Silent (2022)

Silent like snow.

It’s 2023 and I only just watched this series and I am so glad that I did. I didn’t get the hype when this was airing in 2022. But now I understand.

The cast. I know Kawaguchi Haruna (Aoba Tsumugi) from her previous dramas and movies and I like her. She has a subtle way of acting that comes out of her naturally. I think she is a great actress. I know Suzuka Ouji as well from his past works. I would say that I like his character here (Togawa Minato) the best among his works that I have seen. I didn’t know Meguro Ren (Sakura So) other than the fact that he is an idol. But he was wonderful in this series and now, I am glad to know of the actor Meguro Ren. He had very little lines given his character’s disability. And yet, he was able to express the emotions through his facial expression, his eyes and his gestures (not necessarily the sign language). This series has a wonderful, solid main cast and supporting cast (loved Kaho here!!!).

Story and characters. I was skeptical at first. I was worried how they were going to treat the disability and those with the disability. But hats off the scriptwriter and director for giving them justice. There are no villains in this series. There is no build-up and then an eventual climax. It’s simply a story of the journey of a man who started to lost his hearing at 18 years old, and how that affected his life trajectory, his relationship with his family, his friends and everyone round him. There are no villains here, just normal people with normal feelings like insecurity and jealousy. There is character growth (specially Minato and Nana). There is a most wonderful friendship (So and Minato). There are relationship break-ups, including one that is most heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. There is tension within a family trying to grasp a new reality for a son and brother. This is a journey of self-acceptance, that they are enough and that they are worthy of love.

Other than the story, the main thing that made me so attached to this series are the characters. All of them.

Aoba Tsumugi is such a strong woman who knows what she wants, is honest with her emotions and can look someone in the eye and reveal herself without shame. You see this with how she just jumped head on learning sign language just so she can talk to Sou again face to face. You see this with how she handled her break-up with Minato. You see this as she fights for her and Sou’s relationship.

Sakura Sou is a man who had to go through a difficult process of accepting his disability, his new reality and that he is worthy of Aoba’s acceptance. When he finally met Tsumugi and Minato again after 8 years, he has already somewhat become a man who has faced his demons. But it was different for his family. They had to watch him suffer from the very beginning of his illness until his hearing was finally gone and that definitely changed the family dynamics. In a sense, when Sou broke off all his relationships and connections from high school, in a sense, he spared them this kind of pain that he and his family went through. And so when they met again, all they could see was the Sou who seemed to have stayed the same.

Togawa Minato is the kindest, most amazing friend and boyfriend, who is human enough to feel insecure, but is strong enough to accept that and face it head on. [Spoiler!!!] I was shocked when he suddenly broke up with Tsumugi. Then I rewatched that episode again, and the one before that. And then realized that it was not so sudden. There was always some degree of insecurity that Minato felt in his relationship with Tsumugi. It was this insecurity that made him blind to how much Tsumugi loved him. It wasn’t because of Sou that he broke up with Tsumugi. It was just that meeting Sou again made him realize that he could no longer live with that kind of insecurity. He knew that staying in that relationship would make him start to resent Tsumugi and So, and when that happens, he can no longer be kind to them. And he would be hated, and he would hate himself more. The beauty in Minato’s character is not just his kindness (because really, he is the sweetest, kindest man), but also his honesty about his own feelings and shortcomings. And did I mention how wonderful his relationship is with Sou?

A supporting character that I really liked is Momono Nana (played by Kaho). Oh, I saw her feelings for Sou from the very first shot of them together. I understood how she thought herself and those who are Deaf are different from the rest who can hear. The experience is not the same and it is something that cannot be fully understood by those who can hear (and this was so wonderfully expressed by Masaki Haruo). I understood her jealousy and the always-present-under-the-surface desire to be able to hear and have “normal” conversations and relationships. And I loved watching her subtly change her point of view and grow into this happier woman.

This is a warm and comforting drama that would make you smile and feel all fuzzy. Definitely give it a try.

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A breath of fresh air that combines a mature storyline with exceptional acting.

This is a drama where the actors are just killing it. Meguro Ren, who plays Sakura Sou, is like the MVP—his emotions are on point, making you feel all kinds of things. The whole cast, including Suzuka Ouji, is like your favorite recipe—perfectly mixed for maximum enjoyment.

Now, the story is the cool part. It's not your typical lovey-dovey drama; it's more like a chill breeze on a hot day. It talks about love, relationships, and what it's like for people in the deaf community. No clichés here, just a cool and real story that feels like your everyday life. They talk without talking a lot, and it's surprisingly deep and relatable.

The look of the show is also top-notch. It's like a visual feast for your eyes. They use pictures to show feelings, especially when it's super quiet. The places they shoot at and how they film it all just adds this awesome vibe to the whole thing.

