A Silent Voice

"Based on Yoshitoki Ōima’s manga about harassment and redemption, this Japanese anime works well enough as a gentler alternative to the bleak-as-hell The King of Pigs from South Korea. It may not look as gorgeous as the eye-blisteringly beautiful Your Name, but by sticking with animation, A Silent Voice is able to pull off a unique narrative trick – following its characters from primary school to teenagehood."

"Viewing the heightened emotion and drama of adolescence with an unjudgemental eye, it's a reminder that schooldays are always the best."

"The premise of A Silent Voice may seem modest. But its approach leads an old story down a little-trod, languidly beautiful path."

"It's a beguiling film: subtle, sensuous and delicate."

"Oddly tranquil, lacking in the emotional force that is its supposed reason for being."

"Creative, chaotic, often confusing, but overflowing with feeling."

"The stunning ambient sound design of the picture used to convey the solitary inner world of Shoko - in conjunction with a fantastic music score - cap off an emphatic success on all fronts."

"Beautiful to look at and exploring unique subject matter, this latest Japanese anime is too indulgent and long."