Reviews for A Sign of Affection

I started this anime by recommendations praising its mature romance and thoughtful inclusivity. Sadly, I was bamboozled again by the weebs who rationalized their taste. Neither of those is true if you see through the lines. The anime is just a typical escapist romance written for teenagers transplanted into another setting, and the framing of deafness is patronizing because of the trad tropes. To explain my criticism, I will use a chapter from another manga involving a deaf main character. Hidamari ga Kikoeru is a BL that explores the difficulties of being a hot guy with hearing difficulties, from solitude to expectations, from infantilization to romanticization.During the third chapter, a girl approaches one of the leads and talks about a shojo romance of a girl enamored with a guy who lost his hearing and gained his heart by purely acknowledging him. The point of this interchange was to point out how a romance portrays disabled people as lesser, as individuals with lower standards, as aliens, perpetuating harmful notions such as savior complexes and the misguided belief that deaf people can be won over by just being superficially seen. If the point isn't clear, A Sign of Affection exemplifies this narrative pitfall.

A Sign of Affection is a fantasy tailored for an audience seeking escapism through the heroine, and there is nothing wrong with that. It aims at a vicarious experience through Yuki, portraying her as a blank slate for the viewer. Her demeanor mimics one-to-one socially struggling introverts, burdened by an inability to express themselves, from the corny, flowery monologues straight from BookTok to the awkward body language. However, her deafness conveniently justifies these traits, reframing her as an empowered character rather than a social outcast. And herein lies my issue with the series. Straying from this intended illusion will quickly expose this as an ableist, dull portrayal through Yuki's archetype.

Yuki's archetype is uncomplicated-- she's shy, kawai, and deaf, embodying innocence and purity, uncontroversial and wholesome. Her primary role is entangling herself with an ikemen, as you can expect from a shojo. The problem is that her character lacks human depth. She is a sheltered girl without determination, orbiting entirely around the male lead. The absence of depth is why not projecting yourself and not fixating on the winning ikemen makes the experience miserable and dull. There is minimal substance to appreciate from an alternative viewpoint, as her life was constrained by her deafness, limiting her freedom and meaningful humanlike progression. Yuki's progression started when Itsuomi appeared because this adheres to an ongoing trad fantasy.

Don't believe me? Consider her inner monologue response to Itsuomi sharing pictures of his trip to South Asia. "Wow, I had never heard of such a place. I had no idea that this existed. Itsuomi, what is this place?." Remember, Yuki is 19 years old. She uses social media daily. She cares about opening her understanding of the world. You can write this same dialogue without the infantilization (i.e. "I always wanted to be somewhere like that. I want to explore the world like you. I want to explore the world with you"). Nonetheless, they wrote her as completely unaware of something as trivial as geography despite caring about it since she is inexperienced, pure, and innocent, which are prime trad tropes embedded in the narrative.

Going back to Hidamari ga Kikoeru, this is why I honestly believe that this anime is a piece of shit. The main character is ridiculously infantilized, and if you see this from a third perspective, the anime essentially suggests that a deaf person has the mental age of a child. She has absolutely zero agency because, if it isn't evident, the point of the fantasy is to give her as little agency as possible.

Continuing with the male lead, I think that criticizing the rapist ikemen is rapist ikemen is pointless. We sign up for this. However, as I said with Yuki, this anime is unenjoyable unless you follow the designed intent of falling for him. Why? Because his whole personality is backpacking, flirting with a girl who acts twelve, and learning sign language. There is nothing else going on. The author outlines a healthy relationship, persuades the audience that he is fulfilling so through Yuki's delulu monologues, and then expects us to follow through. Again, we are supposed to live through Yuki for the sake of caring about his background. Itsuomi is such a bland character that it needs Oushi, a villainous childhood friend, to justify his existence.

The main problem for me is simple. A Sign of Affection fails to encapsulate the essence of a compelling romance because it simply dwells on escapism. An engaging romance has a straightforward formula. It needs tension, barriers, and a longing for intimacy built over time. These factors hinge on proper human personalities. A Sign of Affection relies on a superficial approach, where the connection between characters solely leans on the premise. A character who travels wants an isolated pure girl, and an isolated pure girl wants a character who backpacks. That is the extent of the build-up. Successful romances thrive on the payoff from the characters overcoming their struggles, proving to the audience that they deserve each other because of who they are. The only conflict of this series is that the FL is deaf, and the ML is a sussy womanizer, and the only traits of the characters are their outlining.

