Koe no Katachi: A manga about a deaf girl in public school

[Caesius]

(link snipped)

This is at once terrible and beautiful.

[pandaphil]

(link snipped)
This is at once terrible and beautiful.

I saw this on FB awhile back. Its a real tearjerker alright.

Its a story that could fit so easily into the KS world.

[KeiichiO]

I thought it was a very nicely written story. Quite sad, but still nice. I also loved the art style.

Though, I found myself puzzled at the end. If being friends with Ishida isn't what Nishimiya meant, then what did she mean?
I'm really confused at the ending. Can anyone elaborate for me?

[pandaphil]

I thought it was a very nicely written story. Quite sad, but still nice. I also loved the art style.

Though, I found myself puzzled at the end. If being friends with Ishida isn't what Nishimiya meant, then what did she mean?
I'm really confused at the ending. Can anyone elaborate for me?

I was a bit puzzled too. Maybe he signed wrong and she thought he was asking to be her boyfriend?

Or its just a cultural reference we're missing.

[MutilatedManequin]

I thought it was a very nicely written story. Quite sad, but still nice. I also loved the art style.

Though, I found myself puzzled at the end. If being friends with Ishida isn't what Nishimiya meant, then what did she mean?
I'm really confused at the ending. Can anyone elaborate for me?

he could be trying to maintain his "tough guy" image. Seriously, that kid deserves every ounce of that bitter karma
Sweet story. It's almost like someone mixed Lilly and Shizune with a dash of Emi

[KeiichiO]

I thought it was a very nicely written story. Quite sad, but still nice. I also loved the art style.

Though, I found myself puzzled at the end. If being friends with Ishida isn't what Nishimiya meant, then what did she mean?
I'm really confused at the ending. Can anyone elaborate for me?

I was a bit puzzled too. Maybe he signed wrong and she thought he was asking to be her boyfriend?

Or its just some obscure cultural reference we don't get.

I was thinking a mixture of both. Could they bother to help us out with a little side note maybe?

I even tried searching certain signs in JSL. It didn't really help me at all...

[pandaphil]

he could be trying to maintain his "tough guy" image. Seriously, that kid deserves every ounce of that bitter karma

That makes sense. He wasn't expecting such a heartfelt reaction; maybe a bow, or a polite "Thank you". Instead she latched onto him.

Does seem like they'd make a cute couple.

[Magnenntae]

Saw this like a week ago, I think. I really quite like it.

I thought it was a very nicely written story. Quite sad, but still nice. I also loved the art style.

Though, I found myself puzzled at the end. If being friends with Ishida isn't what Nishimiya meant, then what did she mean?
I'm really confused at the ending. Can anyone elaborate for me?

I believe it's Ishida saying "That's not what I meant!". He was "quoting" the whole "Can we be friends?" thing, but Nishimiya took it as Ishida asking the question to her.*
They probably did end up becoming friends, though, with wishful thinking maybe even lovers.

*I think I did a pretty crappy job explaining so I'm going to try to explain it in a bit of a different way here, if you did understand you can go ahead and skip this.
Basically, Ishida was saying "I know what you were saying back then; "Can we be friends?"" but Nishimiya misunderstood it as "I know what you were saying back then. Can we be friends?", and Ishida finds saying that to be really embarassing for, thus "You idiot! That's not what I meant!"

[KeiichiO]

Saw this like a week ago, I think. I really quite like it.

I thought it was a very nicely written story. Quite sad, but still nice. I also loved the art style.

Though, I found myself puzzled at the end. If being friends with Ishida isn't what Nishimiya meant, then what did she mean?
I'm really confused at the ending. Can anyone elaborate for me?

I believe it's Ishida saying "That's not what I meant!". He was "quoting" the whole "Can we be friends?" thing, but Nishimiya took it as Ishida asking the question to her.*
They probably did end up becoming friends, though, with wishful thinking maybe even lovers.

