Naoko Yamada crafts a hazy, nostalgic visual style perfect for exploring the ideas of guilt and memory which drive its plot but it’s the movies colourful, finely-tuned cast of characters which make it so easy to spend time with.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 4, 2024

A Silent Voice is one of the best Japanese animated films of the past decade and an essential watch.

| Oct 22, 2021

I think the key to this film ... is self-loathing in its various forms.

| Jul 1, 2020

A marvelously subtle work of visual storytelling.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 19, 2020

All of this is handled so wonderfully and with such care. It's refreshing to see an anime handle such emotive issues as mental health, bullying, and suicide.

| Jan 27, 2020

The film deserves applause for two great reasons: Its aesthetic beauty and the original approach of the author. [Full Review in Spanish]

| Jul 24, 2019

It's a very tough tightrope director Naoko Yamada walks with a protagonist bully but she manages to underscore the social anxiety and rejection of both characters with poignancy and power.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 6, 2019

Its themes are dark but it's also redeemingly educational.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 19, 2018

I was able to connect with a group of people in an age group close to my own, dealing with personal demons that they refuse to admit exist for a solid majority of the film.

| Aug 17, 2018

A Silent Voice proves Naoko Yamada is one to watch in the landscape of modern Japanese animation... [Full Review in Spanish]

| Apr 10, 2018

The caliber of the art makes this more than just another movie about "bullying." [Full Review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 20, 2018

With regard to editing, seemingly innocuous moments are used to equally ramify the scope of the story. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 19, 2018

The most interesting anime director of the moment gives a lesson in empathy, building complex characters, and many turns. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 12, 2018

The movie is rich in visual findings. [Full Review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 21, 2018

The film is beautiful to look at. The film is hand-drawn, and the outdoor settings and backdrops are breathtaking. A Silent Voice is a true piece of art.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 20, 2017

An unflinching depiction of the cruelty children inflict on each other.

| Oct 19, 2017

Naoko Yamada is regarded as one of the "up and coming" animated filmmakers seeking to fill the void created by the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki. Considering the artwork in A Silent Voice, it's easy to see why.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 18, 2017

It has some interesting visuals, but A Silent Voice demands investment in the redemption of someone who's impossible to root for.

| Oct 18, 2017

The film's brilliant pacing and expertly woven narrative deliver an empowering story that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

| Original Score: 9.5/10 | Oct 16, 2017

The visual storytelling is powerful, and coupled with the effective soundtrack, you don't even need to read the subtitles to know what the characters are saying.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 21, 2017