Should you read A Silent Voice manga after watching the movie?

A Silent Voice is probably one of the most well-known romance anime movies among fans. This movie has garnered lots of attention from fans across the globe and put out some staggering numbers when it was first launched.

It was in the second spot at the Japanese Box Office when it was first launched, just behind Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name, and the movie earned over 31.6 million USD across the globe, which is quite impressive. However, some fans who have watched the film began asking questions regarding the manga.

Basically, fans of A Silent Voice want to understand if they should read the manga series after watching the movie.

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Looking at A Silent Voice’s different formats

A Silent Voice is a beautiful story that revolves around two characters and a rollercoaster of emotions they and the fans go through while the movie unfolds. It deals with many themes like bullying, love, reconciliation, etc.

There is no doubt that both the manga and movie tell the same story, and the overall plot or the explored themes have not been altered. While some might say that the choice of format boils down to personal preference, it’s not quite that simple in this case.

First and foremost, this series was actually a one-shot that was later serialized and turned into a manga series. The story was written and designed for the manga format.

Any writer’s approach will differ for different formats. Therefore, one of the main reasons why fans must read the manga even if they have watched the movie is that it was intended for the audience to read.

Another issue with movies adapting manga series is that they have lots of limitations, with the greatest being time.

Time is a bit of a hurdle for any studio intending to adapt manga series because they will invariably have to cut out scenes from the manga, especially one of this size. The manga takes its time, and the characters feel a little more fleshed out.

The backstories and flashbacks are explored in-depth when fans read the manga. The movie certainly did a great job with all the characters, but they were explored better in the manga series since time was not a limitation in this format.

The film’s art style and animation quality were outstanding, and people must watch the movie. However, the overall experience will feel complete when they read the manga.

A Silent Voice focuses a lot on Shouko and Shoya, but in the manga, the minor characters seem a little more important when compared to their roles in the movie. To summarize, it is highly advisable to read the manga from scratch after watching the film to understand the story entirely.

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