A Sign of Affection, also known as Yubisaki to Renren, is a romance anime that has garnered attention for its unique way of storytelling and character development, as well as the way in which it approaches the world of the deaf.
The series is based on the hit manga of the same name by Suu Morishita and tells the story of Yuki Itose, a deaf university student, whose world is small and isolated.
Her life takes a turn when she meets Itsuomi Nagi, a multilingual travel enthusiast, and through him, begins to experience a world far beyond anything she has lived in before.
As romance anime series go, A Sign of Affection is one of the sweetest and comfiest in quite a while.
Especially as it features a subject — being hearing-impaired — that hasn’t been looked at this way in any other romance anime.
Here, then, are just a few reasons why A Sign of Affection is one of the best romance anime of the year so far.
A unique representation of disability
One of the standout features of A Sign of Affection is its representation of disability.
Unlike many other TV series, it doesn’t use Yuki’s hearing impairment as a mere plot device but rather as a core aspect of her character that influences the narrative in meaningful ways.
The series has been praised for the way it portrays the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. Particularly those disabilities that aren’t immediately apparent.
For instance, there is an interesting scene where Yuki is waiting for Itsuomi and is approached by two boys who think she’s “cute”. As she is wearing hearing aids, they think they are “ear buds” and become annoyed as they think Yuki is ignoring them.
In reality, of course, she is unable to hear what they are saying.
In this instance, Itsuomi is the one who comes to Yuki’s aid, but it is a scene that stuck in my mind as it hadn’t occurred to me before how hearing aids could be mistaken for ear buds.
And what problems that could cause for someone who is deaf.
A mature romance
The romance in A Sign of Affection is more mature and more well-developed than in similar anime featuring young adults, as it moves away from the typical high school setting to a more adult context where the protagonists are university students.
This setting allows for an interesting exploration of romance as, although both Yuki and Itsuomi are technically adults, they are both still discovering their own identities and deciding what they want.
Both out of life and in relationships with the opposite sex.
Being adults, however, as they learn about themselves and each other, they can use what they learn to make solid decisions about their own romantic lives. Instead of having to abide by the opinions or rules of others, as they may have had to do if they were still under age.
Character depth and growth
Unlike in some other romance anime, the main characters in A Sign of Affection are multi-dimensional. They also undergo significant growth throughout the 12-episode series, and are noticeably different people by the end of the first season of the anime than they were when it began.
Yuki, for instance, evolves from a person with a limited social circle to someone who learns to navigate a broader world, even getting a job in a cafe so she can save money to travel with Itsuomi.
Prior to meeting Itsuomi, she was also a person who communicated primarily through Japanese Sign Language, and who was quite withdrawn and shy with people she didn’t know.
After meeting Itsuomi, she makes an effort to move outside her comfort zone and make connections with people she may not ever have made an effort with before, and in ways she would otherwise have avoided.
Itsuomi’s chance encounter with Yuki on a train is also a catalyst for his own development, as he begins to learn sign language so he can communicate better with her, which also starts to change his outlook on the world.
Particularly as his dream is to teach children in underdeveloped countries.
Itsuomi is also not just a love interest but a character with his own passions and complexities, and a goal in life he does everything he can to attain.
His development also comes in when he realizes, because he is in love with her, in the future he will have to consider Yuki and her dreams just as much as he considers his own.
Cultural and linguistic diversity
Itsuomi is a character who loves to travel, and is fluent in multiple languages.
This aspect of his character introduces a cultural and linguistic diversity to the series that is rarely seen in romance anime, with several scenes even being played out in English or German.
That alone not only allows Yuki to learn about cultures and languages outside her own very narrow experience, but even attempts to open the minds of the viewer and persuade them that learning about other cultures is fascinating, and even makes you yourself more interesting.
The A Sign of Affection art style
The utterly beautiful art style is another reason to watch A Sign of Affection.
Its pastel color palette is soft and dreamy adding to the romance of the anime (watch the anime’s official trailer below), while the attention to detail in its art brings both the wonderfully designed characters and the settings to life.
The use of color and light also adds an incredible depth to several of the anime’s most emotional scenes (when Itsuomi asks Yuki to go out with him, for instance), and makes those scenes even more impactful.
Emotional resonance
The emotional depth of the A Sign of Affection anime series is actually quite profound, but in a really lovely quiet way as, while it is a romance anime, it also deals with themes of isolation, connection, and the human desire to be understood.
For everyone, no matter their situation in life.
It also does a wonderful job of making the viewer emotionally empathize with both the characters struggles’ and their triumphs.
So much so, you quickly find yourself falling in love with both Yuki and Itsuomi and routing for them to succeed. In their relationship, and in life.
An overwhelmingly positive reception for A Sign of Affection
The series has received overwhelmingly positive reviews for its portrayal of emotions between two young adults falling in love for the first time, as well as how the anime deals with the changes in Yuki’s world as she begins to let others in for the first time.
Fans have also expressed deep affection for the characters and the story, with many stating that they find themselves smiling throughout the episodes, as both Yuki and Itsuomi are just so “darned cute”.
They also love that both are simply genuinely nice people, rather than having to watch some of the angst-ridden “romance” between two toxic people that we are sometimes served in other romance anime.
A Sign of Affection then is a superb romance anime for several reasons. Reasons that you don’t often get in a typical anime that follows the love story of two young adults.
After all, it is an anime series that not only entertains but also educates and inspires, making it a standout addition to the romance anime landscape, as well as a compelling narrative of personal growth, resilience, and the power of human connection.
I would imagine, if you’re deaf, it probably delighted you as well as, while, of course, it doesn’t describe what it’s like being hearing-impaired perfectly, at least it treats the deaf protagonist as a fully-fledged human being.
A person with the same emotions, needs and dreams as everyone else. Even if she can’t physically express them as easily as those of us who aren’t hearing-impaired.
And for that alone, it’s lovely.
You can watch all 12 episodes of the first season of A Sign of Affection on Crunchyroll. The anime also has an English dub if you prefer consuming your favorite shows that way.