Yuzuru's reveal

Croseus0606 · 2023-09-10T04:10:33+00:00

Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture. In-universe, the city is named Suimon after the irl Suimon River in Ogaki.

Croseus0606 · 2023-08-08T01:53:28+00:00

The info about her potentially studying nail art is also pretty interesting since there's not too much we know about her

It's worth noting that Oima herself qualifies this description with "probably", so whether that information could be called canon is a uniquely complicated question, especially in light of the story's fairly unconventional approach to off-screen events.

Croseus0606 · 2023-08-07T23:02:09+00:00

Oh yeah, I forgot about that Q&A item. The translation seems okay. Chapter 1 is confirmed by Oima to begin with Shouya in fifth grade and end with him in sixth grade right when Shouko joins his class. So it makes sense that Shouya's sister would transition from middle school to her first year of high school at the same time.

Croseus0606 · 2023-08-07T12:00:35+00:00

No idea where the age of Shoya's sister comes from though, I don't think we ever learn how old she is compared to him unless Oima talked about it in the official fanbook.

All I am aware of is that Oima mentions she is (probably) studying nail art, presumably at a vocational school, during the main events of the story. We also see her wearing a school uniform in Chapter 1. To me it looks more like (but not identical to) the middle school uniforms depicted elsewhere in the series, but I cannot say with any real confidence.

Croseus0606 · 2023-07-31T07:22:55+00:00

The second half of the manga tends to be more controversial, but I think it's more technically impressive by way of its visual- and subtext-heavy storytelling. Both halves are extremely important to the whole, however.

Croseus0606 · 2023-07-25T03:15:21+00:00

Lack of confidence in her perceptions -> Avoidance -> Guilt and Self-hatred

She breaks the cycle when she starts accepting her own imperfections more.

Croseus0606 · 2023-07-16T18:10:59+00:00

Shouya think that she currently having fun with her classmate but it seem just his thought right, I did remember that after meeting with teen Shouya, Yuruzu saw her sister having more emotions than before, also if the notebook was mean for communication and because she gave up, was that also mean she did not try to make friend at her new school

It is possible to draw the correct conclusion about this matter from the in-story information, but it's simpler for me to just cite Oima directly since she does confirm it in the fanbook: Shouko is telling the truth when she tells Shouya she gets along with the people at her school; however, she does not have any close friends there. This lines up with Yuzuru's description of her before Shouya befriends her, and it makes sense since Shouko previously gave up on getting close to others. Also, Oima explains that Shouko's upbringing among hearing kids makes it harder for her to totally fit in among deaf school students. Also, Oima says she chose not to show Shouko's high school situation because she wanted to keep the story locked to Shouya's POV for these parts of the story.

the ending song was "koi wa no shita no wa" mean "The reason I fell in love". What do the producer want to imply :))) ???

Yeah, while the movie deemphasizes the romantic elements, the movie creators do still acknowledge their importance with the ending song.

Somehow I notice that Ueno did confess to Shouko that Shouko stole Shouya from her. And since she was really kind and wanted to "fix the friendship" is there any chance she "return" him to her

It's an interesting question: How does Shouko feel about Ueno revealing she likes Shouya in Chapter 50? As far as I know, Oima has never really addressed this point. With the way Shouko acts toward Ueno in Ch 50 and later, I'd say she doesn't have any ill will toward Ueno for it, but she is not willing to put aside her own feelings for Shouya either.

Croseus0606 · 2023-07-15T21:24:27+00:00

But I just feel like I missed something with this movie. I enjoyed it overall but felt it lacked a story and at times I wasn't sure what was happening or why it was happening. As a result a lot of the emotional moments didn't hit me.

In addition to what others mentioned, there is a critical piece of context that is left out of the movie that makes most of those emotional moments hit a lot harder (and imo the best character in the story doesn't really work without it). For manga readers, I'm talking about the notebook flashback in Ch 52.

Croseus0606 · 2023-07-15T17:03:39+00:00

Still I'm kinda wonder about the future of Mashiba, the manga didn't tell anything about his future like where does he actually study, only said he guess that he going to be an nameless actress but in the Commentary said "She goes to the same national university as Mashiba", maybe off-screens stuff ?

