Yubisaki to Renren
A Sign of Affection

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This manga is NOT a shameless reworking of Koe no Katachi (A silent voice). Its also not the token use of a deaf person in order to create novelty within the romance trope.

The story revolves around Yuki, a young college woman who is hearing impaired. We are immediately brought into her world and her everyday experience and challenges with interacting with those around her. She encounters Itsuomi and is impressed with how he doesn't treat her differently. How he attempts to communicate with her and then later connects her with others and with the world around her.

This anime is all about communication. Connection. Building bridges ... between different people, different cultures, different languages. There is a sweet sincerity, vulnerability and simple honesty that at times drew tears. But what REALLY impressed me was how the author, Suu Morishita, so successfully expresses emotions and how they are communicated. So much is conveyed in the art style. Special attention to detail is given to the hands, not only during sign language but all the times. And the eyes. Just one beautifully drawn look and you get it. As the author herself says "that a few simple lines and broad strokes" can convey a message.

I challenge you to see that which is not spoken. To look at how even the panel divisions sometimes tell you something. To read this manga slowly and in a quiet room. To read the author's notes on how seriously she was about conveying the correct hand signs. Her personal experience with deaf people. Her heartfelt attempt at being that bridge between those who can't hear and those who can.

Itsuomi is not JUST a pretty ikeman, he is the safe space the author wishes for Yuki to express herself. Don't for one moment think that people love him only because of his looks. He is the gentle and non-judgemental "best person we strive to be". Is it idealistic? Yes. Because essentially he is the perfect bridge the author wishes to build.

I do not wish to write spoilers, I simply would like for people to read this manga and reflect. To take it more seriously than just another love story. To consider just how much we say without saying a word.

I will not gush more, simply rate it 9/10

Are you looking for a light-hearted manga to serve as a palette cleanser between binges of your other series? Let me introduce you to this wonderful shoujo romance.

To put it simply, this is a manga about two people from different worlds who meet and begin to overcome the boundaries set by Yuki, the female lead's, deafness. Although not the most complex or unique manga to come out, it is easy to read and watching the characters grow closer is enjoyable. Both of the leads are likeable (although Yuki may come off as plain to some), and the side characters help to encourage their relationship. ... The art is beautifully drawn and as soft as the snowfall shown in the background of many of this manga's panels. There are some shoujo tropes present, but they are not overwhelming. In my opinion, much of this manga's charm comes from its light-hearted, fluffy nature that lends itself well to quiet, calm reading sessions. If you enjoy shoujo, romance, or slice of life stories, I highly recommend that you give this manga a try.

(Cette review est disponible en français un peu plus bas.)

Yubisaki to Renren could have been a great manga, too bad it's lacking everything a shoujo manga should have.

I love the idea of following a deaf character and not focusing on her handicap only. Yubisaki to Renren follows Yuki's daily life with her boyfriend and... that's it, I guess. Sure, she has friends such as Rin (uni student) or Oushi (childhood friend) but we know so little about them it feels like they don't even exist. Rin's only character trait is to be in love with Kyoya, Oushi's is to be jealous of Yuki and Itsuomi's ... relationship, Yuki's is to be in love with Itsuomi and Itsuomi's is... well... that is a very good question actually. All we know is that he's hot, popular and likes to travel. Which could have been great, again, but as nothing really interesting happens around his hobby it just feels like it's a detail. Maybe we'll learn more about this passion later, but I feel like after 5 boring volumes the author could have given us something. Sometimes he leaves, sometimes he's back but we don't know much about what he does when he's away.

This would have been fine if the romance was at least interesting but Yuki and Itsuomi's relationship feels extremely shallow. She falls in love because he's handsome, he falls in love because she's cute and it happens so quickly they were already going out before I could memorise their names. Yuki is cute but shy, like any boring shoujo protagonist and Itsuomi is just boring.

There are some good points: the art is really pretty and I love that this isn't just about Yuki's handicap but about her normal life, but it's not enough to make a good manga.

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Yubisaki to Renren aurait pu être un très bon manga, dommage qu'il lui manque tout ce qu'un shoujo devrait avoir.

J'adore l'idée de suivre un personnage sourd et de ne pas se concentrer uniquement sur son handicap. Yubisaki to Renren suit le quotidien de Yuki avec son petit-ami et... c'est tout en fait. Elle a des amis, comme Rin (une amie à l'université) et Oushi (son ami d'enfance), mais on en sait si peu sur eux que c'était comme s'ils n'existaient pas du tout. Le seul trait de caractère de Rin est d'être amoureuse de Kyoya et celui d'Oushi est d'être jaloux de la relation entre Rin et Itsuomi, celui de Yuki est d'être amoureux de Itsuomi et celui d'Itsumomi est... c'est une bonne question. Tout ce qu'on sait c'est qu'il est beau, populaire et qu'il aime voyager. Ce qui aurait pu être intéressant, encore une fois, mais comme rien ne se passe autour de ce hobby il donne l'impression d'être un détail. Peut-être qu'on en apprendra davantage sur sa passion plus tard, mais j'ai le sentiment qu'après 5 tomes d'ennui l'auteur aurait pu nous donner quelque chose à nous mettre sous la dent. Parfois Itsuomi part, parfois il revient, mais on ne sait pas vraiment ce qu'il fait quand il est ailleurs.

ça n'aurait pas été si grave si la romance avait au moins été intéressante, mais leur relation est terriblement vide. Elle tombe amoureuse parce qu'il est beau, il tombe amoureux parce qu'elle est mignonne et tout se passe si vite qu'ils étaient déjà en couple alors que je n'avais pas encore retenu leurs prénoms. Yuki est mignonne mais timide, comme n'importe quel protagoniste de shoujo ennuyant et Itsuomi est juste ennuyant.

Il y a quand même quelques points positifs : le dessin est vraiment beau et j'aime beaucoup que l'histoire ne soit pas juste centrée autour du handicap de Yuki, mais plus autour de son quotidien. Mais ce n'est pas suffisant pour faire un bon manga.