A Silent Voice: Why You Deserve to Live No Matter What

Written By: Fuegio Barrios
An anime-lover and a Mental Health Advocate.

Published: September 15, 2024

Last Updated: November 30, 2024

TRIGGER WARNING: This post may contain triggering words. Please read with caution. If you are feeling uneasy, you may choose to stop reading this post.

SPOILER ALERT: This post may include spoilers from "A Silent Voice" anime movie.

“So?”

Miyako Ishida smiles as she faces her son, Shoya Ishida.

“Why’d you want to kill yourself?”

Introduction

According to the data for 2019–2022 (shown below) given by the World Health Organization, or WHO, on average, about 2.5 people (for every 100,000 people) commit suicide, per year, in the Philippines. Globally, about 9.2 people (for every 100,000 people) commit suicide per year.

Reason For Suicide

Why do people want to kill themselves?

For each person who has taken their life, the underlying reason is that life has become too difficult to continue living.

The reason as to why life becomes too difficult varies.

According to WHO, suicides are not just linked to mental disorders, specifically depression and alcohol-related mental disorders, but also are linked to moments of breakdowns in crises wherein one is incapable of dealing with life’s stresses (financial problems, relationship break-ups, or chronic pain and illness.)

Additionally, suicides happen due to abuse, conflict, violence, or a sense of isolation.

A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi), a film by Yoshitoki Ōima, profoundly portrays the topics mentioned above, topics on mental disorders and the reason why people try to take their lives.

How It All Started

Ishida Shoya, a sixth grader, was a happy-go-lucky and energetic kid. He has two friends who always stay by his side.

But everything changed since the day Nishimiya Shoko entered their classroom.

Shoko smiles at her classmates while her classmates wait for her to speak.

~Silence~

The teacher then gently taps Shoko on the shoulder, signaling her to introduce herself.

Soon enough, she takes out a notebook filled with introductory phrases. She signals to her classmates that they need to use the notebook to communicate with her.

And then …

… “I’m deaf”

This is how it all started.

Being Bullied

After learning that Shoko was deaf, Shoya started bullying her.

He would destroy her hearing aids one after another, he would shout in her ears, and worst of all, he would feel good doing all that he did.

Shoya ruined her life.

Shoko felt distressed, hurt, and most likely even traumatized. Because of this, Shoko decides to transfer schools and never come back.

The teachers have been alerted about the bullying that’s been happening to Shoko. This was when Shoya was called out. Nobody defended him.

It was at this moment, Shoya realized, he made a mistake.

It was at this moment that Shoya… was all alone.

“I realized that your sins always come back to bite you”

— Shoya

After he was called out for bullying, he met the same fate he gave to Shoko. Shoya was pushed around, made fun of, and finally, avoided and ignored.

Everyone knew to stay away from him. Just like that, all his friends — gone.

This continued until middle school.

Due to prolonged ostracism and isolation, Shoya developed anxiety and depression. He isolated himself and he was cautious about every single action he made. He closed himself off from others.

He became hyper-vigilant to the point that he felt on guard with every single moment. Even when fun times came, he didn’t feel worthy to feel happy.

The happy-go-lucky and energetic boy? Gone.

And finally, it hit him, Shoya just knew this must’ve been what Shoko felt when he used to do everything that he did to her.

She must’ve felt hurt.

She must’ve felt excluded.

She must’ve felt traumatized.

Sometimes, we have difficulty understanding what another person is going through, not unless we go through something similar.

Realizations and Suffering

Because of all these realizations and trauma, Shoya felt extremely guilty and regretful.

He hated himself.

And the unthinkable had crossed his mind.

He wanted to take his life.

… And Then Destiny Calls

But before he does the unthinkable, by chance he sees Shoko again.

Seeing her again made him feel so many emotions that he didn’t know how to respond to the situation.

And Shoko after seeing Shoya again made her feel the same.

But after all these years, little did Shoya know that empathy and self-awareness had developed in him because, at this moment, he wanted to be friends, he wanted to form a meaningful connection with her.

“You forgot this”

Shoya used his hands to form gestures. It was Sign language.

He had learned it.

Shoko was surprised by this.

After that talk, they continued to meet up and spend time together.

They started to form a friendship built on trust, care, and understanding.

Shoko felt safe and happy around Shoya this time around and so did Shoya around Shoko.

Shoya started becoming very special to Shoko.

Shoko’s Heavy Burden

However, good times don’t last.

Shoko had learned from someone that Shoya had been traumatized and bullied as well. The person who had told her blamed her for what Shoya went through.

She now felt that if Shoya continued staying with her, it would only make his life worse. She didn’t want that for him.

After all, she had always apologized. Why? Because she felt like a burden. She felt that due to her disability, others felt burdened by her and that others saw her as a burden.

She felt so much guilt that she hated herself.

It felt like the whole weight of the world was on her shoulders. She wanted to free herself from all this pain.

So, she tried to take her life.

Redemption and Forgiveness

In the end, everyone makes mistakes. Everyone carries pain from the past or the present.

However, these mistakes and burdens do not determine your value or your right to live.

Shoya realized all his mistakes from his past. He realized the suffering he put Shoko through. He finally apologizes to her.

No matter what we’ve done, once we realize our mistakes, we all deserve forgiveness… from others, and ourselves.

Being There For Each Other

After everything they’ve been through, Shoko and Shoya realize how important they are to each other. They both realized they were there for each other, and that they weren’t alone.

Shoya realized that there was hope in his life, and so did Shoko.

They found hope in their friends, their family, …

… and most especially, in each other.

The Importance of Hope: A Message to Those Struggling

You may feel like all your mistakes, trauma, and burdens equate to your worth and meaning to live. It’s understandable if you feel hopeless and if you feel like you don’t deserve to live because of that. Just like how both Shoko and Shoya felt when their worlds started falling apart because of the heaviness they were experiencing.

However, you are more than your mistakes. You are more than your trauma. You are more than your sufferings. You deserve love, compassion, and forgiveness, both from others and from yourself.

You deserve to live.

You are worth it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this is how A Silent Voice teaches that you deserve to live no matter what.

First, everything that you have done in the past, every mistake you’ll make in the future, no matter the suffering you experience and go through, your life will always have value.

Second, it’s important to remember that seeking forgiveness, giving empathy, and most especially understanding your worth are all crucial in finding the will to live.

Third, nobody deserves to be bullied, abused, or hurt. Nobody deserves to feel like a burden. Everyone deserves a second chance at life. Nobody deserves a painful life that they try to take their own lives.

Last, like how the characters in A Silent Voice ultimately found hope, so can you.

If you are having suicidal thoughts or you know anyone who is having suicidal thoughts or is experiencing bullying, please don’t be afraid to reach out to a friend, a family member, an emotional support system, or a professional.

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World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10, 2024, had just passed and is World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s an awareness day for us to remember how important life is.

Let’s always remember to reach out to other people for help, or to reach out to people who are in distress.

Let’s raise awareness to prevent suicides and prioritize mental health.

Let’s heal together. You are not alone.

If you need someone to talk to, you can also send me a message on Discord: @fuegio_fenix, or call the following phone/landline numbers to reach out to professionals who can provide a listening ear:

In Touch: Crisis Line

(02) 893–7603 (Landline)

0919–056–0709 (Smart)

0917–800–1123 (Globe)

0922–893–8944 (Smart)

Hopeline

(02) 8804–4673 (Landline)

0917–558–4673 (Globe)

0918–873–4673 (Smart)

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

988