A Silent Voice (聲の形, Koe no Katachi, lit. "The Shape of the Voice") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Ōima. The manga was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from August 7, 2013 to November 19, 2014, although two one-shots were created and published prior to its full run. It received a seven tankōbon volume release in Japan, which would later be translated into other languages.
Brief Plot Overview[]
The story revolves around the relationship between Shōya Ishida and Shōko Nishimiya, two protagonists who -- on the surface -- seem like polar opposites. Beginning in sixth grade, Shōya’s class sees the arrival of Shōko, a deaf girl who is unable to communicate through conventional means. Her disability intrigues Shōya, although it gradually leads him to become Shōko’s bully. This results in both parties going their separate ways for nearly six years, with Shōya becoming a victim of bullying and isolation himself. In the present, Shōya makes preparations to commit suicide, seeking out Shōko on the day he plans to carry out the act. However, what he intends to be an apology and final goodbye becomes the start of an invaluable friendship -- a reason to continue living.
Throughout the narrative, Shōko and Shōya are continually shown to be much more alike than even they initially realize -- which is arguably most apparent in their shared desire to grow closer and reach a true, mutual understanding. As the pair rekindle connections with past acquaintances and create bonds with new friends, they gradually work through their own deep-seated traumas and self-loathing -- ultimately learning how to healthily move forward. However, that’s not to say it came easily, as everyone had to face and overcome some amount of hardship along the way.
Editor’s note: This overview is intended to be as spoiler-free as possible while providing some level of necessary context. The manga's story is deliberately complex and meticulously laid out -- featuring numerous writing choices, underlying details, and multi-chapter connections which are impossible to illustrate through a short summary. With that said, please support the original release!
One-Shots[]
Also known as “pilot” versions of the story, each one-shot features various differences from the full series, although both roughly cover what would go on to become the first six chapters.
1st One-Shot (2008)[]
The first one-shot was published in 2008 and won the 80th Annual Shonen Magazine Newcomer Award. It was officially translated into English and included as a part of Kodansha USA’s “A Silent Voice Complete Collector’s Edition 1”.
- Without spoiling too much, this one-shot features artwork and story details which are noticeably different from the final version. One big example is that Shōko’s inner thoughts are directly communicated to the audience in several scenes -- something which the full series refrains from almost entirely in order to emphasize her struggle in communicating herself.
2nd One-Shot (2011)[]
The second one-shot was published in the February 2011 issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine.[1][2] It was officially translated into English and included as a part of Kodansha USA’s “A Silent Voice Complete Collector’s Edition 2”.
- This one-shot features artwork and a plot which are much closer to the full series, and could be described as an abridged telling of the events seen in first six chapters. However, it’s not a complete one-to-one, as a number of smaller details were subsequently changed or excluded entirely in the final product.
English Releases[]
Crunchyroll[]
On March 14th, 2014, Crunchyroll announced that they would be publishing a digital only release of the Koe no Katachi manga, which would coincide with its ongoing serialization in Japan at the time. This simulpub was the series’ first official English translation/localization, using the versions of the chapters found in Weekly Shōnen Magazine as a base.
- This version is no longer available in any official capacity due to being replaced by the Kodansha Comics English releases.
Kodansha Comics USA[]
During their Anime Expo panel on July 5th, 2014, Kodansha Comics announced that they licensed the series for a physical release in North America.[3] The first of seven volumes was published on May 26th, 2015. Kodansha's release became the manga's second official English translation/localization, this time being based on the updated versions of the chapters seen in the Japanese tankōbon.