Oh, and the music! The songs they pick are like the secret sauce in your favorite burger. It's not just noise in the background; it's what makes you feel things, you know? It's like they knew exactly when to play the perfect song to make you laugh or cry.

Now, the people in the show are like your buddies. They mess up, they learn, and you cheer for them. It's not just about the main characters; even the friends and family have their own stories. It's like a drama buffet—you get a taste of everyone's life.

"Silent" is not your usual drama—it's that one gem you find when you least expect it. It's got a killer combo of a great story, awesome actors, and cool visuals. It doesn't follow the typical romance rules, and that's what makes it stand out.

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I really enjoyed it except for one thing

I hate open endings, the show was extremely well-written and the actors did a superb job. Everything was amazing, especially the ost but the damn open ending. Idk what is going up lately with Japan but the last few dramas that are new have been open endings and it erks the shit out of me. I had really enjoyed this drama a lot up until they made the ml character keep running away from the fl which is completely understandable due to the fact he is deaf and is still coming to terms with his deafness and doesn't want to burden anyone with his impairment. His self-consciousness suffers a lot due to him going deaf out of nowhere before graduating high school and gradually getting worse when he is in university. Anyone would have a difficult time losing any of their senses. The part that bothered me is that near the end of the drama they really really heavily focused on his issues on him not wanting to be a burden in multiple episodes. After like 2nd or 3rd ep of the plot still on him trying to run away from the fl due to his deafness I had to take a break and come back to the drama cuz I had a feeling the writers/directors weren't going to have enough time to allow the ml or fl be together after the struggle they both had to endure with them breaking up in high school cuz the ml was going deaf and had to come to terms with his deafness and he still didn't really come to terms with it when you follow his story in the show. We get to see his character development throughout the show that he isn't a burden that he kept assuming he was going to be he just couldn't take not being able to listen to music anymore and be able to communicate like he used to. Again it is completely understandable, I just wish the problem between the fl and the ml didn't take so long to resolve. It is implied the couple got together but they never flat out come out with it which pissed me off and that's why I had to take a break. Would I recommend it yes but you have been warned the ending for me personally could have been better. Did I enjoy myself yes I did, but the ending left a sour taste in my mouth it took away everything that was building up between the two leads to just the end without knowing if they became a couple or stayed friends. Would I rewatch it, no, it was good but the ending ruined it for me.

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Tenderness Meets Kindness

About once or twice a year I come across a "wow“ drama.
At the very end of 2022 this treasure wow-ed me in the best possible way.

A music lover that lost his hearing and a girl that will go the extra mile for the person she treasures.

Essentially that’s the story but there was sooo much depth and nuance that I - once again - fell in love with the genre "melodrama". A genre that often gets a bad rep but this one is just so good.

This drama features the most kind FL I‘ve ever seen - but not in a generic way. The ML is having a really hard time and I don’t want to spoil anything so I‘m just gonna say, that he is very tender and she is very kind to him.

Without any words the actor has given a 10/10 performance that touched my heart.
His smile is so pure and deep in a way. It lights up the room in a natural way. It doesn’t feel like he’s acting.

The drama also is very poetic and has very good dialogue (even in sign language) and people are very honest with each other. Although some interactions may be a bit too good to be true, for a drama it was just heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

My recommendation while watching this drama is to give it a few episodes. It doesn’t start weak or anything but the more you watch the more meaningful and touching it gets.

Let’s end this with a quote that I really liked.
"A world without sound…is not a sad world"

Minus Point:
- the music editing is very off putting at times since the music cuts off all the time mid lyric. Idk what they thought they were doing.
They may wanted to show that for him it’s silent but she hears it but it happened even in scenes where he wasn’t on screen so it felt random.

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Beautiful

"As pessoas tem sua maneira de pensar e seus caminhos de vida. É inevitável que não consigamos entender completamente um ao outro. Mesmo assim, acho que as palavras existem para que você possa se agarrar a alguém que você gostaria de estar."

Um dorama sobre amor e palavras, a fala não é o único meio de transmitir palavras, é possível pela escrita, pelas mãos e até mesmo pela arte. As vezes nós pensamos de uma maneira limitada, e precisamos que outras pessoas nos mostrem outro ponto de vista. A conecção e evolução dos personagens foi gradual e lindo de se ver. Todos me conquistaram de uma maneira, que me fez querer ter amizades assim. Um jdrama lindo, que trás muitas lições que levarei para minha vida!

Amei a trilha sonora, e como também eles deixavam tudo em silêncio focando somente nos sentimentos transmitidos ali! Atuação incrível merecedor de prêmios!

