Reviews

聲の形 1 Koe no Katachi 1 by Yoshitoki Oima, Yoshitoki Oima

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jamchow's review against another edition

3.0

This made me very sad, but it hasn’t connected yet. I need more, ya know? We will see where this goes. This can be very hard to read.

falseoracle's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

owly2014's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mehsi's review against another edition

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4.0

I am not sure what to think about this manga. I am also not sure if I found it good or not. For now it is a 4 star, but it might change.

The characters. Urgh I hated them all. Ishida is the worst of all. Being such a bully, such a mean person to someone who is deaf. Someone who is just trying her best to fit in, doing her best to make friends.
Ishida is an idiot, and I am sorry to say, but he kind of deserved what he got for bullying. However, I don't approve it all the way. Especially after a while, I was like: Guys we know, he was a dickhead, but it wasn't like he was alone in doing things. I do hope Ishida will learn a lesson and will get a bit smarter and doesn't feel the need to be such a tough guy.

Everyone in the class were such hypocrites. Blaming it all on Ishida, while they themselves were bullies too. And then bullying Ishida even though they all participated.

I disliked the classmates, and also the teacher. Dear Lord, that dude should never have become a teacher. He barely did anything to help Nishimiya, and when things turned out bad for the school he switched over to Ishida and doing nothing to help him. Because Ishida had it coming. What kind of sad teacher are you? You should be there for your students, help them, correct them. Not just stand by and do nothing.

Though I have seen this happen in other manga (and even anime) as well. One person bullies another, then gets all that bullying back at them, by the same people who helped bully the others.
And just like in most cases, teachers stand by and do absolutely nothing.

Nishimiya is my favourite character, she is a wonderful girl, trying hard to live through her life without hearing anything. Trying her best to participate in things, trying hard to speak. Even when she was bullied, she tried to make friends with Ishida, and when Ishida was bullied she tried to help him. Even though he was totally oblivious to the fact. I also felt sorry for her, having such a mother who just forces her wishes and will on her child.

The artstyle bothered me as well. I didn't really like it and at times found it very ugly.

All in all, it was an interesting manga, though I am not sure if I feel comfortable reading it further.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

_once's review against another edition

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5.0

•Story: 5/5
•Art: 3.5/5
•Overall thoughts: Interesting storyline with sympathetic leads. The art leaves something to be desired, but has more realism than most manga. I also felt that the bullying was the most believable I've seen in manga so far.

The first volume of A Silent Voice follows Shoya Ishida, an average sixth-grader, who believes life is a fight against boredom. His life takes a turn when transfer student, Shoko Nishimiya, joins his class. Shoko cannot hear and requires the other students to write in a notebook in order for her to communicate. The children become impatient with her over time. Shoya believes she is disrupting the peace of their class and begins to bully her, which also alleviates his own boredom.

Shoko's mother eventually alerts the homeroom teacher about her daughter being bullying. The teacher then calls out Shoya in front of the whole classroom. His classmates place all the blame entirely on Shoya, despite them also having a hand in her bullying. They, even Shoya's best friends Kazuki and Keisuke, begin to bully him as severely as he bullied Shoko. Shoko offers her sympathy to Shoya, but spurns her advances. They get into a fist fight and she transfers shortly after. The story briefly shows Shoya in middle school, before focusing on his encounter with Shoko in high school.

Unlike most manga, there are no cut-and-dry "villains". For the most part, all of the characters negatively affect Shoko's or Shoya's lives. Though Shoya is the main bully, it actually hurts to watch him be bullied by the same people who helped him torment Shoko. However, no one is worse than their homeroom teacher, who fails to explain bullying to Shoya and later acts like Shoya being bullied is divine retribution.

Shoko is the only not guilty party in the whole story. I felt heartbroken when she exclaimed "I'b doing nah besd I gan!" (I'm doing the best I can!) during her fight with Shoya, shortly before transferring to another school. I'm interested to see her reaction to seeing Shoya again in volume two.