Every year, many films and actors in this industry are recognized by millions as one of the best. The process of having to nominate a movie for an Academy Award is very rigorous, making it difficult for Academy members to really vote on a select few. It is seen as a real honor to have been nominated for any of the award categories, let alone actually win it. However, one genre that usually doesn’t often see the light of day is anime. While many anime films and movies are able to qualify, they often get snubbed in the voting process. The film, “A Silent Voice,” is no exception to this.

Naoko Yamada’s animated movie “A Silent Voice,” had the opportunity to qualify under the category of animated feature film. The film features two main characters, Shoya Ishida and Shouko Nishimiya. Back in elementary school, Shouko introduces herself as a new student. However, she is deaf and was bullied for this by other main character Shoya. Shoya’s severe bullying eventually leads Shouko to move away. Moving into high school, Shoya is excluded from the majority of the students at his school, telling himself that it’s simply punishment for his cruel conducts. As time passes on, Shoya gives his best effort to fix his mistakes and befriend Shouko.  The movie was able to touch the lives of many, and present issues that seemed too controversial for the media, in a good manner. The film is praised by many top critics across the globe as a masterpiece for it’s message on bullying and being able to show both sides of it.

Films that qualify to be nominated have to fall under a specific set of rules and requirements. Once they pass all guidelines, the movie is then voted on by members of the Oscars that fall under that certain category. “A Silent Voice” fell under the animated feature film category but was unfortunately snubbed from being a nominee.

Fans were outraged by this. Millions of people took online to let out their anger and frustrations with the selections. Anime films and movies have been introduced to big award ceremonies such as the Oscars but have never officially won an award. Another thing that really set off fans of anime was that the animated film Boss Baby was nominated for the award. Compared to the serious issues “A Silent Voice” covered, the Boss baby follows the story of 7 year old Tim. He is surprised when a new baby, Theodore, joins his family but realizes he’s actually a secret spy that has the mind of an adult. Tim and Theodore have to work together to win in a battle between puppies and babies. Boss Baby came out with a 6.4/10 on IMDb and a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes, both very prestigious and well acclaimed platforms. “A Silent Voice,” on the other hand,  got an 8.2/10 on IMDb and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Even after the outrage, many other anime films and movies are usually snubbed from the Oscars. Unfortunately, this has not been the first time popular films have been removed from a nominee position. Hopefully in the future, we can see all types of films given the praise and recognition they deserve.