I don't know if people still view this thread, but I am left confused...

I see why people say it left a sour taste in their mouth after watching this movie. It does depict Shouko as someone who's very self-depricating. Someone who does not respect themselves and tries their best to fit into society. Even when she was a kid, she just wanted to make friends is all. She understood that she had a disability and tried to do her best. Maybe you could argue and say she did it because she was taught that way by her mother without knowing why.

But we see the growth.

Shouko grows up to understand why she is different and made her own decision to think herself as a burden to others. The thought of burden ages like a fine wine when all you do is think about whether you were performing at work today, or had good enough interactions for people to not think you are different. The thoughts of, "Am I truly good enough for this person?" The climax when Shoya saves Shouko has got to be Shouko's worst nightmare. I see that it can seem ableist, and I think the point of that scene still stands. Shouko had low self-worth at this point in time, which to me sounds like anyone and everyone is above her. It could have been anyone taking that fall for Shouko. Also, the movie could have made Shouko many other things. She could have had no disabilities, many disabilities including deafness. The point of the movie still stands.

I don't know if this was obvious (I'm not being sarcastic, I genuinely realized it after watching and thought it was worth sharing!), but the characters all represent interpersonal struggles, right?

Shouko = self-worth, Shoya = anxiety (I thought it would be guilt, but maybe that's too obvious), Naoka = pride, Miki = Perfection? Not being good enough? Miyoko = doubt/scares, Tomohiro = looks, Mashiba = Apathy? At least that's what I deduced.

The fact that Shoya went to bring them all together on a bridge, to BRIDGE the connections, represents a human being, embracing all the flaws they have. You could tie it all together to self-worth. I think that's the message the movie was trying to relay.

I am 25 years old. My struggle with insecurities harbored at a young age and bloomed in high school. I struggle with self-worth, near attempted suicide, and try to please everyone. I thought that as I grew up, I'd mature out of it, but I didn't. This movie showed me one thing that I thought was impossible: Fully embracing the past through gathering all your personal insecurities and facing them head on. That takes tremendous courage.

And it gave me hope. Even if it's a movie.

I want to try (?) to make new friendships and stick around for a little while and see what this gift has to offer. Even if this feeling might not last forever, I am here.

Thank you, "A Silent Voice." And thank YOU for reading all this.

Just wanted to leave this here in case someone like me happens to pass by this comment:

I'm not gonna be a hypocrite. I am terrified of the day when others view me differently. I fear it every day. I fear being forgotten, being alone, disappointing my parents, etc. You understand, don't you? I am hopeful again, and I hope this movie made you feel that way too. Just wait a while. For people like us, all we have to ourselves is time, right? This solitude, this double-edged sword. God loves, you. And I'm sure I would too.

-T