This anime would be worth a shot for a tourist if it twists all of these tropes and makes a show where the creepy rapey guy turns out to be a creepy rapey guy who emotionally extorts Yuki, isolates her from her friends, and gets a Viper-like twist where he has a third-world sex slave in his house that he kidnapped on one of his passport bro adventures. Or maybe go through a route acknowledging that Itsuomi is a creep and reform the female lead into an independent human being, if the former sounds rough. However, as it stands, this is just a fantasy, which would be fine if it didn't pretend to be more than two dolls for the audience.

4 out of 10 because this has some good directional decisions but dreadful writing and characters with the personality of a rock. I guess 8 out of 10 if you are part of the target audience.

As a footnote, for anyone who thinks that I'm bullshitting through. When you see someone react to this anime, the most probable reaction will be, "You go girl" or "She is so cute, innit?." The audience infantilizes her condition. Shouko from A Silent Voice shows ten times more maturity, and she is a traumatized high school student.

People often compare this to A Silent Voice because both feature deaf characters. But honestly, they’re quite different. A Silent Voice is a heavy, emotional story about guilt, depression, and learning to appreciate life. A Sign of Affection is more about the day-to-day experiences of being deaf and how that affects relationships. It’s lighter and more focused on romance. What really makes A Sign of Affection stand out, especially in today’s shoujo anime, is how it avoids the usual clichés. Instead of having a cold, perfect male lead or a bunch of guys fighting over the girl, it focuses on real communication, especially through sign language.And yes, the character designs, especially those big lips, are hard to miss.

The main story is a sweet romance. Yuki, who is deaf, meets a guy and slowly starts falling for him. Her hearing loss creates some challenges, but he genuinely tries to understand her. Their relationship grows naturally, not through love at first sight, but through real effort and honest feelings. Yuki also talks to her friends about her emotions, which makes her feel more real.

The author, Suu Morishita-sensei, clearly put a lot of thought into showing deaf culture in a respectful way. The direction is also really smart, for example, the sound fading out in some scenes helps viewers feel what Yuki experiences.

All in all, A Sign of Affection is a heartwarming and genuine love story. It’s great for anyone who wants to learn more about deafness or just wants a sweet romance. It’s already one of the best anime of the year and brings something fresh to the shoujo genre.

I am clearly not the intended audience for this anime, yet here I am, reviewing this anime. Making the female MC deaf was definitely a trick to get more people to indulge in this anime. I think it's already clear how this romance anime caters to the Shoujo demographic when you have every character having the most kissable lips, the male character's rizz game is always at its peak, meant to make the girl infinitely blush with him, all the while also having love triangles and unrequited love stories that are at play. There's a lot of things to not like about A Sign ofAffection, but what if I tell you, I did enjoy it too?

If I were to name one good thing that this anime did well other than the sign language the show takes pride in, it's the handling of the worst aspect of most romance dramas, love polygons. I kid you not, it's not a romance anime if you don't have any love triangles or anyone who has unrequited love and in almost every romance show, all it has done is make virtually more interesting side characters that either don't get into a relationship with the MC despite better chemistry or make the worst side characters known to mankind, just so the main character will always get with the main one, all the while creating drama about their said backstory with MC and how they were "deeply in love" with the MC which is never returned. I know love polygons are common in fictional romance stories. Still, when it comes to doing this, rarely does anyone know how to properly execute this without overstaying its welcome or getting extremely annoying to deal with. Luckily, the anime fixed this by making every cast an adult. They don't throw tantrums like insecure babies fishing for pity towards them and talking about how they gave the MC the most attention and somehow think that will make them like them. Instead, it handles the subject maturely and calmly, which is a nice change of pace for a romance drama.

Another praise I'd give to the anime is how the romance is also quite decent. I actually enjoyed it too and didn't find it a notorious fire piece of garbage. The male love interest (who naturally ticks all the boxes for your typical main love interest in every shoujo manga), doesn't exhibit any behavior that leans towards stalking psychopathic tendencies, instead, it's just cute teases I can actually see happening and in a sense, I can support the relationship going on between the two. I had a bad assumption about how the anime was going with the relationship given how the man had the recipe of an incredibly insecure and more harmful than protective character, but it was a nice change of pace unless you take into consideration the other romance that does it several degrees better than this anime.

Are you still with me? Because this is where I want to delve into issues I had with A Sign of Affection.

