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In Koe no Katachi, Shouko Nishimiya uses hearing aids. She's deaf, so can she
actually hear something or not? I have read the manga but didn't watch the
movie, so I haven't seen any clue about why she is using hearing aids. For
what purposes did she use hearing aids in the first place?

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AHDJL.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AHDJL.png)


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2017-09-11T12:16:47.930
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koe-no-katachi
Why did Shouko use hearing aids even though she's deaf?


Shouko uses hearing aids _because_ she's deaf. [They're meant to
assist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid) anyone with hearing loss of
specific kinds to allow them to better identify sounds.

If you're looking for a clue, in the first chapter of her introduction, she
plainly tells the classroom that she's deaf.

[![Chapter
1](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MQ3AQ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MQ3AQ.png)

Picture taken from [Chapter 1 of _Koe no Katachi_ , available for free from
Crunchyroll.](https://www.crunchyroll.com/comics/manga/a-silent-voice-koe-no-
katachi/volumes)


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2017-09-11T14:51:21.323
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I think it's never mentioned exactly, but the only reason she is using hearing
aids can be that she can hear some sounds, but her hearing is bad enough to be
considered clinically deaf.

We can actually see her several times in the manga reacting to loud shouts and
noises.

There are also some pages in chapter 51 that show speech bubbles from her
point of view (one of these pages below), so this also might prove that she
isn't completely deaf.

[![x](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WYKna.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WYKna.jpg)


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2017-09-11T15:04:08.917
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I'm a hearing aid salesperson! Shoko has some degree of hearing somewhere. She
uses the "universal communication" method which is generally about getting it
out and making yourself understood. Some people try only hearing aids, some
people try only sign language and some people use both. Visual cues and
hearing cues in unison are clearly enough for certain moments of short speech
for Shoko where she doesn't have to write or sign.

That being said, when Shouya yanks her hearing aids out and she bleeds on the
right side, it's implied that he perforates her eardrum or causes other
structural damage. A perforated eardrum is contraindicated in some countries
with a hearing instruments which is why she has to wear a left side monaural
hearing aid for the remainder of the time.


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She may have some degree of hearing, especially if she can hear certain loud
sounds as shown in both the anime and the manga. The term "deaf" can be used
as an umbrella term for all people with hearing loss, whether that be mild,
moderate, severe, or profound. I myself have moderate hearing loss and wear
hearing aids, and they help me hear almost as well as a person with normal
hearing. Most people with mild or moderate hearing loss prefer to be called
"hard of hearing" instead of "deaf" to prevent any confusion for people who
aren't completely educated on the topic. Shouko most likely has severe hearing
loss due to the fact that she responds to certain loud sounds as I mentioned
before.


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2020-06-04T06:39:35.077
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I have hearing aids myself so I can kinda understand, I guess?

Her condition of hearing must still let her hear some sounds, specifically
louder sounds. From personal experience, the hearing appliance can help you
hear sounds that you can't normally hear, making it a lot more clearer and
reassured. Her hearing is considered quite severe, since she uses sign
language to communicate quite often throughout the movie.

Her hearing aids will really help support her, they would make her feel
comforted, since they will allow her to hear to some extent and she has
something to rely on to help her hear rather than have nothing to help her.
She also flinches at loud sounds, because listening to a bang or a general
loud noise is like listening to it x10 louder through a clear microphone and
then hearing that reflected sound through a pair of earphones and sometimes
the noise wouldn't even be that loud, but it has the same effect (not a great
experience).

Anyway, yeah, she has severe hearing loss and likes to be supported by hearing
aids.


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Even if someone is deaf they may use hearing aids to let them hear a little
bit. This will help them not have to be completely deaf. I use hearing aids
because I have hearing loss but I was born deaf. I failed my hearing test as
an infant. :( so the hearing aids probably assist Shouko. She might not be
completely deaf or she would have a cochlear implant. I have hearing loss so I
know a lot about this topic.


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