Plot/Story

To be disabled and conform in this normal world, you must reach out and take the hand of the truly disabled, only then can you discover how powerful your voice can be.

Ishida Shouya; a 'normal' student doing his 'regular' routine at his 'normal' pace in his 'regular' environment, underachieving at his everyday 'normal' elementary school. That is, until the day a new and 'non-regular' student was transferred to his class. Ishida would soon realize that this was the beginning of his crude and dishonorable breakdown.

Nishimiya Shouko; the new, and deaf transfer student, was seemingly forced into everyone's lives. Expecting the courteous generosity she would immediately receive from the students and staff, she begins addressing herself using only a notebook, a symbolic reference that is used boldly throughout the entirety of this story.

And thus, creating the connection (and the lack of connection) between the deaf, transfer student: Nishimiya Shouko, and the popular, antagonizing-underachieving student: Ishida Shouya. What merits they share together (though one-sided) end up destroying and replenishing their relationship until it ultimately breaks down both their lives.

For me to even consider summarizing this lovely story would be like asking me to destroy the brillance, author Ooima Yoshitoki has described to us in this 64 page One-shot. Although the genre isn't as plain as a simple Bullying fable, the emotion behind every panel and page are worth a million tears. Thus, creating the erroneous illusion for reflection and relation.

For the most part, author Ooima Yoshitoki wouldn't have the characters say anything, which can be taken as another bold narrative technique, illustrating the deaf-sensation only understood by a handful of readers. Disabled or not, the reader can't help but reach out to Nishimiya. We want her to be loved by her classmates and her teachers, but the decision rests with her patience towards patience.

Without divulging deeper into this beautiful tale, I'll reveal the nature of Ooima Yoshitoki's intent behind Koe no Katachi (The Shape of Voice). No amount of bullying, no amount of violence, tears, not even the silence of verbal abuse can penetrate the heart of your "voice", because your "voice" albeit silent, can reach someone without a single word. One only has to take your hand.

Characters

Every character in this story becomes a victim of their own self-turmoil, especially is the case with our two main leads Nishimiya Shouko and Ishida Shouya.

The narrator, Ishida Shouya was the popular and childish "class-clown", to put it simply. He found himself a great opportunity when Nishimiya joined his class. He would buy the attention of his classmates at the expense of one girl who couldn't even understand their laughter. He would eventually push things too far over the line, discovering how expendable he really was in the face of his "friends". Despite his brash and abusive nature, he could never stop thinking about Nishimiya, and how much he hated her because of his role as the new victim of the class, the 'scapegoat'. His character transformation is ultimately what we come to enjoy the most.

Although Ishida was the more developed character, it is Nishimiya Shouko who we relate to the most, but how can we, when most of the reading population could never understand her disabled state of depression? Not a single word uttered from her mouth, only a smile and a gesture is enough for us to love her character, unquestionably.

Did the author have to create this endless barrage of abuse towards the two characters in order for us to understand the underlying message? A relentless school of negativity, but who could understand the abuse of bullying better than a bully when the tables begin to turn. Reaping what you sow, falls into this category, at least in Ishida's case.

Drawing Style

A tricky hand to play, perhaps for the up-and-coming author, or it could've been right up her ally. In any case, she precedes well with a simple genre, remembering to display as many stills as she possibly can to portray the effect of solitude and despair for her beloved characters. But as she takes no risks in illustrating this glorious piece of work, we can't say how far her art will take her. But we can't mistake that for bad thing either.

Enjoyment

There's a lot of love to give from a series like this, a series that can give you something more powerful that artistry and characters. A series that can have your senses working from all kinds of sequences, for the irony is how the reader can hear the characters' voice loud and clear, but also leaves room for surprise and disappointment.

Working with the passion of a deaf young girl makes our human side more apparent (for those who bring it out). No matter your race or gender, we want to care and be optimistic in this downtrodden life. We want to be help Nishimiya, but we can't, we can only hope that the characters around her will see what we see.

There is love in this story, but no romance. There is laughter in this story, but no comedy. There is music in this story, but we don't hear it. There IS horror and evil in this story, but we DON'T scare. We anger and sadden.

Overall

'Emotion' is what you will remember when you re-read, or even think about this One-shot again. Remember it for what it was meant to be remembered for, and take something away from it, the way it was supposed to give it to you.

Let this story heal you, the way you are supposed to heal others. Amazing work from first/second-timer Ooima Yoshitoki. I can't wait to see what's next.