The Shape of Voice or A Silent Voice

There are two different English translations for the movie written by Reiko Yoshida and directed by Naoko Yamanda, which was based off the seven volume manga written by Yoshitoki Oima. Though the movie was released in 2016 in Japan, it wasn't until 2017 that it was released in the USA. Since the manga and the animated movie was released, the complex yet beautiful family drama story has captured the hearts of many.

The official English translation for the movie is The Shape of Voice, but there is a second translation which is A Silent Voice. The two translations are argued among the fans since almost day one. Here I will give reasons for both translations, The Shape of Voice and A Silent Voice, as to why they could be good for the title, and then we can continue arguing over the title translations, because if we're going to be honest... no one will ever agree!

The first translation we will discuss is the official one, which is The Shape of Voice. There are many valid reasons we can discuss in order to explain why this title could be the most fitting for the story, but for now we shall only go over three.

The characters Shouko and Shoya were able to piece together the broken pieces of their lives, and others around them with simply their voices. They were able to mend broken friendships, create new friendships using their voices, and from there, shape a new life for themselves. The actions that followed these voices created shapes too. At the end of the movie, Shoya was given hand made paper swan leis, which were given to him by his friends. These simple paper swans were the shape of his friends thanks, forgiveness, and heartfelt apologizes. Their voices shaped and molded better lives for everyone, and they is the first reason why The Shape of Voice could be the most fitting title for this family drama.

The second reason that The Shape of Voice could be the most fitting title is that Shouko, her words and the words of everyone around her, were just shapes. Shouko is a deaf girl with a charming and cute personality. While some deaf people can speak clearly, others cannot. Sadly Shouko was one of those who could not speak clearly. JSL (Japanese sign language) was one of two ways of communication. This is how she talked to people, and people talked to her. For those who didn't know JSL, she wrote in a little notebook to talk to them. If they had something to say back, the other person would write what they wanted to say in the same notebook. Her voice, and the voices of everyone else, were actual shapes, whether it was with writing or JSL.

The third reason The Shape of Voice could be the most fitting title is because their voices shaped them as characters. Each character left an impact, a different shape, in one another. Their lives were changed and shaped into something better and brighter. Quote: "Back then, if we could have heard each other's voices, everything would have been so much better. " End quote. Change didn't happen for them because they didn't want the other person to shape their life, to mold it into something better, because they thought life was already just how it needed to be.

The Shape of Voice. the shapes they made to communicate and the shapes they molded at a young age and left behind, only to be picked up again and built into something better for every character.

The second English translation isn't as widely known. A Silent Voice is the second English translation we will discuss. Like The Shape of Voice, A Silent Voice also has many valuable points to discuss as to why it should be the more fitting title for the story but we will only go over three.

Some people feel like they are unheard, practically invisible. They feel like the world has silences them into hermiting in their own personal shells, silenced them into asking and answering their own questions and not showing everybody who they truly are, like how they character Shouko felt. Others feel like they need to silence themselves. They have to hide themselves because their voices were too strong for them and they felt unworthy of something so powerful. They also wielded their voices as a weapon and did not realize it until it was too late, like the character Shoya. Quote: "You can change. start now. It's not too late." End quote. We see Shouko's precious words throughout the entire movie, even though they were said towards the end, as we watch each character change when they thought they didn't have any more room to do such a thing.

A Silent Voice can be the most fitting because we see each character struggle to get their silent voices heard. Some have been silences all their life, while others had learned to silence themselves.

A Silent Voice is fitting for the title because Shouko didn't have a literal voice. She was able to verbally speak but it was hard to understand for most. Because of this, she felt silenced and misunderstood. Her most understandable form of communication was JSL and writing but even those were silent. JSL and writing were her silent voice. This is the first reason why I think A Silent voice is a good title for the plot of the story.

The second reason is that A Silent Voice can be the title is that Shouko and Shoya felt invisible. Because Shouko was deaf and mainly communicated via JSL and writing, she was hard to see. She wasn't noticed because of her silence. she felt shut up and shut out from the rest of the world. Shoya on the other hand was a bully. He forcefully owned the spotlight and purposely shone it away from Shouko… until he grew up. Until he couldn't handle the power of having a voice. In high school he had silenced himself. He didn't want to hear his voice anymore and he didn't want others to hear it either. Quote: "Things would have been so much better back then... if we had heard each other's voices." End quote. Shoya was right by saying this. Life would have been better, louder for him and Shouko if they had just listened to their soft whispers. Quote: "I hate myself. I was selfish, and I never thought about anyone else's feelings. Since then, my classmates have all looked down on me." End quote. This was when Shoya began to be silenced by himself and by others.

Quote: "I've lived for seventeen years, and I haven't lived one of them as a good person. The only time I heard your voice was when we got into that fight. And what pisses me off the most is that I haven't changed at all since back then! But...But now, I think I can understand what you were saying... Nishimiya." End quote. After living his life in shame and most of it in silence, our boy Shoya took action and decided to use his silenced voice, starting with a simple, soft whisper. This was how Shoya felt, but what about Shouko?

Quote: "I thought that... if only i was gone... if only I didn't exist in this world... I then wouldn't cause any trouble to anyone I know." End Quote. Shouko later found her voice and wasn't silenced. She was finally able to voice her fears and how she felt. Once she had found that voice and was no longer invisible, she began to think things were her fault, and that if she was able to permanently silence herself, like Shoya thought at the start of the story, there would be no more trouble.

While it appears that the second reason could have covered everything, there is still a third. Their voices, which were once quiet, were able to become loud. What all started with a single soft whisper grew into a lion's mighty roar throughout the entire course of the story. To the group of friends, it was everything they needed. They were able to voice their thoughts and their concerns. Their questions and their fears. To them their voices still felt silences to the rest of the world but in reality they left a great impact.

A Silent Voice, voices which were once invisible and unheard, finding a place to make a sound. Finding strength to cause a ripple in the sea of greater things.

The two titles, The Shape of People and A Silent Voice, are both valid titles that fit the story and breath new life into it. While some people will believe one is greater than the other, either translation can and will work well and bring a different and better meaning to the story, which has captured the hearts and will continue to capture the hearts of thousands of people.