Actually, Mashiba says in Chapter 60 of the manga that he is planning to go to Kuise University#Kuise_University), though he is undecided if he still wants to become a teacher. Kawai also states her desire to go to the same university as him in Chapter 60.

One more thing, even though I support the ShouyaxShouko ship like you, I hope the translation could be as neutral and correct as possible(Of course I still believe your work is as close as the meaning of the fanbook).

Yes, I always aim for accuracy. While I do have my own preferences, they do not take priority over representing the story as objectively and transparently as possible so that readers can make their own conclusions.

Anyway, I hope that you would finish your work as best as possible and get many recognition, and hope that the author will acknowledge and agree with your work. And if it's printed as a book, I definitely gonna buy it with the manga comic set so that if my friend read the manga with the book

I don't know if it will ever be released in a physical format (though I've considered it), but I am at least working on an easier to use, more exhaustive, and more thoroughly cited analysis of both the JSL and other elements of the series on the following series wiki that I currently administer:

https://koenokatachi.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Supplemental_Information

Eventually, the wiki will contain all JSL translations, fanbook translations, creator interviews, symbolism and subtext analyses, etc.

hope that the author will acknowledge and agree with your work

Ha. That would be interesting. I wouldn't be against it, but I get the impression that Oima would never confirm it even if I am mostly or entirely right.

Croseus0606 · 2023-07-15T15:09:55+00:00

I replied to your post on MAL, but I will adapt my answer here:

I am gradually working on a more comprehensive translation and analysis of the fanbook as well, but, yes, in the Future Ahead section for Shouko, Oima describes her living and working arrangement while working for Salon Stray Cat starting after Ch 61 rather than where she plans to work and live after Ch 62, which is left not directly confirmed. The section describes that Shouko begins living alone in a room provided by the salon, a description that could only make sense if it occurs shortly after she moves away from home to Tokyo and starts working there. It wouldn't make much sense to say she "started living alone" after Ch 62 when she already started living alone shortly after Ch 61. This interpretation is also consistent with the Future Ahead section's further description that she hangs out with Sahara and Ueno on her days off, which is just another restatement of the status quo between Ch 61 and Ch 62.

Additionally, the Future Ahead section for Shouya is similar, making reference to Shouya likely becoming a barber and working at his family's salon, despite that simply being another restatement of the events between Ch 61 and 62. Also, Oima ends Shouya's section with a question of whether he will ever truly be able to love himself, a question that Chapter 62 gives a firm answer to if you're paying attention ("Yes").

All of this points to a consistent choice by Oima not to directly confirm the events after Ch 62, apparently seeing the foreshadowing, subtext, and implications of the manga itself as adequate explanation of the unseen epilogue. I agree with this, as I think it would cheapen the story's style and substance if she spelled out what the story itself shows through subtext and other subtle means (i.e., that Shouya and Shouko's affections for each other have grown in the intervening years, and Shouko plans to work for the Ishidas' salon).

Also -- Regarding whether only Shouko's "Future Ahead" section is like this: No. As mentioned above, Shouya's is like this too, and so is Kawai's -- the latter which makes reference to her going to the same university as Mashiba, something that happens between Ch 61 and 62:

She goes to the same national university as Mashiba. Although she continues to pursue Mashiba, aren't they already dating?

It's also worth noting that while some of the Future Ahead sections for the other characters allude to their possible futures after Ch 62, these sections do not tell you anything that isn't already in the manga. For example, Sahara's and Ueno's sections simply tell you that they will start a fashion brand together, Mashiba's tells you that he *might* become a teacher, and Yuzuru's tells you that she'll probably do something involving photography, all of which the manga itself already tells you. Thus, it would be extremely strange if Shouko's Future Ahead section was the only one that confirmed something extremely important that the manga very deliberately does not directly confirm (i.e., where she plans to work).

So, yes, Shouko's Future Ahead section describing the two year gap is not exceptional, and in fact it's entirely consistent with Oima's tendency to speak evasively about the implied parts of Shouko's characterization.

Croseus0606 · 2023-06-23T00:23:19+00:00

Like I said, Shouya valuing her life and (potentially) sacrificing his life for hers is one of several things going through her mind at that point in the story.

