Yubisaki to Renren

So, to start this review. I have never written a review so far but i just had to write one for "A sign of affection" i sit infront of my screen n smile like a lil girl every episode. I am so deeply in love with the characters and obsessed with them to a point where i had to instantly buy the manga. I literally cant comprehend the amount of love n thought thats put into it. The emotions are so well portraid and also Yukis world n how it changes when its focused on others.

Its super cute and also funny. I have to ... admit i havent loved an anime like this except for Tokyo Revengers and Kimi Ni Todoke and thats crazyyyyyy.

The people who are complaining about this anime just like to destroy good things for other people. It's an adorable slice of life/ romance amine. Not everything needs to be politically correct, insightful or educational.
Slice of life is exactly that, it's life. So a girl crushing over a guy is relatable and realistic. It's a cute story and we don't need a detailed back story about her overcoming diversity or teaching us an indepth course on sign language to enjoy. Let people enjoy the little things in life. If it's not for you, thats fine. But don't try to break it down by over ... analyzing and nitpicking what is supposed to be a simple feel good show.

Fans of the anime A Silent Voice, which also explores deaf themes frequently draw comparisons between this show and it. I have to admit that these two shows are very different even though. While A Silent Voice delves into the depths of depression and the journey towards appreciating lifes beauty, A Sign of Affection focuses primarily on the experience of being deaf albeit with less thematic complexity

A Sign of Affection stands out from the shoujo anime genre which is hard to find these days by straying from the clichés. This series adopts a novel approach by emphasizing the value of authentic communication especially through ... sign language and the big ass lips all of the cast members have in contrast to the typical cool and collected male lead or the corny reverse harem scenarios.

The central theme of this anime is a tender romance that is entwined with the deafness of the protagonist. Our main character Yuki who has hearing loss finds herself drawn to a new guy. Her condition presents obstacles but the male lead makes a genuine effort to comprehend and meet her needs which drives their relationship forward. Authenticity is what really sets this series apart. There are no clichés of love at first sight rather Yuki handles her feelings realistically and asks her friends for guidance as needed.

Because of the author Suu Morishita-senseis commitment to accurately capturing the subtleties of deaf culture Yukis deafness is also portrayed in an exceptionally well-researched manner. Not to be laughed at either is the directing in this production. Intentional decisions like the way the opening scenes sound gradually fades out remind viewers of Yukis reality and encourage them to identify with her experiences.

A Sign of Affection is a touching and authentic depiction of love and communication perfect for anyone looking for a more profound understanding of deafness or a heartwarming romance. Its already one of the years best animes offering a novel perspective on the shoujo genre.

I'm in love with the anime. The direction makes a difference, and if there's an anime where you can notice that, it's this one. The animation is beautiful; Yuki's purity calls for pastel tones, brightness, calmness, and lightness, and all of this the anime's environment conveys in a sublime way. But it's not in the character design, photography, or even animation that captures my enthusiasm; it's in the direction and sound design. The scene on the subway/train was so delicate and careful in depicting, by comparison, the world of listeners and non-listeners that leaves anyone moved. In a story where small gestures are of immense ... importance, paying attention to "sound" while telling the story of a deaf protagonist is an extremely important detail. When Yuki is surrounded by people talking, and we only hear her voice and a faint background melody... The silences, the juxtaposition of the current noise of the café vs. what she "hears," are all essential details to show the viewer how significant Itsuomi's actions are for Yuki.

Another feature that I value even more in the animation is the lips! In anime, there aren't exactly "lips" unless in certain scenes focused on them. Here, the presence of lips is part of the character design, which, coming from a work whose protagonist reads lips, is a detail that warms our hearts.

It's definitely a must-watch anime for everyone – even if just for the first episode! It's a beautiful work of art, and it has the animation, direction, and photography to leave any anime lover speechless. Moreover, the story warms the heart.

Give it a chance and be happy!

A Sign of Affection is an authentic, realistic, slice of life love story. If you’re looking for classic shojo tropes or big fanfare like gestures, this anime is not for you.

This anime is a story of a fairly ordinary girl falling in love with a fairly ordinary boy. They meet in an ordinary way. They flirt, they develop crushes, they date. All in all, a pretty standard story. And that is what makes it so good: it’s an ordinary story done fantastically and realistically well. The story is relatable, it’s cute, and it will have you kicking your feet and smiling over every day ... interactions.