Even if it does some things right in terms of plot and romance, it still doesn't excuse the characters, who are pretty forgettable and I'm willing to say, 'bad', in a lot of ways. From my perspective, Yuki is the weakest character of them all. The only reason you can remember her is because she's deaf. Yuki's character is someone that can be generalized as a "self-insert for girls" because Yuki is like every girl's fantasy who wants to have a perfect boyfriend like Itsuomi (had to search for his name in MAL because I couldn't remember him), but let me stop you for a minute there.

When you call a character "self-insert", you're referring to a character that lacks substance or any form of personality to be considered as a real character but the term "Self-Insertion" refers to the main character being as closely similar to the author's personality or his/her image to how they would react into the real world or if the same circumstances were applied to them as well, typically the correct definition of self-insert or what you would call "the author's surrogate". Here, in this situation, Yuki is the definition of being a "self-projection."

How do I prove this? A lot of things only happened because the supporting characters had a role to play in which Yuki does nothing but let everyone approach her and blush because it wasn't something she intended to do, yet she indulges in it, hoping she gets this treatment without ever trying to put effort into getting what she wants until the latter half of the series, where Yuki somehow does something but reminded her how she needs to be treated like a princess because oh no, she's a deaf person who's being held like a trophy for the guy to get his hands on. I may sound like I'm yapping absolute nonsense, but the idea is that you can't have a main character who does nothing or just reacts to everything without taking any initiative to do anything, the story makes everything served to her on a silver plate.

The cast is only categorized by two driven things, either driven with jealousy or acting as the loud voice just so there is a smidgen worth of comedy other than your usual poetic-esque description of having their voice heard miraculously by a random Prince Charming character. The love polygons are the only notable part where you can have some form of memory indulging in this anime, otherwise, it's another one of your run-of-the-mill romances that participates in satisfying the quota just so it passes off for every romance viewer like myself to watch.

The anime definitely suffices as a romance anime, since there is chemistry between the duo, and have proper romance advances which are much appreciated to see, but I would have definitely recommended it if Yuki's character had more thought put into it. Maybe it's due to my lack of interest in these kinds of characters that are portrayed as shy, timid, and quiet all the more justified with the characteristic being deaf, but I wish Yuki had put a lot more effort into taking interest in what these characters do, maybe provide more gifts or help others more rather than being bestowed with many gifts that can't process the simple line of thought to repay debts for their deeds. In my eyes, it's just decent.

Thank you for reading.

TL;DR: Wasted Premise, Disability used just to attract viewers, lack of research from the author's side, cheap/old Shoujo plot with Blue Eyed ML and normie Childhood Friend/Loser guy, boring MC who is 19 but acts like a teenager. Well, I guess the problem with me was that I expected too much from the show after reading the synopsis. I thought that this is going to be like "A Silent Voice" but a mature version (as the protagonists are college students), but what I got was an adult girl acting like a 11 year old who got her first crush. Well where do we start, let's gosequentially. First thing that was weird was that she lip synced everyone around her, and that's totally dumb. It feels like the author never met any deaf person before/nor researched about it, because deaf people don't read lips, especially in a pronounciation based language like Japanese. Impossible to make difference in syllables (like a, ha, na, ta, sa, ka, ra, etc etc) with just reading the lips, that too from meters away.

Second thing was the ML, read a lot of Shoujo Manhwa and White Hair Blue Eyed ML is as common as Black Hair Black Eyed Isekai Protagonist, I mean at least Gojo has Rizz in him. The ML here is straight up weirdo, "Let me come into your world", sir, this is Wendy's. Author thought it would look sexy, but no, it's creepy because he met her second time in their life (at least from her perspective), and moreover she is deaf, it's like that "Hello Human Resources?" meme.

Third thing is that the MC faces little or no problem with her being deaf, Japanese society is openly condescending for disabled people and it's shown clearly in other shows (like Josee, the Tiger and the Fish). Here disability is used as a plot point instead of a character trait. Like deaf people have issues in their life, please show that to us.

Rest, will not talk about the childhood friend, that is too much of a cliche to even mention. Need a loser in the story to make the main couple shine more, oldest Shoujo concept since it's inception. Not an ounce of good storytelling, sad because there are many other Shoujo stories which are far better than this but are never adapted.

