All of us have a favorite anime, but it's quite common to have a favorite moment from another. If you asked me, I’d say my favorite anime includes Naruto, The Promised Neverland, Erased, Vinland Saga, and so on. But my favorite moment in all of the anime I’ve watched is when Shoya slowly starts removing the “Xs” from the faces of the people around him. It’s a beautiful and emotionally powerful moment from the movie A Silent Voice. Let’s dive deeper into this moment.
Shoya’s Fall into Self-Isolation
Shoya Ishida’s story in A Silent Voice is one of profound emotional depth and redemption. Shoya is a mischievous schoolboy in Japan who enjoys having fun. One day, a new girl named Shoko Nishimiya joins his class, and everything seems normal at first. However, when Shoko takes out a notebook to show her classmates introductory sentences she had already written, it becomes clear that Shoko is deaf. Slowly, the entire class begins to make fun of her, and Shoya, noticing this, starts joining in as well. This bullying escalates into relentless harassment, resulting in eight of Shoko’s hearing aids being broken. Despite all of this, Shoko’s desire to be friends with Shoya remains strong, and she even asks him to be friends in front of his peers.
Embarrassed, Shoya pushes her into a fountain, and soon after, Shoko leaves the school. Shoya is left to bear the blame for her suffering, ostracized by his peers and forced to carry the weight of guilt and shame. This marks the beginning of Shoya’s self-imposed isolation, where he builds emotional barriers to protect himself from further pain.
The Xs as a Reflection of Modern Society
Over time, Shoya develops a subconscious habit of mentally placing an "X" over people’s faces. This gesture symbolizes his emotional disconnection and inability to face others. The Xs reflect his fear of judgment and his belief that he’s unworthy of human connection. In many ways, this resonates with how people today subconsciously avoid deep connections. In a world dominated by screens and shallow interactions, eye contact has become increasingly scarce. The Xs can be seen as a metaphor for the emotional walls we build to shield ourselves from vulnerability.
The act of placing an X on someone’s face may seem exaggerated, but it perfectly illustrates what many of us have started doing subconsciously in our own lives. I resonated with Shoya’s journey because, for a time, I too was putting metaphorical Xs on the faces of those around me. It was a combination of fear—fear of rejection, vulnerability, getting hurt—and low self-esteem, all shaped by past experiences. Watching someone in Shoya’s position gave me the motivation to start removing the Xs from the faces of the people around me.
The Role of Shoko in Shoya’s Redemption
The moment Shoya Ishida successfully removes the Xs from people’s faces is a breathtaking celebration of redemption and connection. For so long, Shoya lived in a world where every interaction was muted by his guilt and self-loathing, avoiding eye contact and meaningful relationships. Yet, at the heart of this transformation is Shoko Nishimiya—the very girl he once bullied. Shoko’s kindness, resilience, and willingness to forgive, despite her own pain, spark the change in Shoya. Her ability to see the good in him, even when he couldn’t see it in himself, becomes the cornerstone of his journey toward healing. As Shoya takes steps to make amends, the Xs begin to fall away, one by one, leading to a powerful moment where he allows himself to reconnect with Shoko and the people around him.
The Moment the Xs Fall Away
This moment is profound because it symbolizes not only Shoya’s growth but also the transformative power of Shoko’s forgiveness. Her actions teach him that redemption is possible, even for those who feel beyond saving. When the Xs are gone, it’s as much a victory for Shoko as it is for Shoya—a testament to her unwavering belief in the value of second chances. It symbolizes Shoya’s willingness to face the world with honesty and vulnerability, encouraged by Shoko’s example. This scene becomes a celebration of human connection—a reminder that even when we feel irreparably broken, there is always hope to rebuild ourselves and the relationships we cherish, especially when someone offers us the grace to try again.
Did you like this moment as well?
Yea!!!
Nah-_-