You actually get to see Yuki and Itsuomi flirting and dating and interacting, instead of having to wait 12+ episodes just for them to hold hands, or watch two full seasons of miscommunication after miscommunication. I find this story to be SO refreshing and I’m hoping more like it get adapted.

And to everyone hung up on how the relationship was “rushed” because Yuki started crushing on a hot guy she met on the bus, that’s literally how dating works in the real world when you’re an adult. It’s realistic. I don’t need 6 months of them trading longing glances and internally monologuing before they decide to hang out for the story to be believable.

So, I have been watching this anime and waiting for the time the last episode Aires then i could write a review about it. But i can't wait anymore...

Every single episode made me smile like I did back when i was a child. I would write everything in detail but i realized that there is not much to explain in detail. I just want to be simple: the best aspect is having your weekly serotonin. I don't know if I just felt like this. But I can't wait for the next episode to come every week...

I definitely recommend this anime.

A beautiful light-hearted cozy feel-good romance anime with a warm atmosphere and relatable characters.

Story 8/10
The story itself isn’t anything crazy or out of the ordinary. It’s rather simple yet beautiful which really proves a good story doesn’t always need to be extraordinary or anything special but it’s a story with a heart. It follows university student Yuki who has a hearing disability since birth and then she meets another student Itsuomi and they fall in love. I’m not sure if it’s a hundred percent accurate when it comes to representation of those with a hearing disability but for me personally I found it interesting ... to see Yuki’s world (from her POV) and the people around her interacting with her. Both main characters have a very different perspective of the world but as they meet and get to know each others lives and world better, it really proves it’s not necessarily a bad thing to explore a new perspective. The story didn’t have many unnecessary misunderstandings or communication difficulties (despite the premise, which is an interesting take but just goes to show you can write a romance without adding unnecessary drama). And the parts where they maybe lacked communication were made up by both main characters trying their best to do better and improve together in their relationship. It was very relaxing without getting boring or repetitive (which is usually the case with many slice of life animes). It was really refreshing to watch. This anime always managed to make me feel warm and calm. The only things that I kind of wish would have been handled better was the fact that Yuki’s family didn’t use sign language with her which seems not unrealistic but very unlikely to me (even though I guess it’s hard to animate, the few times they interacted with another made it feel more strange to me) and the fact they focused so much on one character I didn’t particularly like and I wish they would have spend more time on the main couple or some of the supporting characters instead. This story could survived well without this in my opinion. Other than that it’s well-written.

Characters 8.5/10
Same as with the plot the characters weren’t too out of the ordinary. Yuki has a very sweet and kind personality. She maybe come off as naive sometimes but I feel like it’s due to her environment and many people worrying about her. Which in itself isn’t wrong but I like the fact Itsuomi helps her to see there’s more to explore in this world and that she also starts to develop her own dreams. She might be a common female main character regarding her personality but I personally don’t mind. She’s very positive despite her difficulties and she doesn’t let them stop her from enjoying life, making new friends and experiences (which is refreshing and motivating). Especially once she meets Itsuomi. In the beginning I was skeptical about him but once you get to know him a little better you start to realize it’s simply because he grew up in a different environment and was more exposed to other cultures compared to Yuki or even some of his friends. He likes to travel and to learn other languages (I liked that aspect too. Sometimes the bits of German they threw in came out of nowhere but I liked it). Both of these characters work so well together because they are different yet they complement and bring out the best in each other. Once you know Itsuomi better you see that he is such a green flag and he and Yuki are a perfect match who can bring out the best in each other.