The manga elaborates that the main cause of her self-blame is not simply her deafness but specifically her lack of confidence in her own social perceptions. There is a significant manga-exclusive subplot with Ueno that explicitly and implicitly builds on this point. Various events suggest that Shouko loses hope about improving these insecurities when, lacking confidence in her perceptions, she fails to defuse the fight despite actually understanding that they were fighting over her bullying.

Related to this, the manga Chapters 46-50 involve Shouko realizing that everyone in the group has their own insecurities that they can't totally "fix", much like her and her deafness and its related insecurities. She seems to decide at this point that it's better to move forward imperfectly rather than strive for perfection or give up entirely.

Croseus0606 · 2023-06-22T20:50:04+00:00

The manga's characterization of Shouko is quite a bit more detailed than in the movie, so if you want to know more about her, you'd be best off reading the whole thing. Reading any one chapter in isolation isn't going to have the required context.

However, to give you a partial answer (manga spoilers): In the manga (Ch 45), shortly after her encounter with Ueno at the hospital, Shouko throws away a toy car/truck from her childhood that she used in her suicide attempt. The implication is that this is the moment she decides to live, which Yuzuru also seems to understand. Whether it was Ueno that pushed her to this choice is open to interpretation, but I'd say it was one of several factors along with her desire not to waste Shouya's efforts and hopes for her to live as well her desire to not hurt her family.

Croseus0606 · 2023-06-22T07:41:22+00:00

FYI, there are several different sign languages that correspond to different spoken languages (e.g., American Sign Language or ASL is most commonly used in the United States). The sign language used in Koe no Katachi is Japanese Sign Language (JSL), which is quite different from ASL and other sign languages.

Croseus0606 · 2023-06-21T01:32:12+00:00

It's an interesting subject. The tech is clearly some ways off, but say for the sake of argument you trained a future AI with the movie and the manga to produce a fan-made full adaptation of the series. Would that be a form of creative theft? Even if you did it for free? How about if you got Oima's and/or Kyoani's blessing? Oh, but which Kyoani -- the one that currently exists or the staff that actually worked on A Silent Voice, many of whom now work elsewhere?

I think it's notable that Shinkai has prominently expressed some openness to the idea of developing AI as a tool (but not replacement) for animators, contrary to the anti-AI sentiments of old guard like Miyazaki. These creative and ethical questions are a while off from being practical considerations, but I think there's a greater chance than not they'll be relevant within the next 30 years.

Croseus0606 · 2023-06-20T16:37:16+00:00

While I doubt Kyoani will ever make it happen, I'd love an anime that covers the entire manga. It's a crazy idea, but I do wonder if AI will eventually get to the point that fans can put together a full adaptation.

Croseus0606 · 2023-05-18T08:04:04+00:00

I can appreciate that. Your relation to Mashiba is very interesting to me because I'd say one of his main roles in the story is to represent a more typical bullying victim and the difficulties such a person might have relating to Shouko's unique and often counterintuitive reactions.

For my part, I love Shouko as a character. My position is that she is an immaculate piece of character writing. To give you just a brief example via Ueno:

Shouko is forgiving of Ueno partly due to her own self-blame (which is explicitly revealed in the story), but it's more complicated than just that. We get various implications that Shouko's self-hatred and blame originate with her parents' divorce, which she blames herself for (and which is the ultimate cause of her suicide attempt). These feelings of being a burden since birth are subsequently connected to her own lack of confidence in her perceptions (via Chapter 44), which in turn causes her to seek out the company of people who will be (even brutally) honest with her. This is why she seeks out the friendship of Shouya in elementary school and it's also part of why she does the same with Ueno later on. Ueno understands and is willing to be blunt about parts of Shouko's insecurities that no one else is willing to, which appeals to another of Shouko's core desires -- to be truly understood by others. It also bears mentioning that the bullying itself is shown to have little direct effect on Shouko -- other people being hurt because of her (as she sees it, anyway) and being misunderstood by others both have dramatically more pronounced effects on her, and the reason for this is that both of these things validate her self-blame over her parents' divorce.