*I think I did a pretty crappy job explaining so I'm going to try to explain it in a bit of a different way here, if you did understand you can go ahead and skip this.
Basically, Ishida was saying "I know what you were saying back then; "Can we be friends?"" but Nishimiya misunderstood it as "I know what you were saying back then. Can we be friends?", and Ishida finds saying that to be really embarassing for, thus "You idiot! That's not what I meant!"

I got it. That certainly makes a lot more sense.

I'm not sure why Ishida acts so harshly to Nishimiya. I can understand that dealing with a deaf person without knowing sign language can be difficult, and even irritating, though, I don't know how anyone can be so hateful towards such an adorable little girl, or any human being for that matter.

[Magnenntae]

Saw this like a week ago, I think. I really quite like it.

I thought it was a very nicely written story. Quite sad, but still nice. I also loved the art style.

Though, I found myself puzzled at the end. If being friends with Ishida isn't what Nishimiya meant, then what did she mean?
I'm really confused at the ending. Can anyone elaborate for me?

I believe it's Ishida saying "That's not what I meant!". He was "quoting" the whole "Can we be friends?" thing, but Nishimiya took it as Ishida asking the question to her.*
They probably did end up becoming friends, though, with wishful thinking maybe even lovers.

*I think I did a pretty crappy job explaining so I'm going to try to explain it in a bit of a different way here, if you did understand you can go ahead and skip this.
Basically, Ishida was saying "I know what you were saying back then; "Can we be friends?"" but Nishimiya misunderstood it as "I know what you were saying back then. Can we be friends?", and Ishida finds saying that to be really embarassing for, thus "You idiot! That's not what I meant!"

I got it. That certainly makes a lot more sense.

I'm not sure why Ishida acts so harshly to Nishimiya. I can understand that dealing with a deaf person without knowing sign language can be difficult, and even irritating, though, I don't know how anyone can be so hateful towards such an adorable little girl, or any human being for that matter.

That's just the way some people grow up, I guess.

[Umber]

I got it. That certainly makes a lot more sense.

I'm not sure why Ishida acts so harshly to Nishimiya. I can understand that dealing with a deaf person without knowing sign language can be difficult, and even irritating, though, I don't know how anyone can be so hateful towards such an adorable little girl, or any human being for that matter.

Cue everything about people reacting aggressively towards difference.

*goes off on a rant about social isolation due to a severe case of keratosis*

[crinklywrap]

I think this is the joke.

It feels like earnestly asking, "can we be friends," would be very important to showing Ishida's growth, as compared to throwing it in as a quote, claiming that he now "understands."

[KeiichiO]

I got it. That certainly makes a lot more sense.

I'm not sure why Ishida acts so harshly to Nishimiya. I can understand that dealing with a deaf person without knowing sign language can be difficult, and even irritating, though, I don't know how anyone can be so hateful towards such an adorable little girl, or any human being for that matter.

Cue everything about people reacting aggressively towards difference.

*goes off on a rant about social isolation due to a severe case of keratosis*

And that is quite simply why I hate 94% of humanity. It's impossible, I know, but I really wish for world peace...

Arguing brothers, quarreling classmates, countries in war, listen to this song.

[pandaphil]

Probably the same sort of thing Hanako had to deal with most of her life. No wonder she hates people.

I suspect its a mix of plain old Japanese culture, i.e. make the different kid conform, and just old-fashioned childish peer pressure ("Well everyone else is picking on her, I want to fit in, so I will too.").

But then I was never the sort to care about fitting in, so I don't really get it either.

[muliebrity]

That was delightful, but good one-shots really piss me off.

I'm not sure why Ishida acts so harshly to Nishimiya. I can understand that dealing with a deaf person without knowing sign language can be difficult, and even irritating, though, I don't know how anyone can be so hateful towards such an adorable little girl, or any human being for that matter.

Children can be so thoughtlessly cruel. Nishiyama seemed to behave in the mature way she did because she already had enough of a theory of mind to understand this cruelty and how much it can hurt. I know I certainly tried to treat others with decency and kindness for this reason, and like Nishiyama I had to give up for a while. It all rang pretty familiar, to me.