I’m also very fond of most of the supporting characters which have also interesting backgrounds and interactions. For example I absolutely adore Yuki’s best friend Rin who supports her and her relationship with Itsu from the very beginning. I also shipped her very hard with Kyoya (Itsu’s cousin) and I would have loved to see more of them. And while I get to see why they even showed the perspective of Itsu’s childhood friends Shin and Ema I’m not particularly fond of Ema but it looks like overall she seems to have some kind of character development (which I always appreciate). The one character I just can’t bring myself to like is Oushi – Yuki’s childhood friend. Not necessarily because he is a tsundere or I can’t understand his feelings (I kind of understand him better than most other characters) but it’s the exact reason why I can’t bring myself to like him or any of his actions. He’s just immature. I get that he did many things out of concern for Yuki. But it doesn’t make it right or justifies how he is overprotective and even overbearing when it comes to Yuki. Like he is too afraid of Yuki getting out into the world that I feel like if it was up to him he wouldn’t let her and I feel like that’s the huge difference between Itsu and him who is way more mature and even tried to become friends with him. In my opinion the focus was a little too much on Oushi at times and it seemed like they tried so hard to force us to like him that I ended up disliking him even more (because I don’t like when writers to that in either direction). Of course I still hope he can grow up and become more mature. But sorry, until the every end I don’t like him.

Animation 10/10
Honestly as much as I’ve heard criticism about the animation of this series I have to disagree because for me it’s among the most beautiful aspects of this beautiful anime. The simple story mixed with enjoyable characters is nice but combine it with a cozy atmosphere and nice animation and the results will be truly beautiful. Just add some feel-good music and it’s perfect. To me the aesthetics is what makes this anime so unique and I wish we had more of this kind. The love for detail in animation, background – even during important scenes - is truly an aspect fit for a masterpiece.

Overall 9/10
Since I had never heard of this anime before I went in with zero expectations, thinking I would get bored quickly or it would be something nice for in-between. But I was positively surprised about how much I really enjoyed every single episode and the journey of these characters – which was simple yet beautifully depicted. Unfortunately I doubt there will be another season although I would wish to see more – how the story continues. Because this unique animation just makes you feel warm and cozy (and I know, I said this like 10 times in my review already). Don’t expect it to be a story that has never been told. It’s very simple but for me that’s where the beauty of it lies. I can recommend this anime to everyone who enjoys romance that make you feel good and even makes you feel invested.

From its endearing little details to heartwarming moments, this anime captures beauty in simplicity. Each scene is a visual delight, tempting you to immortalize it as your wallpaper. While some critics argue that the art is exceptional but the story progresses too swiftly, I find the pacing just right. It's essential to note that this adaptation stems from a mostly JOSEI Manga, presenting a slice-of-life narrative with a focus on genuine romance. The limited 12 episodes align with this intent, avoiding unnecessary drama or meandering plotlines.

Currently at episode 5, I remain steadfast in my appreciation for this anime, having anticipated its release long before it ... aired due to the stellar manga. For those seeking a slow burn, this might not be the ideal choice. However, if you crave a tranquil, wholesome, and adorably-paced anime, I wholeheartedly recommend this gem. Enjoy your watching! <3

This anime stands out as a truly romantic piece, skillfully capturing the perspective of its deaf protagonist through a lovely combination of visual elements and sound. I think there is such a masterful use of color, turning it into a language that speaks volumes on its own. Conveying emotions, moods, and nuances, which essentially transcends the need for spoken words. Very fitting.

Whilst the main character is deaf - I like how this story is not focused on that aspect. It's considered but it does not make it the sole point. We do witness Yuki's story through her lens, and I appreciate the intricate details of ... her communication, notably sign language. The anime beautifully portrays the hand movements, expressions, and the emotions which let's us into Yuki’s world. Yuki takes notes of the details that make you appreciate her form of communication even more. The details in the way hands look, how they move and what kind of emotion or tone is conveyed just by their movements - it’s intricate and beautifully portrayed.

The use of touch and eye contact is emphasized so well. (My heart has been skipping beats)

The attention to detail is impeccable in my opinion, highlighting Yuki's heightened awareness of her surroundings or wherever her attention may be at that time. This thoughtful approach not only adds depth to Yuki's character but also enhances the overall viewing experience, which is very important in order for this story to be told well.

One commendable aspect is the anime's avoidance of stereotypes surrounding deaf individuals. Yuki's life is not portrayed as tragic or limited; rather, she is presented as a curious and vibrant girl with a desire to experience and explore more. Her journey into the realm of love becomes a central focus, showcasing that her deafness is just one facet of her identity, not defining her entirely. Love is a beautiful and diverse experience, encompassing various expressions and circumstances involving people from all walks of life. It's heartening to witness romantic relationships that include individuals with different abilities, in this case - the deaf community. These relationships not only exist but thrive, showcasing the universal nature of love. So, watching this presented as well as it has been is heartwarming and simply beautiful.

