Silent Voice TV Series on Chanco TV: A Review

When I started watching Silent Voice, I had zero expectations considering it’s a low-budget production set on a university campus with seemingly little to no sponsorship. However, Silent Voices quickly reminded me of the famous Mzuzu University Alufeyo movie, which navigates the tricky terrain of college life, choices, and consequences. This new TV series set at the University of Malawi, formerly Chancellor College, has captured the attention of young viewers with its fascinating narrative and bold themes.

At its core, the series delves into the romantic relationship between Mafuno (played by Promise Banda), a devout born-again Christian, and George (played by Kondwani Kabvina), a man striving to align with her faith-driven path. Their vow to abstain from sex before marriage faces severe trials, revealing the intricate layers of human behaviour and societal pressures.

Mafuno and George’s relationship is the glue of the show. Mafuno, struggling with financial hardships, is enticed into an affair with her lecturer in exchange for money, leading to an unexpected pregnancy. Meanwhile, George, despite being tempted by Chifundo, a flirtatious slay queen and friend with benefits to his Mesho, remains loyal to Mafuno. Chaos ensues when George discovers Mafuno’s betrayal. In his agony, he turns to booze and parties, leading to a shocking incident where George is raped by Chifundo after being heavily intoxicated. This storyline navigates the taboo subject of male sexual abuse. The TV show takes a bold step in depicting male rape, highlighting the stigma and challenges male victims endure. The series underscores the disturbing reality that sexual abuse more often comes from acquaintances than strangers. Mafuno’s betrayal is particularly excruciating for George because she denied him intimacy, citing her commitment to celibacy, which George respected.

Betrayal is a recurring motif throughout the series. Mafuno’s infidelity devastates George, breaking the trust and commitment they had built. Mafuno’s pregnancy profoundly disappoints her parents, who had high hopes for her. George’s roommate or mesho, harbours secret jealousy, feeling betrayed by George for winning the admiration of Chifundo, who is taken by George’s looks and intellect, evidenced by the assignments he ghost-writes for her.

The series does not shy away from addressing mental health issues. Mafuno’s contemplation of suicide, driven by shame and fear of judgment, reflects the silent struggles many youths face in similar predicaments. Her best friend’s insistence on confiding in her parents and George’s intervention right before Mafuno attempts suicide highlights the importance of transparency and having a support system.

A standout aspect of “Silent Voice” is its soundtrack, featuring predominantly Malawian music. This choice not only promotes local arts but also enhances the show’s cultural authenticity, resonating deeply with its youthful audience. The urban music soundtracks, with trap beats and 808’s, are a feast for the ears of the young listener. The producers and sound team wisely avoided incorporating foreign music. If the series continues, I recommend releasing a soundtrack specifically for the TV show as a marketing strategy.

While the series excels in storytelling and thematic depth, its picture quality leaves room for improvement. Enhancing the visual production could significantly boost the show’s overall impact and viewer engagement. The picture quality suggests it was shot with slightly outdated lenses. It may be time for the production team to consider outsourcing extra production equipment or fundraising for advanced shooting gear to fully realize the series’ potential.

Additionally, I have issues with the dialogue and the characters owning their scripted words. As a fiction writer, I understand that writing dialogue is one of the most challenging aspects of storytelling. Dialogue is essential in character development, advancing the narrative, and creating emotional connections. In this show, I sometimes found the dialogue forced, merely memorised but not necessarily internalised to bring the weight of the words to life. It sounded less believable, largely because the characters seemed to lack conviction. Moreover, the characters’ fluency in English appeared to hinder their emotional expression. In highly charged situations, people often revert to their mother tongue. I recommend a more bilingual approach than the current one with a lot more incorporation of Chichewa, especially for characters not fluent in English. Also the Chichewa has to skew a lot more towards the college campus lingo because the target audience is already college students. Or if the series seeks to continue on using English the characters have to master its fluency to rival their mother tongue.

There are inconsistencies in between verbal dialogue and body language. For example, the confrontation between George and the lecturer or Mafuno and George upon discovering the affair could have been more convincing. Moments of anger, joy, indifference or sadness have to be reflected in both words and body language. Some characters could have been portrayed as wittier, more devious, or more calculative through their dialogue. I like the sassiness of Chifundo, she really managed to wear that slay queen bad girl persona with her mannerisms, her weird hairstyle, heavy make-up and even the annoying chewing of the gum. I also like George’s mesho jealousy body language and his slithering snake tendencies portrayed as he checks out his friends girl. He embodied a traitor in a cocoon personality awaiting for the right time to moth.

In terms of camera work and lighting, the series could be improved. The confrontation scene between George and the lecturer and the outdoor scene with George, Mafuno, and her best friend could have been shot better. The camera work sometimes feels amateurish. Lighting in outdoor scenes could be enhanced by selecting well-lit locations or manipulating the light to avoid shading characters’ faces.

Despite these shortcomings, the TV show is off to a promising start. With time and constructive feedback, I believe the series can improve by the time they get to season 2. It’s always a joy to see filmmakers creating compelling works for an industry in its infancy like ours.