001: A Silent Voice vol. 1
A suicidal schoolboy seeks forgiveness from the deaf girl he bullied. Skip synopsis to the mash and potatos @ 10.24
Theme Music: 'Electro Hype' by Liam Bradbury
Podcast created by Jim Fitton and Steven Gorton
Published by Kodansha. The poignant 'A Silent Voice' has been adapted into an animated movie in 2016 and is currently available on Netflix as of 2019. Its author, Yoshitoki Oima has been nominated for awards, including the 2016 Eisner Award and the 19th Tezuka Award.
https://natalie.mu/comic/news/139236
The movie itself has received critical success; it has achieved a 94% fresh approval on the Rotten Tomatoes website. You can watch Chris Stuckmann's review of it on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnm3Q-b6Xyw
It's one of few manga that includes a deaf/hard of hearing character with characters using sign language. Because of this we hope, once funding is adequate, to get our podcasts transcribed in the future. So please subscribe and support the podcast if you wish to make that a reality.
The Manga is available on Comixology.
https://www.comixology.com/A-Silent-Voice-Vol-1/digital-comic/271628
The story is about a young schoolboy, Shoya, who experiences guilt after he torments a deaf schoolgirl, Shoko Nishimiya. His first taste of becoming a lonely pariah causes him to stress about the future and now he seeks forgiveness from the same girl he tormented.
Thematically, the manga tackles the subjects of alienation, miscommunication and bullying. Why do people bully? And more importantly what are the consequences of being bullied? James believes it's a repulsion to a desperation, an overwhelming need to seek companionship and approval that we tend to admonish. Other times it a hierarchy, an exercise of dominance. Steven believes it can stem from fear. We tend to bully those who we do not understand, and we fear what we don't understand. James also talks about what it means to be both a twin and to also be bullied. We'll be continuing to read and talk about all 7 of the volumes in the following weeks.
For those who don't understand the "Hoichi the earless" reference. (The nickname given to Shoko Nishimiya) Here's a video that better explains it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDX6urz-h08
Also, hair loss has been linked to stress, don't be like Shoya, take it easy and unwind, at least once a day.
"Hair Replacement Guide" 1 April 2000.
HowStuffWorks.com. 11 June 2019