In portraying such diverse love stories, there may be discussions about accuracy and representation. At the end of the day, it's impossible to satisfy everyone's expectations. The paramount goal should be to narrate a compelling love story that acknowledges challenges without overly emphasizing or romanticizing them. Striking a balance allows for a genuine and beautiful portrayal of the complexities of love while respecting the diverse experiences of individuals in romantic relationships. I have to say, A Sign of Affection does just that.

Its a wholesome, heartwarming slice of life romance with an endearing female MC and a surprisingly interesting male MC. People dog on this show way too much in the reviews. It might not be as intellectually deep as some of these people want it to be, but these are the same people who point out evangelion had religious themes.

So here's the bullet points.

Yes the cochlear implants don't do much its explained that they give her some minor awareness or something.

Im not deaf but it's the only anime ive seen that actually puts an emphasis on a characters disability.

No I don't think the FMC ... is being infantilized or fetishized as some people have said. She's shown to be self reliant and capable. Yes she has moments where she freezes up or whatever but that's just what romance anime does.

Yeah she's shy and acts introverted and I've seen people say they're trying to excuse it with her being deaf but no she's just shy , as a person.

No The male mc isn't a swindler or a creep. Yeah he catches feelings a bit too easy but again that's just a romance anime trope.

Yes the language barrier gets skipped a lil too eazy but also , he barely uses sing language any way as they're usually using text or she's lip reading.

That's it for now ,ill update this review as i see more bullshit people are saying.

Its a slice of life romance about a hearing-impaired girl Yuki.
Who encounters a boy named Itsuomi on a train. And eventually falls in love with him.

Yuki is sweet and timid.
Itsuomi is a quiet yet a very outgoing person who travels alot.

Itsuomi is very interested in Yuki and even decides to learn sign language to communicate with her.
Its sweet when they try to tell each other about their feelings but sometimes dont fully understand the sign, misread the lips, or happen to be looking away.

Yuki never speaks directly. But you do hear her thoughts.
...
Yuki's childhood guy-friend (who knows sign language) is jealous of the situation. And is very protective of Yuki. He clearly has feelings for her that he never expressed.
And one of Itsuomi's female-friends Emma wants to get in Itsuomi's pants.

Yuki's friend Rin is very supportive of her. And helps her get closer to Itsuomi.

No episode felt like a waste of time. The plot is always moving forward. You get to see their relationship progress.
The characters are great.
It has some colorful effects to illustrate the passion in the scene.

Overall its a sweet, charming and endearing anime.

An overwhelmingly feel good romance anime displaying a variety of approaches to relationships. The series waste no time in getting right to the point of where things are going. There aren’t any wasted episodes on wondering about “what-if” for too long.

Only reason, the rating isn’t a solid 10 is due to one character seeming too perfect throughout the series. Not to say the character doesn’t have flaws or needs to have more of them. It’s just something which stands out compared to the other characters around them, who are constantly working towards overcoming something.

Still a really good watch for anyone looking to try out a ... new genre or invest in another romance series.

I love A Sign of Affection and everything it stands for. There's a lot to like here. So let's talk about it!

Story & Characters: It's hard to talk about A Sign of Affection without mentioning Yuki Itose. She's now in college and hangs around her notetaker, Rin Fujishiro. Why does she need a notetaker? Because Yuki is deaf. Before you start to worry, no, this is not the same stark story that A Silent Voice tells. This is nothing like that. Yuki often spends her time on campus with Rin, or spend their free time hanging out ... with friends. One day, Yuki bumps into Itsuomi Nagi, who at first, has no idea about Yuki's lack of hearing. However, they go to the same campus for post-secondary school. Rin decides to ask Yuki to a bar one day so that she can meet up with Kyouya, someone she is madly crushing on. Who else happens to work there? Itsuomi. Both him and Yuki start to have feelings for each other and we get to watch as their worlds start to merge.

Yuki is exceptionally timid, almost to the point where you'd have a hard time believing she's a college student. She's so sweet and the world that unfolds with Itsuomi's inclusion becomes so large. It's crazy. I love seeing someone's first experience at love, but Yuki takes it to a whole other level. Itsuomi is constantly on the move, looking for a new place to travel to all over the planet. He takes a very blunt approach with his friends and really doesn't beat around the bush at all, which I enjoy for the character dynamics that he had.