Also, one of the big issue is that she's an adult but she is shown like a teenager. If the whole premise was set in middle school, I would have rated it 8/10 instead of 2/10 because I would buy the lack of character she has because she is supposed to be a kid. Just like we appreciate "A Girl I like Forgets Her Glasses" or "Dangers in My Heart", because the MCs are 13-14 year old and their cringe thoughts actually complement their age and their surroundings. When I see a college setup, I will take the maturity for granted because 19 means you are already an adult, Yamada Level 999 or Uzaki Chan Asobitai reflects that perfectly. The sheer amount of lack of understanding and her view of the world is like she came onto the world last month and it's her first time for everything. It's just sad at this point, and then everyone say Isekai is for escapism...

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 overanalyzing and nitpicking what is supposed to be a simple feel good show.

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 toadmit i havent loved an anime like this except for Tokyo Revengers and Kimi Ni Todoke and thats crazyyyyyy.

Let’s get it out of the way: Itsuomi is a creep. There I said it. Yes the guy who tells a deaf girl “let me in your world” after merely meeting a few times briefly. If this isn’t the definition of a sleazebag or some sort of swindling scheme then I don’t know what is. In fact this anime would be more interesting if Itsuomi actually turns out to be a predator as a warning shot for naive girls falling prey to some random douche they met on the train. Nothing about their encounter smells organic. This is the problem with shoujo in general, where thesame cliche script keeps getting recycled over and over. Take Kimi ni Todoke as an example, where it had the same timid girl crushing on a popular guy trope and all of the sudden the earth revolved around her where she became sociable/likable/etc. At least in Sawako’s case she wasn’t deaf so there was less of a barrier, but no they had to replicate the same cringy setup with Yuki whose disability, in the real world, would probably force her to jump through extra hoops to get acknowledged by society, yet the story makes it seem like her deafness is a feature, not a bug, as an attempt to differentiate itself from the typical shoujo stereotype. This anime tries to paint a world where everything is hunky dory with ikemen chasing after girls with hearing impairment, which is a total disservice to the disabled community where all their struggles are swept under the rug because, well, ikemens are irresistible, that's why.

The visuals are good at first glance, but with each passing episode you gradually notice the exaggerated plump/shine around the characters’ lips like everyone is wearing lip gloss, including the dudes.

I don’t recommend this series to anyone (sorry tiramisu from Costco ain’t gonna cut it, though never in my life did I expect to see anime characters shopping at a Costco but here we are). That being said I’ll probably continue watching just to see if Itsuomi is really a swindler or not to spice up the plot, however I'm not holding my breath.

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 immenseimportance, 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!

This show is written by 16 year olds for 13 year olds. All the characters have the depth of a puddle. A young naive deaf girl meets a 6'2" guy who is bold and makes moves that would be considered harassment if he wasn't a hot 6'2" guy. The girls mental age is that of a 6 year old. Her dialogue is best summed up by,"Is the world really big?" The only things that come out her mouth are that of a naive and ignorant child, not that of a university student who has completed basic grade school. The setting is in a university and theartists did a great job but the original author has no idea how university actually is like or makes a conscious decision to present a false depiction of university. It is exactly how a high-school child imagines university.

This show is honestly more fantasy than actual fantasy genre shows. If you are looking for a escapism into an alternate reality where university students aren't constantly worrying about student debt, careers, passing classes, this is up your alley. In this universe, nothing exists except the naive love of a girl falling in love with a possible fboi that flirts with many women and holds the hand of girls he just met.

There is a side character with "big lips" and he is presented as a moron. Again it is very telling of the author who makes a racist decision to depict certain races like this.

Now if you are looking for a show that makes you feel like you dropped down to a one digit IQ, to relive the naivety of a young girl who thinks it's okay to walk alone with someone you just met, this is the show for you. If you want a mature romance where characters have depth, skip this show.

Yubisaki to Renren is a very cute story that I really liked and will please most people who like romance, but my personal experience with deaf people and my expectations for it being a college love story made me like it a little less than I could have. The protagonist of this story is Itose Yuki, a young deaf woman who after a brief interaction on the subway falls in love with Nagi Itsuomi who she later discovers is studying at the same college and the story develops following these two characters getting to know each other and discovering love. The love story between the protagonists isvery cute and it's nice to see the two interacting, but it required me to overcome the feeling that everything started too quickly or that something was missing. The scene in which the protagonists meet exemplifies this: Yuki is on the subway, receives help from Itsuomi with a boy who was asking her for directions without realizing that she is deaf and suddenly he puts his hand on her head and Kaboom, we have a Yuki is in love and for some reason the anime tries to sell this scene as ultra romantic when it seemed strange to me.