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Heart-warming and touching dorama

Honestly, I came across to watch this drama because of the clip of eps 1 that went viral on Twitter. This drama is absolutely worth the hype.

Silent explores what some of us take as granted. It is the ability of hearing. This dorama not only reveals the point of view of hearing people towards the deaf people but also vice versa.

Sou's hearing impairment becomes the center of this story. How he feels so little toward everyone else, how he tries to adjust his life after losing his hearing ability, and how he shuts down from society to protect himself. For me, that is a normal reaction. To suddenly not be able to hear is painful enough. I have to give a standing ovation to Mame since he is able to convey all of the emotion with facial expressions and sign language.

The triangle love story between Sou-Tsumugi-Minato is beautifully made. At first, I thought Minato, for Tsumugi, was just the substitute for Sou after he had gone. But It was wrong. Minato holds another place in Tsumugi heart while Sou holds a special place in her heart. Yes, she falls in love with them over different periods of time. Their story gives the same feeling when someone loses her or his lover and she or he starts to love and be loved again. You can't help but keep yearning for the deceased one while start loving another one. In addition, for me, Minato character is truly the hero here. He just loves to see Tsumugi and Sou together even though he does love Tsumugi.

Tsumugi also gives her best effort to communicate with Sou by immediately learning sign language. Along with time, she understands that it is not the only voice that can convey someone's thinking but also words. I love how she tries as much as she can to understand Sou.

The other characters complement the story as well. Sou's family and friends' acceptance of Sou's condition, Nana's thoughts as a born-deaf person, and Masaki's thoughts as a hearing person really blend well.

Another thing I like about this dorama is how every sound is showcased more to my ears. I could hear clearly those sounds compared to another dorama. Subtitle as the OST also makes this dorama complete. How I wish this dorama could end with Sou calling Tsumugi name and holding her hand. Nevertheless, the ending is still beautifully created.

Regardless of its xenophobic and gate-keeping screenwriter, I hope this dorama could be streamed legally on the official streaming platform (aside of Viki ofc) so it could reach more audiences. I sincerely hope the screenwriter would apologize since her reckless statement has hurt a lot of people.

Lastly, Silent is a really worth-watching dorama which could leave you in tears in each episode.

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Slow, delicate and quiet

It's a beautiful drama that revolves around the themes of relationships, self-worth, coping with hardships in life, and the true self as opposed to the idealized self. These themes already make it very interesting, as every single character is shown as a whole person with proper depth and elaborate feelings and thoughts.
An important part of the plot, if not the most important, is deafness (and Deafness) and the many facets of it. Since I'm not deaf myself, I'd rather let actual deaf/HoH people judge whether it's good representation or not; all I can say is that it was a very interesting theme and it seemed to be explored properly and not just used as a fancy plot device.
What I liked the most about this story is that it doesn't make fun of its audience with poor writing. There is no villain because there's no need for one, and all the characters have both their perks and their flaws in good balance. All the events flow nicely without annoying decisions that don't make any sense or annoying events that are just there to make us feel bad.
The actors all did amazing. The friends felt like actual friends, the lovers felt like actual lovers, the siblings felt like true siblings, and so on. There's little to no physical touching in the entire drama, so I suggest you looking elsewhere if you're expecting passionate kisses or anything like that.
While the music is very pretty, I was mostly impressed by the use of the silence in many scenes, which make them have a bigger impact on me. The only thing I really didn't like about this drama were some abrupt cuts between one scene and the next, which were pretty jarring: at some points the music just cuts off to silence all of a sudden, which can be confusing.

Overall it was a very sweet and memorable drama, probably one of the best I've watched. If you're looking for something sweet and slow, I highly recommend watching this one.

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Grief, healing, and connection (minor spoilers)

I didn't see many comments on this aspect of the show, so I wanted to offer my experience.

While the spotlight may have been on the romance between Aoba and Sakura, for me the message of the show was grief and healing-- Sakura's grief around losing his entire sense of normal, and the grief of those around him, struggling to support and understand while recognizing how difficult it is for those who haven't lived that experience to truly empathize.

Each of us has our own lived experiences, which bring their own preconceptions, biases, privileges, and defense mechanisms to all of our interactions. It is this difference in lived experience that is harder to overcome than any language barrier, cultural barrier, or stereotype. At the same time, the process of understanding that and working to connect with others in spite of this (or maybe because of it) is what makes us human. To me, that was the message conveyed through the stories of the various characters, more than the love story and more than the idea of overcoming language barriers (which I can understand as a takeaway, but was not personally what I experienced in watching).

SPOILER

Sakura came face to face with this struggle in a unique way, when he lost a major piece of what he utilized to connect with the world (through hearing, music, and by extension sports in the way he was used to playing them) and he took several years to go through the process of grieving that loss and the loss of the life he expected to live before beginning to fully reconnect with himself and with the world--part of that through meeting Momose and part of it through revisiting his relationship with Aoba.