Rin isn't anything particularly special, but is kind of necessary to tie everything together. That being said, her bond that she shares with Yuki is awesome - not something you'd always see with student and notetaker. Kyouya and Itsuomi, similarly, have a fantastic bond. It's witty, straight forward, and amusing, all at once. Oushi Ashioki has known Yuki since a very young age and clearly takes a more aggressive approach to how he communicates with people. This includes how he signs with Yuki. His attitude towards her was very welcome though, as it shows a different type of personality that the show would otherwise be lacking. Friends Shin and Emma have been friends with Itsuomi since high school. I liked them, and the goal of them was probably to add more of a different feel, but sometimes their inclusion fell kind of flat for me.

When you put everything together, this series really does create some magical moments. This is obviously headlined by Yuki, but other characters, as well as their interactions were really fun. With how many challenges Yuki has, it's great to see her approach to every one. You often forget that while she is capable, she needs some guidance to get there. Those challenges are also awesome to watch. It's a fresh take on the challenges of a college student, that while they are portrayed in other series, this adds more to it due to her lack of ability to hear.

Another strength is that it never really feels like an episode is ever wasted. There's a goal with basically every single one and many of them serve to grow our characters - either individually, or as a group. As a result, the pacing does feel very consistent. None of the situations are particularly dark, so if you're looking for a drama series, this probably isn't for you. You're watching this for the sweet moments and the times of character development, because that's where this series shines. (Story: 9/10, Characters: 9/10)

Art: The animation is very consistent throughout the runtime, and the usage of the screen for words - as Yuki has to talk with her texts very often - were about as well done as they could be. It does break up the flow a little bit when she suddenly needs to text, but it's a minor inconvenience at most. My assumption is that all the sign language is realistic, which does require a fair bit of work in the background to get shown right in animation. (9/10)

Sound: Something you really have to keep in mind is that since Yuki's deaf, and our main character, there isn't always a lot going on with your speakers. That's just kind of the nature of this series. And for me, that's just fine. You might have liked a few more tracks to round out the background sound, but again, we're splitting hairs here. Voice cast was strong, with a lot of names I'm really not familiar with. Lara Woodhull (Yuki) was exceptional and portraying Yuki's sheltered self, which I'm happy to hear. Reagan Murdock (Itsuomi) is a more different voice than I'm used to hearing, but I think he does a fine enough job. Rebecca Danae (Rin and Young Oushi) might be my second favourite, next to Woodhull, as she does a good job at showing us Rins ups and downs. (8/10)

Overall: A Sign of Affection is a must-watch for anyone romance series enjoyer, as long as you don't mind the less full audio - for obvious reasons. A different type of romance for its time for sure, this series is great for people who are familiar with the genre, and not. It does a lot of things right by its characters with a strong presentation to go with it. I can't recommend this enough. (9/10)

How very unique!

Had to say it! call me the romance guy, I've seen many romance anime but in this case I can confidently say a new skill point was added to my romance ability tree. This one not only was a rare pink point, it was also very sweet tasting and I managed to unlock a new unique ability too, the ability to learn sign language!
SPEECH 100
No wait...
SIGN 100

Not ruining the fun, I will continue... Romance anime generally reminds me of high school, cute girls doing cute things, childhood friend and also: I can't tell her I love her cause I suck and she ... is soooooo gooood and I don't know if I'm gonna be able to be her BF and what if she doesn't like me also if she says yes how do we go out, my heart is gonna beat so much every time I see her and oops now we are in the same room alone, OMG what do I do OMGGGGGGGGGGGG;
Yes, that is what I would expect before watching a romance anime these days, however Yubisaki to Renren amazed me!

Collage, Work, Drinking, Parties, Traveling, Dating and Love! These words remind me of the fact that I'm 20 years old and I'm a virg...
AAHMM, I mean, these words remind of being a grown up and finding your missing piece, being honest with your feelings, knowing trust and communication is important to have a relationship! Yubisaki to Renren doesn't leave you stranded in an ocean of Ecchi and Kids being Kids! It will show you an illusion of what feels like real people, and gives their existence meaning, allows you to live the same as them and hugs you with its cuteness!