One point that is again sweet, but left me conflicted about how to feel, is the apparent lack of emotional maturity of some characters. It's very cute to see Yuki melting thinking about Itsuomi but at a certain point I caught myself thinking that especially the way the female characters in this story act is no different from the kawaii and shy way these characters have in high school stories. It's not something that really bothered me, but I see it as a missed opportunity since the characters being young adults didn't seem to make much of a difference.

Now talking about deafness issues, I will talk about things that for most people won't make the slightest difference and didn't ruin my experience but caught my attention. I would have liked to have seen more people around Yuki and how most of them don't even know the basics of sign language, because in my experience I learned a lot just by being around deaf people before even attending some classes to learn properly. I really found it strange how almost no one knows how to talk to Yuki and that apparently even her parents only talk to her by reading their lips, because how were they able to have more complex conversations when she still didn't know how to do that? Maybe the source material will explain this later, but it's something that caught my attention.

I could point out things I was taught that are very rude to do to someone who is deaf and that happen sometimes in this anime, like holding hands and covering a deaf person's vision, as it would be the equivalent of putting your hand over your mouth from someone, but the only big complaint I have is how unintentionally the script seems to validate the speech of Oushi, Yuki's childhood friend. Having our protagonist practically forgetting how to walk down the street and needing to be guided by the hand to avoid being run over because she's so excited to be walking with Itsuomi is a little frustrating, as is what happens when Oushi needs to intervene in a certain situation because Yuki apparently can't communicate to the salesperson that she is deaf and cannot understand what he is saying because he is wearing a mask. Deaf people, even by necessity, tend to be great at taking care of themselves and communicating even with people who don't know sign language and I honestly would have liked to have seen Yuki showing this even to counter Oushi's thoughts.

Having said all that, I still liked what I saw and will recommend it to friends who like romance, I am fully aware that many of my complaints will not be noticed by the majority of the public but it left me with the slight impression that some opportunities were missed because the fact that I was following young adults didn't seem to make a difference and the plot felt much more like a story with a deaf character and not a story about a deaf person.

What even is this anime? A story about a deaf girl who, out of nowhere, falls in love with some random hot guy she met at the bus? The whole plot is a mess. By episode 2, she's already declaring love. Where's the buildup? And her love interest? He's a weirdo. "Let me into your world"? Seriously? It feels like this anime just throws romance in without any rhyme or reason. I'd call it unhinged, the way they drop romance out of thin air. Why exactly does she love this dude, and why does he love her? Confidence is one thing, but the main loveinterest here is more creepy than confident.

The idea has so much potential. It sounds like it could capture us emotionally. Show us her struggles as a deaf girl and how it's affected her, not a grown woman acting like a child and crushing on a random man. When I heard she had never been romantically interested in anyone I thought something bad had caused this reaction, only to be disappointed in the actual reason being she's just never come across someone hot enough. Maybe 'Josee, the tiger and the fish' were just too good or 'a silent voice'. I was expecting a similar experience with this anime but it didn't fail to disappoint.

You got to be thirsting for some romance to actually enjoy this

Im not a big fan of shoujo anime's, but I did enjoy all the ones I watched like maid sama. But this show is one I didn’t enjoy. The fact that there was no character development between the mc and blue eye guy was a huge factor on my negative score. Shes 19, pretty and has never had a crush before. Show me some backstory on why she has never been in love. But….. after meeting the main guy at a bus. She falls for him. Then in a blink of an eye they both fall in love with eachother without explaining why. I knowlove at first sight exist but, if this show is rated at 8.3 I atleast expect some reason for me to like the two of them. 6 eps in and I still dont have any reason to like any of the characters. They aren’t funny, kind, wholesome, or different in any way. If you think some popular dude flirting with a pretty girl is a good reason (vise versa) to like each other, idk what to tell you. Both of them are written terribly. Actually all characters besides maybe the main guys friend from the shop. He is a decent character who understands his friend has always prioritized his dreams over girls and doesn’t want yuki to get hurt. But main guy falls for her because apparently yuki’s different and has a great personality, like himself. Lastly I don’t understand why they felt the need to add the childhood friend into the story. I just felt bad for him. I feel like they only added him in just too make him look bad, when actually he is the only good person in this story. But people think otherwise. Maybe because I am a guy so I can understand his perspective better. To be honest I wouldn’t have cared about the story and maybe even enjoyed the show, if it was rated in the 6s but it’s an 8. So I had high expectations, sadly they weren’t met. For now I’m gonna drop it.

