Last year, it was pretty hard to escape the box office success of Makoto Shinkai's
Your Name last year. And while it was definitely deserved, there were a large number of anime fans around the world who were somewhat baffled by the lack of attention given to A Silent Voice, from director Naoko Yamada. Perhaps it's because
Your Name is an original work and
A Silent Voice is based on a manga?
Whatever the reason, North American anime fans will finally get to see A Silent Voice in theaters as it will be receiving a limited theatrical run, starting on October 20, courtesy of Eleven Arts. Check out an English-subtitled trailer below.
The film follows Shoya, a young, pre-teen boy who bullies a girl transferring into his school because she's deaf. However, he quickly become shunned and labeled a delinquent because of his behavior and is shunned by his classmates for the next few years of school. Years later in high school, the two teens cross paths again and Shoya vows to make a change.
I wish we had never met. I wish we could meet once again. A boy who can hear, Shoya Ishida, and a transfer student who can't, Shoko Nishimiya. One fateful day, the two meet, and Shoya leads the class in bullying Shoko. But before long, the class shifts its target from Shoko to Shoya. Years later, Shoya feels strongly that he must see Shoko once again.