But... Where is the story? I tried, trust me, I tried but I can not really find a perfect body for describing the story! What is seen is mostly plots, character design, music and visuals. Not going to go too technical with them so I'll just say they are rather good but where it fails me is the story, however, it is very hard to come up with a unique idea for a story in romance genre when mostly character design and simple short plots will cover pretty much what all eye can see. Also expecting a perfect show is too far off where we are right now, we will have many shows perfecting a few genres but of course nothing can be the best at everything. So don't just side eye this anime and walk off!

This show will give you what you are looking for if you are tired of kids being kids like I am.

Solid Romantic Anime

This looks like a solid romantic anime premiering for 2024! The characters look sweet and relatable. Not too childish or even over too teenage in portrayals. A deaf MC in a romantic story. A Silent Voice comes to mind with this anime.

The OP and ED music are good and with the theme of 'yuki' aka snow. It is another slice of life romance with some ups and downs. Sweet and some bitter moments too. This is shaping up to be one of the underrated gem of this season for romance anime.

The characters are believable. Being college kids make them more ... adult like too compared to the usual high school romance drama. Their dreams and pursue of relationships seem so earnest in this materialistic world. Throw in a person with handicap makes the whole thing even more complicated and yet they can show how to overcome such adversity.

Beautiful, the definition of love is in this anime, i refuse to think that i cannot live something like this, i will wake up every day hoping to love a romance like this, i have learn a lot of this characters and they have purified my soul, definitely it became one of my favorites romance anime of all the time.
The sound edition it really is stunning, it made me feel the importance that sounds have in our live, it was very interesting watching and learning more about the world of Yuki, and not just her, the world of every character and it was splending, its ... like not just the romance, the hole life it's represented in a beatiful way.

Communication is one of the most important skills we can develop in life. Being able to convey our feelings to others and truly understand where they’re coming from is crucial. That requires a mutual language, though. So when a series like Yubisaki to Renren comes around and deals with the issue of a deaf person handling every day life and going outside her comfort zone to communicate with a love interest, it’s a no brainer I’m going to be interested. While it’s not without its flaws, it’s definitely peak shoujo and does handle adult relationships well.

Like I said, Yubiren isn’t perfect. If you’re expecting the ... best possible deaf representation, this probably isn’t for you. It does play heavily into shoujo tropes. I.e loner girl meets extremely hot and popular guy, falls in love instantly and gets together, etc. I also don’t think Yuuki’s disability is explored enough, at least not in this one season introduction to the story. Like most adaptations, I’m sure it’s touched on later in the manga, but for what we got here I found it a little weak. Bullying isn’t an issue like Koe no Katachi either, so Yuuki’s main conflict is really the fact she hasn’t gone outside of her comfort zone and been forced to develop at all. She’s sort of sheltered by her friends and family who view her as this little girl needing to be protected still. That’s where Itsuomi, the male MC comes into play. In usual shoujo fashion, nice looking guy who has seemingly everything going for him, including a penchant for learning languages. As a polyglot and linguistics degree holder myself, I did love this bit of the story as it felt relatable.

Itsuomi has a wide range of friends from various countries who he’s able to communicate with due to his multiple languages. When he meets Yuuki, someone who can’t hear, and who’s in a proverbial “world” that’s not been explored by him yet, he can’t help but want to challenge himself by learning sign language and connecting with her. Now for me, I thought this was really cute and cool use of language in an anime. The sense of community that is created by sharing a mutual language and being able to express yourself can’t be overstated. However, from an objective standpoint, the author kind of brushed through this segment. Like within 2 episodes Yuuki and Itsuomi are communicating effortlessly and her deafness is never really stressed. Like, yea she can’t hear, but with the way they communicate in the anime with texting and lip reading, it’s almost as if there’s no barrier at all. When your main selling point is a deaf girl finding love and growing.. yea, probably a good idea to focus on it more.