It was fine. Being involved in the deaf community and working as an interpreter I appreciate that more shows are bringing deaf awareness. However, I’m also a fan of good anime so I’m going to be a little critical. This anime is an ok romance. I did find the lead characters had a lack of chemistry. Their attraction to one another felt forced, they like each other because they do. It lacked depth. I did like the chemistry between the supporting characters though. I often found myself wanting to skip past the main characters and just watch the supporting characters. There are so many sappy lines. Ipersonally can appreciate them, but when anything is saturated with them it can start making me cringe. And though I feel the lead male was supposed to come off as manly, he often felt like he was just being completely insensitive and disrespectful. Maybe that is what she likes about him? I found myself often feeling like he needs to get lost whenever he made advances. I guess it goes to show that the main difference between a creep and being “sweet” is how handsome the guy is.

Overall, I liked parts of the anime and some episodes the lead characters were enjoyable. But I feel like this anime was carried by the support characters. It is great that it is raising deaf awareness and it was fun seeing and learning some Japanese Sign Language, I just wish it would have been done better.

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 dayinteractions.

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.

I don't know why I keep doing this. I don't know why I keep doing this. I don't know why I keep fucking doing this but every single damn time I still fucking put up with this shit even though I know I'm gonna hate it. I knew it would suck, I knew I would be wasting hours of my life I could spend watching something I actually enjoy, I knew that I have so many better shows both on in my backlog. Ok, biggest issue, main problem that really pissed me off with every damn MINUTE that passes is Yuki, she is so generic. Ibelieve that's the point, y'know, portraying as your normal everyday college student despite her disability, but guess fucking what when you spend like 50% of each episode from her perspective and have to keep listening to her inner monologue again and again about her worries over some melodramatic bullshit that I just cannot give a single crap about then you have FAILED HARD as a writer because she is so unenjoyable to follow.

Her love interests are the typical choice of a turd sandwich and a giant douche. No matter who wins, you (the audience) loses because they both suck. It doesn't help that both are fucking ugly, especially Itsuomi with his sausage lips and bootleg Gojo-esque features.

Ugh and don't get me started on the side cast, fuck them. Fuck all of them...except for Rin I guess. Rin was neat.

Aside from that uhhh...the animation was neat? However it's wasted on fugly characters, boring scenes and an overall waste of time that is instantly forgettable.

I just could not become emotionally invested in the central relationship of A Sign of Affection. The ML was idealized to an insane degree, even judging by shoujo standards. The two leads started dating almost immediately, and Itsuomi is written as virtually perfect in every way. This robbed the series of any dramatic or romantic tension. Interesting characters are given deficiencies to add depth and balance to their appealing qualities. It's hard to have solid character development when the ML is introduced as flawless. In fact, Itsuomi was so blandly perfect that I was convinced that he was going to have a heel turn atsome point - that was what kept me watching for the first half of the season. Yuki is pleasant enough, but she lacks definitive characterization and the end result is a lack of chemistry between the leads. Since Itsuomi is 100% confident, understanding, emotionally intelligent and accommodating, it feels like Yuki is simply going along for the ride, swept away on a saccharinely sweet wave of ideal romance.

The side characters are slightly more interesting, but they're not involved in the plot consistently enough, and their stories lose any emotional punch. The show also completely bungled the Oushi character and the potential love triangle trope. Oushi comes off as totally petulant and possessive for the majority of the season, and by the time the show portrays him in a better light, it's too late to care. We also aren't given enough background on Yuki's existing dynamic with Oushi. Why does she always seem so indifferent toward the childhood friend and neighbor who learned sign language solely for her benefit? It doesn't make sense for her character.

A shoujo anime with this many faults would be palatable if it delivered solid laughs. Unfortunately, A Sign of Affection keeps the humour to a minimum, possibly because it's aiming for an older audience. What we're left with is a show with bland leads, a boring and unrealistic central romance, and poor pacing for the supporting characters.

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 ofher 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.