END SPOILER

I admit that the lived experience that I bring to my viewing is rooted in processing my own grief around coming to terms with a (in my case invisible) disability, and while I do not pretend to understand what Sakura's character experienced, I found his character's actions relatable and felt a sort of catharsis through watching his journey. Watching Sakura's character helped me in my own journey of healing, and his comment in the final episode:

SPOILER

 (paraphrase)青葉の言葉をもう聞けないけど、見えるようになったのは嬉しい。　
I may not be able to hear your words anymore, but I am so glad that I have become able to see them

was a strong testament to the fact that while our lived experiences may all be unique and our sense of normal may change over the course of our lives, it doesn't change the fact that the life each of us experiences is equally beautiful and full of possibility.

END SPOILER

While I cried in almost every episode, I didn't find this show tragic or heartbreaking. The writing was impressive and nuanced. While I focused a lot on Sakura's character here, I found the full cast of characters and sub-characters to be greatly relatable in their own ways. There was courage and imperfection in each of them, which made them all uniquely human.

The acting was incredible, Kawaguchi Haruna is unsurprisingly a strong lead, and Meguro Ren secures his place as Japan's next rising star. The music was perfectly timed, and Official HIGEDANdism's Subtitle is another masterpiece.

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this drama is very quiet

not far from the title, the drama is very calm and quiet. how he portrays ( sorry ) a special needs person is great.I was really swept up in this drama, the story that was given was tiring (in a positive context), what I wanted to convey and what I had to feel I got it all. The storyline that is presented is also not boring, and even though at the beginning I said this was a quiet and calm drama, the existence of an ost in this drama made me even more interested in the story. this is the prettiest and calmest drama I've watched, I got a lot of messages from this drama.

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If you want to cry every episode of a series, this is for you.

HONEST REVIEW: I literally cried in every episode in this drama. Like, I have never done that before! Although yes, this is not the most heartbreaking, tear-jerking drama I have ever seen but - I'm utterly speechless for this. Honestly, I didn't like Japanese drama that much before because their acting feels fake (just for me for the dramas I have watched, not generalizing) but this, I felt like I was watching it live. I have so many things to say. At first, I was confused about who will she end up with because even though it's a shoujo manga typical plot of love triangle, they keep confusing the viewers, including me. Everytime someone cries, I also cry. IT JUST FELT SO REAL. I'm telling you, I have never been grateful in my whole life that I am blessed with a normal life. This drama made me feel things. It even inspired me to learn sign language. In conclusion, I can say that this is my most liked Jdrama so far. I love them TT

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calming and realistic

Recently been into the calmer and day-to-day life genre and this drama was exactly that. The plot doesn't have a lot going on, the frame of time takes place within the span of a few months. Overall the drama felt therapeutic for me, it was comforting although I did shed a few tears along the way in some episodes.

Plot is mainly about how the ML (who became deaf) reconnects with people of his past and there's a lot of complicated factors and barriers that each character needs to overcome. I liked all the characters, there's no one really to dislike, however, I don't think that Minato's reason in breaking up with Aoba was reasonable ._. they were honestly a pretty good pair already but anyways~ I'd recommend this series. Acting 10/10 and soundtrack 10/10 as well :)

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I hope more series will be made with these topics

It was very special and beautiful
One of those series that you drown in, full of feelings, love, friendship, life

The theme of the series was wonderful, very beautiful

It was very valuable. Personally, I have not seen a series whose main theme is this. You can never understand all the problems of these loved ones, but the fact that we see a corner of their difficulties gives us a better understanding and knowledge of them.
Spoiler
I loved the sequences where they talked to each other in absolute silence, it felt very special. In most of the scenes, soft music with sign language was played, but the places where this music was not present had a very strange feeling and were more beautiful. The only thing that made it less realistic in my opinion was Minato's method. And Tsumugi ended the relationship, I can understand that Minato ended the relationship because of his two friends, but I can't accept that Tsumugi left with Sakura immediately after his cut.It would make sense if she had no feelings for Minato, but as she said in the dialogue, she loved Minato too. No matter how much he loved Sue, he couldn't forget someone he loved so easily in one day. I think it would be better if there was some time between the breakup and the new relationship.
Of course, I say that this series was so special and meaningful that you can ignore this problem. I loved the character of the sign language teacher. His relationship with Nana was very beautiful. Nana was also very nice.


The games were also very beautiful, especially the role of Sakura, she conveyed her emotions beautifully, whether she was happy or sad, or when she wanted to understand what she meant to others.

I hope more series will be made with these topics

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