Like I said, we do see a few struggles Yuuki faces. When going for a job interview for example, or how overprotective her family and friends can be whenever she goes outside alone, her extremely toxic and annoying childhood best friend. But for the most part it’s just a really cute and wholesome romance with two characters from different “worlds” it’s great in that capacity. The romance while progressing at breakneck speed, is satisfying and Itsuomi isn’t your typical anime love interest who’s flustered around girls. He says what he’s thinking and doesn’t hold back. He also treats Yuuki as an equal, enabling her independence and growth. While she’s been kept in a cage of sorts by her loved ones to this point, her relationship with Itsuomi is a coming out point for her and you can’t help but root for her. The other characters in the story have their own romantic connections and those ships are nice as well, in particular I loved the story behind Itsuomi’s high school friends.

One other really cool thing is how real some of the dates feel. Like characters going on cotsco run dates together or camping trips instead of your usual anime teenage stuff felt a lot more relatable for me.

The series really has a lot of potential, these types of shoujo manga don’t usually get second seasons, so I’ll just read the manga. But I can see the characters in this one going in interesting directions later down the line. It’s still been a relatively short period of time that the show takes place in, so who knows where it could go long term. But I’m optimistic!

Production wise the show looks great. Ajia-do did honzuki so I had no doubts they’d do a nice job here and they really knocked it out of the park. The characters are so beautiful, the use of water colour painting to illustrate characters’ moods is cool as well! Just a solid job all around.

This isn’t a show that’s going to make you like shoujo if you don’t already. It’s very much a shoujo series with extremely high production values, cute and likeable characters(except Oushi) and just a wholesome watch. If you’re a fan of Shoujosei romance already you’ll have a blast with this one. I know I did and I’m sad to see it end.

Yubiren gets 9, out of 10.

A Sign of Affection is one of the best romance stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading (and the best one I am currently reading), so it's same to say that I have been anticipating this adaptation for a while. And after having watched the first 3 episodes, I'm happy to say that this anime adaptation has exceeded all of my expectations. Let me sell you on it. A Sign of Affection centers around a college girl, Yuki, who is deaf from birth. She doesn't talk to many people, aside from her best friend Rin. One day, while taking the train, she meets ... this silver haired guy, Itsuomi. He noticed she was being overwhelmed by people around her and bailed her out of that situation. Unlike many people, he doesn't mind that Yuki has hearing impairments, and actually goes out of his way to learn sign language, all for her sake. Additionally, he likes to travel abroad a lot and often brings her souvenirs and such (and one day he vouches to take her all around the world and show her all the sights the world has to offer). Both of their worlds grow exponentially as they learn about each others fascinating lives. A Sign of Affection is, at its core, a cute, wholesome, well executed shoujo romance series. We already get so few of these series nowadays, let alone good ones, so seeing a genuine gem of a series pop up out of nowhere is so refreshing and enjoyable. Some people may try to make the argument "well you're just starved for this genre". That's not true. This romance is nice and unique because it actually takes place in college, unlike 99% of anime romances which occur in high school. Additonally, I love the artstyle and use of colors in the anime. It's so sweet and bright and fits the vibe of the show perfectly. Another thing I wanted to note is the use of sound. Sometimes they like to distort the sound, however they do this on purpose, to show you how the world is from her perspective and it's really fascinating. They also go in depth on sign language and teach you all sort of different signs, which is extremely informative and interesting to watch. OP and ED are also solid.

All in all, if you like good, wholesome, feel good romance stories, that are executed extremely well, A Sign of Affection is right up your alley.

"A Sign of Affection - Love is as blind as it can be deaf. What is love? Would you like me to explain it to you? *extending my hand forward in a "like" gesture*. This simple "like" gesture also means "good."

We all know that love comes in many different forms. Some love their extended family, some love watching anime, and some love their partner and love looking at the starry sky with them in their arms while on a date. Sometimes, talking to people on the subject of love, the question arises "can all people love"? And no, there is no acute question of asexuality ... of a person, but the question is "is every person worthy of love?". I hope everyone agrees with me that absolutely all people are worthy of love. People with all kinds of problems are worthy of love, be it poverty, complexity of character, or any health problems. However, in such a situation, it becomes very difficult to find your favorite person. To find a person who will accept your problem. It is one thing when you find your love and then there is an obstacle, as was the case with the real person Stephen Hawking, an English cosmologist. Stephen met and married Jane before he became disabled. Despite her infirmity Jane stayed with Stephen and they had a really strong love. But today's heroine from the shoujo "A Sign of Affection" was disabled from birth, and she deserved love as well.

