Shoko Nishimiya

Shoko Nishimiya (西宮硝子) is the female protagonist of the Koe no Katachi series.

While Shōko is completely deaf (given the hearing aids she possesses in both ears), her hearing loss is drastic enough to the point that she can be overall deaf. Despite this, it has been shown that though she cannot clearly understand individual words, she can hear various pitches of tones in the voices of other people. Also as stated in Chapter 21, that Nishimiya is observed to only wear one hearing aid. This may be a repercussion of Ishida's act of pulling out her other hearing aid, and permanently damaging her ear in Chapter 03. She also has speech problems with her voice whenever she talks out loud, which is why she communicates with Japanese Sign Language.

Background[]

During her childhood at the age of 3, her family discovers that she is deaf. Due to her being disabled her father's side of the family cuts all ties with her and mother. After her parents divorce she is taking care of by her grandma while her mother works hard to support her and her little sister.

Personality[]

Shōko is a very easy going person and she is able to quickly forgive many people, such as Shōya; her childhood bully. She is somewhat clueless and doesn't see herself as a special individual that needs to be pitied. Shōko is also hard to anger and slow to cry, as she has endured a long, painful life; with her mother aside leaving her grandmother to take care of the Nishimiya sisters.

Shōko cares deeply for those around her and rather than blaming the world and people that have hurt her, she blames herself. It has been clearly stated that Shōko hates herself and fears that she is useless. She knows she has been such a burden to Naoka Ueno as classmates, and tries to reconnect her ties and help Naoka and all she has 'tainted'.