'I ALWAYS NEED A HAPPY ENDING'

Yoshitoki Oima, the mangaka behind the beloved Japanese manga A Silent Voice, made her first visit to India last week and decoded how silence matters in her manga and how survival, connection, and the possibility of making amends, are key in her storytelling

- ADITHI REENA AJITH

EARLY a decade after its release, the Japanese anime film A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi) continues to be returned to, discussed, and deeply felt. Last week, its creator, mangaka Yoshitoki Oima, made her first visit to India — travelling to Delhi for the New Delhi World Book Fair before appearing at the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival.

Born in 1989 in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture, Oima belongs to a generation for whom manga was both entertainment and emotional language. Her mangas —A Silent Voice and To Your Eternity — need little introduction among manga and anime fans worldwide. Her journey as a manga artist began early, sparked by her brother’s collection — particularly Yuzo Takada’s 3x3 Eyes. She taught herself to draw, encouraged by friends who recognised her talent. “My friends kept telling me I could become a mangaka. Gradually, I made up my mind — and in a natural way, here I am.”