The girl's name was Yuki Itose, and she had been deaf since birth to the point where even a hearing aid couldn't help her. Different from most people, the girl was locked in her inner world, closed off from sounds and many other possibilities. She grew up, went to school, has a best friend Rin Fujishiro, and her hobbies include studying and social networking. But the girl wanted to learn about the world as much as possible, and everything changed when she met a guy on the bus who helped her deal with a misunderstanding foreigner. After chatting, the girl fell in love with the guy, and he, in turn, expressed a desire to learn sign language to make it easier to communicate with Yuki.

"Let me into your world" - those were the words of the same guy, with the name Itsuomi Nagi.

Love is a state in which both partners have to help each other and bail each other out in a variety of circumstances. Itsose was locked in his inner world and due to deafness couldn't change his situation, while Nagi had the opposite situation - he was liberated in the outer world. He had traveled the world and never had trouble communicating, but meeting Itose made him realize that he didn't have to fly anywhere to get to know the world better, because the other world was just around the corner. Suu Morishita, the mangaka, wanted to show that a person's inner world can be much more interesting than the outer world. Especially when it is the inner world of a deaf girl who wants to know everything as best as possible. Many people compare this show to Koe no Katachi, a work that needs no introduction. But this is fundamentally wrong, for all that these two works have in common is a deaf-mute girl and the romance genre. If A Sign of Affection is an innocent shoujo romance, then Koe no Katachi is a deep psychology, showing the cruelty of people to people who are different, and showing the law "a boomerang thrown always returns" in all its glory. Looking at A Sign of Affection I would like to say that it is the most usual romance for girls with an innocent girl and a formidable guy, as it usually happens in shoujo, but with its own exceptional zest.

The manga A Sign of Affection began publication in Kodansha's Dessert magazine, one of the most popular women's shoujo magazines in July 2019. An anime adaptation of the television series premiered in January 2024, produced by Ajia-do Animation Works, a relatively old studio but with a small body of work. The director was Yūta Murano, a man who had worked within the same studio on projects like Kakushigoto or Seven Days War, and he managed to prove his love for good animation by producing such good works.

Ajia-do had quite a challenge for the animators to make the hand movements of the characters as smooth as possible, it's a very important detail after all. And oh yes, the animators coped with it, the movements were smooth and graceful, in addition, the picture itself turned out to be atmospheric and colorful, and the design of the characters looks attractive.

The musical accompaniment was rather inconspicuous, not counting the atmospheric guitar performance of Novelbright's "Yuki no Ne" as the opening splash screen, and ChoQMay's "Snowspring". And the former showed off their high performance skills as early as the main Ao no Orchestra theme.

People are different, but everyone deserves love, and A Sign of Affection takes care of that.
A Sign of Affection is careful to uphold this rule. It may seem like a typical shoujo romance, but it's still a very sweet romance that makes you want to forget about all the bad things that happen in the world.

From the positive message of how learning new languages can bring you closer to other cultures, to how when someone can't experience much in the world, they will find someone who will show them. The animation contributes to this romantic and soft tone, and the music gives each scene an incredible score. Looking at their lips and corresponding that with what the voice actor(s) are/is saying is such an amazing detail.

I love the way Yuki describes each person's signing. Comparing Oushi's as more tense because he was withholding his anger to prevent lashing out in front of Yuki. And Itsu's animation had calmer movements even ... though he is a beginner; showing how comfortable he was with her.

This series also doesn't contain much drama, which I love. There can be a healthy relationship between a male and his female friend(s) from middle/high school. And if that friend finds someone, there can be jealousy, sure. But not in the toxic way we see in other drama series. What a mature and refreshing way of keeping the romance alive and tension still present. Shin liking Emma wasn't a surprise. But I respect his patience, for sure. Everyone's reactions towards each other may blow up later due to tension. But I believe Itsu will back Yuki throughout this entire series.

Itsu is perhaps one of the least toxic characters in a shoujo anime (that I have seen so far...) His loyalty to Yuki is beautiful. The way he talks to her, respects her space, doesn't force her to do anything, and lets her decide. My hope is for another season of this. It's too good not to. The manga is on chapter 42 now. This animation is about half or a little below by episode 12.