Silent Voice is one of the most watched anime movies of all time, but few people know that real-life events inspired author Yoshitoki Ōima’s story.
Released in 2016, the anime film focuses on the story of a deaf elementary school student who is bullied at school. Due to her treatment, she was forced to change schools. Years later, the bully looked back on his behavior and expressed remorse. This prompted him to make amends.
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How real-life events inspired the story Silent Voice
TikTok is filled with rumors that Shouko Nishimiya and Shoya Ishida’s story is based on a true story about high school students. However, this is not true. Although the story is inspired by real-life events, it is just a culmination of many different cases that portray the difficulties faced by deaf people.
In the interview, the author said: “My mother is a sign language translator so I can ask her and people around me about the details of sign language and the reality of hearing loss.”
Yoshitoki recorded the events that everyone faced and decided to write a story from it. She also drew inspiration from Gifu, where she used to live.
Why did the author choose to write the story from the perspective of a bully?
In most cases, viewers hear the story from the victim’s perspective. However, Yoshitoki makes it clear that no one will care about that. Instead, she wanted to explore an area that is often left untouched.
“For me, it was easier to go into the story from a bully’s perspective or Shota’s perspective,” she said. I’m sure many readers can relate to Shota more than Shoko. Most people can only speculate what it feels like to be bullied by a disabled girl. But the truth is you will never know how she really feels.”
“I think that’s the more important point to convey,” she continued. So I don’t want to reveal Shoko’s inner thoughts or true feelings.”
The author has a favorite character
In addition to the main characters, Yoshitoki admits that she loves Miyoko. She said: “It may not be my favorite character, but I feel like I’m being too easy on her… as if I don’t want to create too harsh an obstacle for her.”
Yoshitoki further noted that she tried to complete the manga by getting deep into each character’s head. This certainly gave the plot the intimate touch it needed.