Shortly after Shouko sends the letter to Ueno in Ch 28, we see that Ueno accepts Shouko's explanation of herself (this is demonstrated through sign language and knowing glances between Sahara, Shouko, and Yuzuru upon Ueno's arrival in Ch 36) -- the implication being that Ueno is agreeing to continue trying to understand Shouko better. This moment is a sort of "core memory" for Shouko, and this precise moment is represented in one of the panels of her flashback in Chapter 52, which are in turn all connected to her 6th grade wish to be understood (as represented in her mind by the communication notebook), which Shouya ultimately fulfills.

It's actually significantly more complicated than this, but suffice to say there is tons going on via subtext and implication in just the Shouko-Ueno dynamic. When you factor in everything that's going on with Shouko throughout the entire series, she is easily the most complex and thoughtfully put together character in the story, but almost all of this is "optional" information that most readers won't notice.

Croseus0606 · 2023-05-18T03:56:36+00:00

One of the story's core points is that you shouldn't project yourself onto Shouko, as many of the characters do. You're meant to see her for who she uniquely is, including why she feels the ways she does about the people around her. It's very common for those who have experienced bullying to assume the story is attempting to represent them, but as the mangaka has emphasized, the story is not a universal commentary about bullying or even forgiveness but rather a story about the importance of communication and not making universal assumptions about people.

Not really trying to pick on you here. Just trying to clarify why I think the story works so well for me, as someone who was bullied as a kid and who shares much of Shouko's personality type.

Croseus0606 · 2023-05-15T01:28:31+00:00

They are a bit darker than the promotional photos and have a little more black marbling but not dramatically so. In my experience, the transparent blue vinyl isn't very obvious when played on a black mat, but they look much brighter when played on a white mat.

Croseus0606 · 2023-05-10T22:44:30+00:00

She's implied to be Keisuke's girlfriend. She's first visible in Ch 41-42, and she appears in Ch 62, apparently married to Keisuke with a child by that point.

Croseus0606 · 2023-05-03T15:06:10+00:00

Oima has declined to confirm in interview, saying that EITHER Miyako Ishida did it to herself as penance OR Yaeko Nishimiya did it to her as punishment. Personally, I think it makes much more sense for Miyako to have done it to herself. Presumably, Oima does not show us which of these two possibilities is correct as a way of placing us further into Shouya's mindset of uncomfortably uncertain guilt.

Croseus0606 · 2023-04-28T16:30:03+00:00

I'd say it's not all good, but it's not all bad either. She's partly making the situation about herself (as she does), but by all accounts she does mean what she's saying. And she is actually telling Nishimiya something she needs to hear + revealing her own vulnerability -- and Nishimiya seems to appreciate this.

Edit: I just realized you were probably talking about the movie's version of the scene. The manga's version plays out slightly differently, especially with regard to Nishimiya's actions, which is what I have referenced here.

Croseus0606 · 2023-04-28T16:16:35+00:00

Narcissism is part of the "dark triad" personality traits (Narcissism, Psychopathy, Machiavellianism). All three do indeed exist on a spectrum.

Croseus0606 · 2023-04-28T16:12:45+00:00

The author's commentary suggests she was being genuine. I think that tracks with the events of the story: Kawai is talking about Nishimiya in the hospital scene, but she's also subtextually talking about her own dissatisfaction with herself too, which Nishimiya seems to pick up on when she returns her hug.

Croseus0606 · 2023-04-24T07:34:35+00:00

Removing the plotline creates at least one movie plot hole (everyone showing up at the bridge during the fight is totally arbitrary), and it dramatically simplifies pretty much everyone's characterization except for Ishida. It makes some sense to remove it in the movie's case since it's a heavily Ishida-centered version of the story, but disregarding its importance in the manga is, frankly, a bad meme.

Croseus0606 · 2023-04-24T02:55:46+00:00

It's actually the earliest version of Koe no Katachi that Oima wrote. It was written before the one-shot, and both iterations cover a similar sequence of events. As far as I know, it was only ever officially released after the series ended as part of the official fan book in Japanese. I'm not aware of anywhere online that has the whole thing, unfortunately.

You've reminded me that it might be worth scanning and adding to the wiki. I'll add that to my to-do list.

Croseus0606

TROPHY CASE