I wasn't surprise to find is only 28 years old. The manga screams of youth.

Koe no Katachi, a comic released some years ago (2013 perhaps) recently got an adaption on the silver screen. Walking pass posters reminds me of my impression with the comic and the impression it created.
I wasn't impressed with the story and the characters unfortunately. They are cliche and the story is predictable. However do not be mistaken that the story or its characters are bad, they are quite well executed actually and I really appreciate the author effort to put many pages into exploring each and everyone of them instead of jumping over them (except for the last volume which is basically summing them up, it was very strange). It is well developed around the central theme of "growing up" with everyone facing their past, present and future. However it is soaked in hopefulness and mellow feeling, quite contrasting to the reality of school bullying and emotional pain that the characters were experiencing. I have a hunch that this was written from experience. It is very emotional but also inspirational (something Maeda didn't do to me, though that is more of because I don't want to be motivated by things like "life is precious", that's too generic), trying to show how far a person could go by putting in all their heart and soul and that's what this comic is really good in transferring. Helping that is the competent and consistent art style that feels very much fantastic and moving, giving the frames and character a little bit of life and movement in their actions and facial expression. Also well done is the dialogues that lack the usual for the lack of the better word "cringe" so often fall into by Japanese authors who never ever observe how real people talk (if you say anything otherwise, I have lived with Japanese, they don't talk like that). That is not to say there are no moments like that but I didn't have any memory of such imprinted and only comes up when I reread it for the movie so that is a job well done.
What is this comic for I asked and found it to be quite nicely fits into the emo teenagers the best. I think it really opens to them the real world of dramatic portrayal of real-life rather than the simplistic Shounen or the over-styled Seinen or Josei. It could be a good read for them to learn and grow up. I deemed it very fitting for modern society teenagers whose ego and self-interest make them very unobservant oblivious to the perils, emotions of others or how to behave appropriately (even decision making to a certain extend) that was portrayed. Somehow it makes me think of Catcher in the Rye. Unfortunately seasoned veterans like me (I do admit I do not want to be associated with Otaku and frequently mistaken as such) will find it lacking in creativity, vision and real emotional and memorable moments. Sounds controversial but I assure you after the 7th works with similar themes you start to feel cold.