As a disclaimer, just know this is my first review!
Enjoyment 10: I enjoy a good cathartic cry. This story felt very personal to me because of its connection to perspectives on deafness, bullying, and social anxiety. My heart could also barely take the most intense moment of the movie as I felt my eyes widen and heartbeat increase. But there were also some genuine moments of laughter at being a goofy teenager. I left the movie theater very satisfied and had to snap back into reality. I'm still pondering about how people view others with disabilities and also how wonderful it is to open up to others.
Story 9: I didn't read the manga, but I really want to now. My Japanese isn't perfect so I'm not sure if moments I didn't understand were due to the language barrier or an actual gap in the plot (hence the 9). I'm the kind of person who rates a story good or bad largely based on the ending. The ending of Koe no Katachi was a 10 in my opinion. It wasn't necessarily the perfect full circle or anything a movie critic could point out, but rather just because I felt like I understood what the director wanted me to feel and know.
Art 9: I am really, really not an art critic. I just liked the moments when there were visuals depicting sound as color and movement. The colors were pretty bright and vivid but more subdued when they needed to be. I was also quite glad to see inclusion of sign language without written subtitles. Let me repeat, that is so wonderful!
Sound 9: The opening sequence was completely unforgettable. I'd love to know more about why the director chose a song by The Who when I would not typically associate that British rock band with this story. It helped remind me that these boys who bully a girl who is deaf are still whimsical kids. There was also a scene with distorted sound that was so well done it made me question if the movie theater's sound system was broken. I can't remember the melody of the credit song, but the instrumental music during the final scene of the movie was quite good. I'm not sure if this counts as sound or character, but Nishimiya's voice actress way of speaking was well done with nasality and consonant/consonant cluster substitutions. One particular substitution had a very different meaning than what was intended for example. The actress herself is not hearing impaired so I'm wondering about the process behind finding Nishimiya's voice.
Character 9: I actually wasn't that bothered by the lack of side character development. Seeing the main character's growth (Ishida) was good enough for me. The way he viewed others for most of the movie was very relatable. If anything I would like to know more of Nishimiya's true thoughts on being bullied. The fact that there's a realistic girl with a hearing impairment as a main character is reason enough for me to adore this movie.
In closing, if you get the chance to see this movie please do. There should be at least one feeling a movie watcher can relate to. I think most people at some point have felt isolated, that they can't trust others, resilient in the face of hardships, weak in moments of selfishness, the longing of wanting to atone, or the desire to be a better person.
