A Silent Voice: The Movie

A Silent Voice: The Movie

Year: 2016

Runtime: 129 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Naoko Yamada

RomanceAnimationDrama

Shouya Ishida bullies Shouko Nishimiya, a deaf girl, leading to isolation and resentment from his classmates. Years later, burdened by guilt and regret over his past actions, Shouya seeks out Shouko to apologize and make amends. He hopes to atone for his hurtful behavior and understand the impact it had on her life, but faces the challenge of confronting the consequences of his earlier actions.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present-day Japan, early 21st century

The events span Shouya's adolescence, from middle school through high school. The narrative takes place in a contemporary setting where school life, social dynamics, and family moments drive the plot. It includes moments of celebration and crisis, such as the fireworks festival and the online photo incident, contributing to a long arc of personal growth and redemption.

Location

Japan, middle school, high school, bridge, river, sign language center, amusement park

The story unfolds across contemporary Japan, focusing on school life and public spaces that shape the characters' interactions. Locations shift from classrooms to the river and an amusement park, with a sign language center anchoring the communication theme. Ordinary places become stages for conflict, healing, and the possibility of connection.

🇯🇵 Japan 🏫 School life 🌉 Bridge 🌊 River 🗺️ Urban setting 🎢 Amusement park

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:45

Main Characters – A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016)

Meet the key characters of A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Shouya Ishida (Miyu Irino)

A boy who bullies Shouko in their early years and later becomes withdrawn and haunted by guilt. His arc centers on taking responsibility for his actions, seeking redemption, and rebuilding connections with Shouko and their peers. He discovers that his worth is tied to how he cares for others, not to the silence of others' judgments.

💭 Bullying past 🤝 Redemption 🫂 Empathy 🧭 Self-discovery

Shouko Nishimiya (Saori Hayami)

A deaf transfer student who endures bullying but remains kind and resilient. She communicates through sign language and forms a quiet, enduring bond with Shouya. Her presence catalyzes the group’s shift from conflict to empathy and understanding.

💬 Communication 🫶 Resilience 🫂 Empathy 🧩 Identity

Yuzuru Nishimiya (Aoi Yuki)

Shouko's younger sister who becomes entangled in online pressures and family tensions. Her bond with Shouya grows as they navigate fear, protection, and healing together. Her presence intensifies the stakes and broadens the story's emotional scope.

👧 Sibling bond 🛡️ Protection 💫 Pressure

Tomohiro Nagatsuka (Kensho Ono)

A classmate who shares a sense of isolation and gradually becomes a supportive friend to Shouya. His steady presence helps anchor the group as forgiveness and reconciliation unfold.

🤝 Friendship 🧭 Growth 💬 Communication

Miyoko Sahara (Yui Ishikawa)

A kind friend who had previously befriended Shouko and later re-enters her life to offer support. Her empathy helps sustain Shouko through difficult moments and reinforces the theme of renewed bonds.

💖 Friendship 🫂 Support 🌟 Hope

Naoka Ueno (Yuki Kaneko)

Former bully who reappears in the story, entangled with Shouya and Shouko's circle. Her return stirs jealousy and tension, complicating the path to reconciliation.

💢 Jealousy 🔁 Old hurts

Miki Kawai (Megumi Han)

Elementary school class president who now attends the same school and is in a relationship with Satoshi Mashiba. She plays a pivotal role in revealing aspects of Shouya's past to the group.

👩‍🏫 Leadership 🕵️ Revelation 💬 Communication

Satoshi Mashiba (Toshiyuki Toyonaga)

A classmate connected to Miki, part of the social circle, offering quiet support as the group navigates forgiveness and renewed friendships.

💞 Relationship 🤝 Friendship

Kazuki Shimada (Ryo Nishitani)

A former classmate who intervenes during the river incident, contributing to Shouya's rescue and the story's turning point.

🧭 Memory 🛟 Rescue

Keisuke Hirose (Takuya Masumoto)

A classmate who helps rescue Shouya and remains part of the group dynamic, illustrating the possibility of renewal within a shared circle.

🤝 Friendship 🌀 Tension

Yaeko Nishimiya (Akiko Hiramatsu)

Shouya and Shouko's grandmother; a family figure whose passing casts a somber light over the siblings and their friends, influencing the emotional arc.

👵 Grandparent 🕊️ Loss

Shouya's Sister (Ayano Hamaguchi)

Shouya's sister, a supportive presence who foregrounds the family dimension of the story and the impact of past events on siblings.

👧 Family 🫶 Support

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:45

Major Themes – A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016)

Explore the central themes of A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ Redemption

Shouya's journey moves from guilt over bullying to a deliberate effort to repair the harm he's caused. He confronts his past, takes responsibility, and seeks a chance to rebuild trust with Shouko and others. The arc highlights that redemption is gradual and requires humility and steady, compassionate action.

🤝 Forgiveness

Forgiveness is shown as a fragile, earned gift rather than a given. The characters navigate apology, acceptance, and the slow rebuilding of bonds within a community that once fractured. The narrative suggests that forgiveness grows from consistent care and honest effort over time.

🫂 Empathy

Empathy drives the reconfiguration of old relationships as characters begin to feel one another's pain. The story uses shared experiences of isolation to connect people who were once distant. This emotional alignment helps heal wounds and encourages acts of support.

🧭 Identity

The characters search for self-worth and direction as they navigate adolescence and rebuilding trust. Shouya learns to redefine himself beyond the shadow of past actions, while Shouko and others discover how to express themselves and belong. The journey is about finding purpose through responsible choices and mutual care.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:45

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Redemption stories like A Silent Voice: The Movie

Emotional journeys of atonement for past mistakes that caused deep hurt.Movies like A Silent Voice: The Movie that explore heavy themes of guilt and atonement. If you were moved by the protagonist's journey to make amends for past cruelty, you'll find similar powerful stories of redemption and seeking forgiveness here.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern centers on a protagonist confronting the consequences of their own harmful actions, often from years past. The story unfolds as a deliberate, character-driven exploration of guilt, the attempt to apologize and repair damage, and the complex, often bittersweet outcome of seeking redemption.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on a morally complex protagonist grappling with a heavy burden of regret. They deliver a similarly intense, emotionally weighty experience through a slow, introspective pacing that allows the gravity of the character's journey to fully resonate.

Quiet character studies similar to A Silent Voice: The Movie

Intimate portraits of internal struggle, told with a slow, thoughtful pace.Find films with a similar quiet, introspective feel to A Silent Voice: The Movie. These character-focused stories use a slow pace to delve into emotional trauma, loneliness, and personal growth, perfect if you appreciated the film's deep psychological insight.

introspectivemelancholicquietsomberlonelyemotionalthoughtfulcharacter-driven

Narrative Summary

The narrative is driven by the protagonist's internal world—their memories, guilt, and emotional pain. Conflict is often psychological, stemming from past trauma or social isolation. The plot unfolds slowly, emphasizing quiet moments of connection, misunderstanding, and self-realization over external events.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a specific atmospheric quality: a melancholic, introspective mood combined with a slow, deliberate pacing that creates space for the audience to absorb complex emotions. They feel similar because they use quietness as a tool to explore heavy themes with profound depth.

Unlock the Full Story of A Silent Voice: The Movie

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A Silent Voice: The Movie Summary

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A Silent Voice: The Movie Summary

A Silent Voice: The Movie Timeline

Track the full timeline of A Silent Voice: The Movie with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

A Silent Voice: The Movie Timeline

A Silent Voice: The Movie Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About A Silent Voice: The Movie

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