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 interestingto 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 itaired 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 is probably the most overhyped romance of the winter 2024 season. The show is shallow, and mainly serves as a fantasy for people to indulge in. A Sign of Affection is often praised for how the male lead (Itsuomi) interacts with the female lead (Yuki), being so patient and understanding regarding her disability. However, this is where the problems start with this depiction of deaf people and their struggles. The entire show has one message for the viewer and that is deaf people are "inherently" weaker and more susceptible to danger. While that may be true, this idea of helplessness extends deep intothese characters personalities and ideologies. All the characters, including Yuki herself, believe that she needs to be treated like some kind of pretty princess. Yuki follows the shy girl trope, introverted and innocent, and her deafness is treated like some kind of accessory to this instead of an actual condition. There are often times where Yuki just completely freezes up when people talk to her and conveniently needs the male lead to dive in and save her. Then this moment is treated like some wonderful "ooey-gooey" reaffirmation of their pure love. This is honestly fine given the target audience of this show necessitates moments like these. However, what is frustrating is that Yuki NEVER makes an attempt to try to confront her issues. She just sits around waiting for someone to help her. If it was real life and nobody was around when she froze up, she'd probably awkwardly stand in place forever. This could have been a plot point to work around, where there would be an arc that shows Yuki trying her best to do away with this omnipresent idea that deaf people need to be babied. Even the concept of Yuki being so sheltered because of her deafness is hard to believe when she is literally going to college and is shown frequently online.

There is nothing remarkable about Yuki aside from her deafness, which the show tries to sell as making her this super nuanced character that paradoxically functions as a self-insert. She has never shown any kind of interest in anything at all, besides Itsuomi, of course. We see Yuki go to college, but we are never told what she is studying. Probably worse of all, she seems to only be capable of thinking in terms of Itsuomi. Everything that is done in the show is done on Itsuomi's or someone else's initiative, down to the dates and the walking and the kissing. This may be insensitive of me, but the episode where the circle of friends goes out into the woods for a sign language learning session rubbed me the wrong way. I felt the impression that it was meant to be all about her, another example of the whole world infantizing her. Again, this show would have been interesting if Yuki used all these patronizing ideas as a pivot to show people she can have her own agency. But of course, Yuki seems to bask in all the glorious attention that she gets.

The way Itsuomi treats Yuki is how she thinks everyone should treat her. Itsuomi is, naturally, the perfect boyfriend who somehow nails all the sexual advances flawlessly, despite not having ever been in ANY previous relationship. The show tries to push the idea that Itsuomi is also excited and giddy in his own way, but this just falls flat. It does not seem like Itsuomi is a guy trying to make things right for his girlfriend, rather it feels more like he is an experienced older guy collecting a trophy. This, combined with his touchy tendencies and patronizing actions makes him a GLARING red flag.

The message the show is trying to push is that because Itsuomi is so very considerate of Yuki's shortcomings as a deaf person, he has to shepherd her and guide her through all her choices. When asking Yuki questions, he even provides options for her automatically ("do you want to or do you not"), giving the impression that those are her only choices. I can see how this might appeal to viewers part of the target audience, and convince them that this relationship is perfectly healthy and wholesome, but to me it just radiates perverseness. For one thing, the power balance is so horribly skewed in the relationship. Everything revolves around Itsuomi and he calls all the shots. The best way to describe their relationship is that Itsuomi puts Yuki on a pedestal like a glorified, charming and quirky pet. He is so weirdly territorial about Yuki and has so much passive aggressive energy. The territorial thing would have been better if Yuki wasn't so emotionally and physically dependent on Itsuomi.

As for the side characters, Oushi showed the most promise. From the beginning, he was presented as a flawed character, and I was (pointlessly) holding onto the hope that the anime would take a turn for the better and show Yuki trying to change his ideas. Oushi and Itsuomi have the same energy of trying to take care of Yuki in that patronizing way, and it creates this competition that the anime wants to emphasize. So it was even more frustrating when Yuki clearly rejects Oushi despite the fact that Itsuomi's actions are the exact same as Oushi's, albeit a little gentler. Unlike Itsuomi however, the viewer is given some measure of depth into Oushi's backstory and his motivations. His natural protectiveness turned into unrequited affection over time. Oushi being a foil for Itsuomi ended up making him a hundred times more interesting than Itsuomi could ever be.

You won't enjoy this anime if you're not in the target audience. I definitely am not, but I was drawn to the premise that promised a unique take on shoujo romance. This anime could have been noticeably better if the author would have just been braver and attempted to write a story that most would dislike. This show's high rating baffled me at first, but this just goes to show how the author made the right choice numbers wise.

Final Rating: 1