A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima is a heartwarming
and tear-jerking series about the importance of second chances,
but even more
so than that, it is a touching story about redemption as well as forgiveness,
and how people with time and experience, can adapt, change and grow.
It's also very much a story about communication
and how difficult it can be to express one's emotions.
We communicate in so many different ways through text or notebooks,
through our words, through different languages, even body language.
We even communicate through our actions or by sharing our favorite things
with others.
What A Silent Voice does well is show not only how important communication is,
but it also conveys how difficult it can be to communicate one's true emotions.
Often times what we are really feeling can come across as something else.
Sadness can come across as anger, etc..
Few manga have made me feel as much as A Silent Voice
and it's one that will take you on an emotional but also moving journey.
A Silent Voice is one of the best and most profound manga I've ever read.
With great storytelling, characters, and a powerful message,
it's one that leaves a lasting impact.
I love it and highly recommend it, but what's the best way to collect the series?
Currently, you can collect A Silent Voice with English translation via the seven
individual paperbacks, the complete box set, which collects all seven volumes,
and the hardcover collector's editions which collect the series in two volumes.
Unfortunately, the manga box set has been out of stock
for a bit,
so I haven't been able
to get my hands on it to show it off in this video for you guys.
I do have the first collector's edition and the first paperback volume
to compare them side by side.
The individuals are collected in the box set
and I'll show you how the volumes themselves
differ in all aspects from print quality, size, design, extras and more.
Let's kick things off with size.
The individual paperbacks are the same size as Kodansha's other
standard manga releases at 5 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches.
The collector's editions, on the other hand, are oversize and they are
7.3 x 10.2 x 1.6 inches.
They are comparable in size to the Ghost in the Shell and Alita Deluxe Editions
or the Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Editions.
They're also around the same size
as another Kodansha release, the Attack on Titan Colossal Editions,
which I also reviewed on the channel, if you'd like to check it out.
Since the Collector's editions are only 1.6 inches thick,
they are only going to take up around 3.2 inches a shelf space,
whereas the seven individuals take up about 4.9 inches.
So the collector's editions do save some space on the shelf
in comparison to the singles.
What about cost?
At retail, the collectors editions are 44.99
each, while the paperback singles are 10.99 each.
The complete box set is 76.73 at retail.
All prices I mentioned are in USD, by the way.
Oftentimes you can find these all for cheaper
when you can find them in stock on sites like Amazon and Right Stuf though,
so be sure to keep an eye out on sales and discounts.
In terms of overall cost, both collector's editions will run you 89.98.
All seven paperbacks will run you 76.93.
And the manga box set will run you 76.73.
The cheapest way to collect A Silent Voice is the individuals, but the complete box
set is only $0.20 more expensive, so only by a tiny, tiny margin.
The hardcover collector's editions are only $13 more expensive,
which is a good value in my opinion, especially considering their design
and quality, which I'm going to show you guys next.
As far as design goes, the paperbacks feature the same cover
art that seen on the singles released in Japan.
You have the logo at the top of the covers and the covers are glossy.
The spine features a logo and the volume number.
The artwork on the front wraps around onto the spine and the back of the volumes.
The collector's editions are hardcover.
The first features the same artwork of Shouko and Shoya that's seen on single
1, but as you can see, they split up the art like it's a photograph
that's been torn apart.
I like the way they did this because it's somewhat symbolic of their relationship.
The rest of it has a background graphic that looks like the top of Shoya's desk.
They also have some glossy details
on the front cover as well, which look like droplets of water.
The spines of the collector's editions are squared off rather than rounded.
The text details are on top of torn out notebook paper, which is symbolic as well.
On the back you have a page from Shouko's notebook and a graphic of Shoya's desk.
Let's check out page and print quality next.
The individuals are printed
on that standard off white paper that has an eggshell like texture.
The color pages that are present, however, in front
are printed on a higher quality glossy white paper.
There are only a few color pages in the front of the first volume though,
while the collector's editions have color pages
in the front of the editions, as well as new color
illustration galleries to browse, which I'll talk about more in the extras.
The black and white pages of the collector's
editions are printed on higher quality premium paper.
They are white with a smooth
glossy finish, much like the Attack on Titan Colossal Editions.
They have the same print quality as those, but the Silent Voice collector's
editions are better quality overall since they are hardcover instead of paperback.
When the pages of the singles are compared to the collector's editions,
you can see that more mid tones are present
and the contrast is sharper in the collector's editions.
The print quality in the collector's
editions is better all around and you can see more details in the art.
With the oversized format and the print quality,
the artwork looks even better in the collector's editions.
So if you are looking for the edition
with the best page and print quality, it is the collectors editions by far.
What about readability?
The collector's editions actually have less gutter loss than the individuals do,
since they have a sewn-binding,
The editions open up more so they are pleasing to read in that regard.
The only thing I will say is that they are rather heavy,
so you can't hold them up for extended periods of time.
But they do lay flat when you're reading them on a table or desk, which is nice.
If you're looking for something that's portable and easy
to take on the road with you, though, you may prefer the individuals.
Both have good readability, but if you want the least gutter loss,
it is going to be the collector's editions.
If you want the least heavy edition
or something you can hold in hand and read, it's going to be the singles.
I read volume one side by side with the collector's edition and didn't
notice any differences in translation, lettering or sound effects.
I wasn't able to read past this point so if you noticed anything later
on in the volumes, please let us know.
As far as I can tell, everything seems to be the same here.
What about extras?
The complete box set comes with a double sided poster
and a replica of Shouko's communication notebook.
This is the only edition that comes with both of these extras.
The Silent Voice Complete Collector's Editions, however, each have over 50
pages of new content you can't collect in any other edition.
The first has the original 45 page short story, and this is the first time
it's been officially translated English,
never before seen interviews, a color art gallery and more.
Between the two of the editions, there's going to be over 100 pages of new content
that the individuals and box set do not collect.
So it has the most extras and new material by far.
The interviews, short story and color art galleries are awesome additions.
Now that we've gone over everything, what's the best edition of A Silent Voice?
If you're looking for the cheapest edition, it's the individuals or the box
set. Looking for the best page and print quality and prefer a hardcover edition?
The collector's editions. Want the most extras?
The collector's editions have the most extra material by far.
The collector's
editions also save you space on the shelf, and they're the highest quality edition.
What do I think, though?
Personally, I enjoy the collector's editions the most.
They're premium editions that look great both on and off the shelf.
They have awesome extras and amazing page and print quality.
What do you guys think?
What's the best edition to release of A Silent Voice so far,
and how do you plan on collecting the series?
Let me know in the comments.
As always, thanks so much for watching, and if you enjoy manga comparisons
like these, be sure to check out this playlist next!