A Silent Voice

Japanese high school student Shoya Ishida intends to kill himself when he changes his mind at the last minute and decides to wrap up a loose end. It is revealed that in sixth grade a new student named Shoko Nishimiya joins Shoya’s class and is revealed to be deaf. She tries to integrate with the class but ends up being an easy target for Shoya and his friends to bully. When word of the bullying reaches the principal, Shoya is singled out as the culprit by his teacher resulting in the class’s bullying becoming directed toward him. Shoya blames Shoko, and the two get into a physical altercation. Shoko is subsequently transferred to another school and Shoya later finds a notebook Shoko left behind and keeps it.

Being outcasted throughout middle school for his reputation as a bully, Shoya, now in highschool is a depressed loner who is unable to look others in the eyes and envisions a “X” mark over people’s faces. To wrap up his loose end, Shoya goes to return Shoko’s notebook at the sign language center and apologize but panics and asks to be friends instead. Shoko accepts his offer, leading Shoya to endeavor to make up for his bullying of Shoko. Tomohiro Nagatsuka, another loner, also befriends Shoya after he helps him out with a bully.

One day, Shoya accidentally drops Shoko’s notebook into a river, he then jumps in to retrieve it, which is prohibited. Yuzuru, Shoko’s younger sister, takes a photo of Shoya jumping in and posts it online to get revenge on him, eventually leading to Shoya getting suspended. Shoya finds Yuzuru, who ran away from home, and brings her to stay at his house. When she leaves in the middle of the night, Shoya follows and the two of them make up with each other and become friends.