when they see Shouko trying to kill herself. Many fans wonder why Shouko took such a terrible step. Some say she was often bullied, which made her think of killing herself. Others believe Shouko wants to end her life due to the problems she brought for Shoya. The anime didn’t give a valid reason, but the manga did. The manga introduces fans to Shouko’s life from childhood to her teenage years. It made it clear for fans to understand Shouko’s mindset. From birth until she met Shoya, she held herself responsible for the pain and suffering she caused others.
Shouko Try To Express Her Feelings To Shoya
In “A Silent Voice” anime, Shouko leaves every fan speechless when she gives a present to Shoya and says, “I Love You.” Due to her speech impediment, Shoya misheard Shouko as “The Moon.” Following this, Shouko runs from the place in embarrassment.
Shoya Rescued By Kazuki Shimada After He Fall Into The Water
In the anime, Shoya falls into the water while trying to save Shouko from falling. After the hard landing on the water’s surface, Shoya lost consciousness. Kazuki Shimada saved him and brought him to the surface. In the manga, Keisuke Hirose and Kazuki Shimada save Shoya after he falls into the water.
Naoka Ueno Is The Worst Character Of A Silent Voice
Naoka Ueno is one of the most hated characters in “A Silent Voice” anime and manga series. At the beginning of the series, Naoka is one of Shoya’s close friends. Due to her closeness to Shoya, Naoka can do anything to please Shoya, including hurting Shouko.
In the anime, the scene of Noaka Ueno hurting Shouko was taken out, which made her less hateful in the film. However, in the manga, she does things that make her one of the most hated characters, like bullying Shouko, Miki Kawai, and Miyoko Sahara. She even slapped her on the face during their trip to an amusement park.
