A Silent Voice: A manga that is therapeutic on multiple levels

Article Summary

In this article, the author discusses a soul-stirring Japanese manga called ‘A Silent Voice’ by YoshitokiOima. The story revolves around two characters, Shoya, a bully, and Shoko, a deaf girl who is bullied by Shoya. As the story evolves, circumstances compel Shoya to introspect on his life and his actions back in elementary schools. He slowly starts feeling remorse for what he did to Shoko and eventually decides to apologise to her. Eventually, a new friendship emerges between the two and soon a motley group gets formed, reflecting a coming of age of the characters. The author marvels at the way this manga handles the sensitive topic of bullying – which makes a deep psychological impact on the victim. But as A Silent Voice shows, it can also have consequences for the perpetrator. And given the formative years in school, bullying there can have a deleterious impact on children’s growth. In India, where bullying in school is only just being recognised as seriously detrimental to children, the author thinks that more mangas like ‘A Silent Voice’ can help children understand their own feelings and that they should not put up with it. He wished for the manga to be included as a part of high school libraries across India and that it will be a good aid towards understanding and eliminating bullying.