If used right, silence can be an even more powerful tool than sound. Because in order to appreciate or crave good audio or sound direction, it also has to make itself scarce at times in manipulative moments that direct what emotions the viewers need to feel. Just assilence is present in films, silence is also memorable in anime.
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And contrary to how it’s commonly used in most anime, silence isn’t just a tool to shift focus on an edgy shonencharacter’s unparalleled peak sadness as a teenager. If used right, silence in anime can be a prelude to tragedy, a reflective break, a calm before the storm, or just pleasant nothings. These following anime have silent scenes that will leave their viewers speechless.
10Barefoot Gen
There’s that one video that probably keeps popping up on YouTube algorithms detailing a vivid 2D recreation of the experiences of the victims of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing. It was by far one of the most horrific and traumatizing imagery in anime, peppered with nothing but howling sonic winds, crumbling buildings, and then silence at the sight of the great mushroom cloud.
That notorious clip was from an anime calledBarefoot Genand it chronicles the struggles of a Japanese boy during and before the aftermath of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb. The silence here facilitates an obvious anti-war message while also giving the viewers the freedom to process their emotions, and it’s safe to say that the scene would have been less effective with forceful music.
9Grave Of The Fireflies
Speaking of war films or anti-war films,Grave of the Firefliescan be even more harrowing and tragic. Itsstrong anti-war messageis told through the eyes of a boy and his sister who became orphans due to WW2 and were forced to fend for themselves in a world where adults failed in their duties to uphold the basic ideals of society.
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The most heartfelt and heart-wrenching moments have music in them while the absurd moments portraying the failure of adults to look after children are all silent. Certainmoments of happinessare also quiet, further intensifying whatever emotions the viewers feel once the somber and soft musical score creeps in.
8Perfect Blue
Perfect Blueis a great example of what silence can do to depict the mental and psychological state of an anxious and scared actress in a world that sees her as a commodity. There’s no shortage of discomforts here, and the silence makes them palpable.
From real and imagined stalkers to the apathetic and surreal people around her, the protagonist’s plight in her maddening world is accompanied by a deafening silence. Intended or not, it’s a great metaphor for what she’s going through; wanting to scream for help but everyone is choosing to be silent.
7A Silent Voice
While on the topic protagonists of internally screaming for help amid silence,A Silent Voiceis another great anime film. It deals with the heavy subject matter of bullying through the bully’s perspective; it also just so happens that the bully’s victim is a deaf classmate.
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So the silence here and its symbolisms are essentially intended for the audience to see the foolishness of the bully who kept thinking his actions were reasonable or cool in his mind. Further into the story, thesilence also became a toolfor him to reflect on his past mistakes and his own demons.
65 Centimeters Per Second
Makoto Shinkai’s films utilize silence in an impressive and generous manner, but they are at their most relaxed in5 Centimeters Per Second. In a nutshell, the anime film is about a boy who grew up into a man filled with regrets and difficulties moving on from his first love.
The silence in this film is the protagonist in his own echo chamber, repeatedly sounding off his loss and naivete at him. Of course, prior to that, their beautiful yet fleeting romance was also tranquil and innocent, seemingly unbreakable at the moment like plenty of first romances.
5Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Passis the anime equivalent of the Hollywood film,Minority Report,so one can imagine that it’s action-packed with high-octane police chases and their accompanying soundtrack. However,Psycho-Passalso knows how to make its significant moments shine.
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Action scenes are typically hyped up with a crescendo— a roaring symphony fitting for detective drama and action. Then, just as the blood splatters and the corpses lay limp, silence takes over. That’s how the anime handles its climaxes. The absence of sound is well juxtaposed with the nothingness after death and the fragility of the human body. As a result, each death is more haunting.
4Land Of The Lustrous
Land of the Lustrousis a gorgeous anime and it knows what it has and how well to utilize it, be it in visuals or audio. It’s one of the few successful 3D anime that actually works and uses its animation style to its advantage. Sure enough, the audio is also complementary to the unique visuals.
During moments of loss or sudden grief, the anime knows when to shut itself up, not just to harmonize with the viewers' shock, but to also emphasize the clumsy and bumbling protagonist’s failures. Apart from that, the audio’s absence in certain establishing shots funnels the fresh and special 3D visuals at the viewers.
3Jobless Reincarnation
Like a lot of action anime,Jobless ReincarnationorMushoku Tenseiknow when to take breaks in their action sequences with silences in audio. However, it also utilizes its silence whenever it presents godly or powerful beings or events.
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As a result, their entrance is more stunning, be it the God of Humanity or the Dragon God Orsted. Everything from the characters, the visuals, and even the audio bows to them in attention. In sad moments, particularly during departures, the sounds are mostly absent too apart from the sparse farewell dialog followed by music as a cue to release the floodgates.
2Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan’s later seasons might have been too loud and too busy, but the first season notably featured a masterful use for silence. Apart from using it as a calm before the storm, certain silent sequences are there to help viewers focus on the footsteps of gigantic man-eaters drawing near.
And during scenes of shock or unfathomable despair, the silence acts as an ambiguous platform for the viewers to project themselvesinto the characters' shoes. That kind of prologue accompanied by an atmospheric use of silence and an introduction to the titans instantly made the series a hit.
1Spirited Away
MostHayao Miyazaki filmscan also be considered here, butSpirited Awayis his most impactful work. Like his other films, he incorporates scenes of inaction which he calls “Ma.” These calm and uneventful moments not just point out the beauty of his anime cinematography and visuals, but they’re also allegorical poetry in motion.
The most common theme and message inSpirited Awayis how work for profit’s sake is toxic, and those “Ma” scenes imply the forgone break that working generations need after seeing Chihiro’s hustle to pay off her parents' debts. Here, silence isn’t just an emotional cue or thought-provoking freedom, they’re also a reprieve for tired souls — artistic visualizations of deep breaths.
