In the very first moments of A Silent Voice, onlookers are whirled into a peripheral collage of teenage politics. From visions of Japanese cherry blossom season to the quietness of a familiar routine, the film instantly notes itself as a drama—it shifts and ebbs, and in varying degrees, communicates the unspoken bonds between people. For Naoko Yamada, the director of A Silent Voice, creating dreamscapes of adolescent experiences has been an uphill stretch on a long and well-travelled road.

From Kyoto To Heaven

Growing up in Gunma prefecture, Yamada was raised in a rural area before returning to Kyoto to pursue art. Graduating in oil painting from Kyoto University of Art and Design, she began her first job decorating cakes at a local bakery. In past, Yamada has openly recalled these years as a time of confusion—she had always loved to draw and make films, but lost sight of that passion—and as consequence she applied for an animator role in 2004 joining Kyoto Animation.

Settling in to their small office in Uji, Yamada worked as the key animator on some of their earliest anime productions, known best for her assistance on Inuyasha and Clannad. At the time, Kyoto Animation had around 150 people, with their creative process based on an entirely digital workflow. While her confidence wavered, it was through this medium that she began excelling in her stylistic choices, sowing the seeds for her use of key lighting and storytelling.

A few years on, Yamada made her directorial debut with TV series K-On!, where she described this sensation as going gracefully “from hell to heaven.” Later, she would also work on its theatrical follow-up and the successful Tomako Market, a series about a pleasant girl who worked in a sweets shop.

Storytelling As Strength

Fast-forward to now and Yamada is one of the few women in the anime industry calling the shots in production. At only 32, she is one of the youngest high-level female directors; A Silent Voice marking her third feature-length film in the industry, blowing dust all over Hayao Miyazaki in terms of age (who debuted at 38).

Her work—critically needed in a time where the anime industry should be aiming for better representation and equality—comes as a frank reminder that effective storytelling has no gendered boundaries. Instead, her impact does raise a critical question when it comes to the industry telling meaningful stories—how can the anime industry continue to move forward if there’s a lack of diversity and support for female directors?

While the attitudes around her contemporaries are changing, Yamada continues to better herself and her process. Through the clarity of her storytelling, each cut hovers on the smallest of details to flesh out a total enriched experience. Understood in her use of colour and vividness, characters are whizzed through her storyline by the effortlessness of her style—they puff and pause, scuff feet on concrete floors, and quietly contemplate the world around them. It is in this contemplation that A Silent Voice shines brightly.

The Weight Of A Silent Voice

As if answering these calls, A Silent Voice follows the story of a young woman called Shoko Nishimiya who has a disability. Since moving to a new school and trying to adjust, Shoko is taunted for her differences because of her hearing impairment, acted-out principally by Shoya Ishida. In the distressing events that follow, Shoko is eventually forced to transfer to another school, where Shoya’s classmates begin to ostracise him for his cruel behaviour.

A few years on and riddled with guilt, Shoya has spent most his teen years living aimlessly, determined to atone his actions. Of course, the two unite as friends, but it’s not how viewers would initially anticipate—both main characters are simply trying to move on from their trauma.

Handling trauma through a surprisingly expansive plot, A Silent Voice lingers across themes of friendship, alienation, guilt and sadness that can be universally difficult to tackle with sincerity. Where others may have been hesitant in adapting these difficult concepts, Yamada and her habit to focus on emotions has allowed her to excel in world building.

The Sweet World Of Naoko Yamada

If there is one clear element in A Silent Voice, it is in the way Yamada treats her characters. Working through their reactions as authentic people, her directorial style—known best as method directing—creates a sense of realism beyond what anime films typically warrant. From the onset of viewing her works, characters are not only made to feel the consequences of the plot, but also quick to react and prosper in the situations around them.

Alongside these factors and her interest in storytelling, Yamada acknowledges that femininity is often treated softly in cinema—she does also not shy away from cuteness or femininity, instead choosing to embrace it as part of her artistic strengths. These attitudes are captured in her aesthetic and attention to detail, allowing her tap into profound feelings that make her features both heartwarming and resonating.

Just like her previous works K-On! or Tamako Market, A Silent Voice comes as a solid reminder that cuteness isn’t restrictive or defaulted to femininity, but a powerful tool to evoke everlasting feeling. From Gunma to Kyoto, it is in the smallest moments that Naoko Yamada treasures—and in many ways, it’s about directing from the heart.