When a deaf college student Yuki struggles to communicate with a foreigner asking her for directions on the train, a familiar face comes to her aid.
Yuki Itose lives in a normal world – cute things, friends, college and social media, however, she lives in a world without the sounds other people hear. One day on a train ride to school, she meets multilingual world-traveler and schoolmate, Itsuomi Nagi. Both of their worlds grow as they let each other into their lives.
A HEARTWARMING ROMANCE ANIME
A Sign of Affection is probably one of the lightest and calmest anime out there. At first, I was expecting that there was going to be a lot of drama and complicated relationships. Thankfully, that is not how the story went. It is a young kind of romance but mature at the same time.
Rare story
I’m not sure if there are other stories like this, in anime at least, but this is my first time seeing a deaf main character in a romance story. In the beginning of the series, I thought it would be a complicated relationships type of story. I was thinking of possible problems that would happen, like Yuki feeling insecure of pursuing a relationship, because that’s most likely how I would feel if I were in her place. Surprisingly, though hearing-impaired, Yuki grew up mentally strong. She was even the one who made the first move on Itsuomi. This was explained further in the latter chapters of the manga where her parents let her experience things so she can stand on her own when their gone.
It’s also amazing to see a different world as a viewer. I’ve only seen people doing sign language a few times in real life. So, seeing their story from a first-person perspective is an eye-opener.
Unique art style and superb animation
I’d been seeing this anime on Netflix for some time but didn’t think about watching it until recently. The main characters’ designs reminded me of “The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague” and I loved The Ice Guy but I found this anime’s art style a bit weird at first, particularly their lips lol. But as I watched the episodes, I have grown to love them just as much. I binged-watched it in one night.
Though I didn’t like the art style in the beginning, I began to find it unique and cool as I watched on. Combined with the superb animation, it brings out a sweet and dreamy romance story.
Best Male Lead
To be honest, my first impression on Itsuomi was a red flag. It wasn’t clear what his intentions on Yuki were at first, so I was worried that our innocent girl would end up getting her heart broken. But Itsuomi turned greener and greener with each episode. It’s also nice to see them communicating better than hearing-enabled couples.
Entertaining humor and side characters
The humor of this anime is a stress-reliever. The character reactions and animations are really funny. My favorite is Yuki’s bestfriend, Rin 😁.
I was just as shocked as their friends when they became a couple early on lol. While these two are still in their getting to know stage and talking about the weather 😆.
Well-knit ending
I read a few chapters of the manga version because I was curious what happens next to the characters. I found out they changed the anime’s ending a bit since the manga is still ongoing. I must say, the anime adaptation concluded well. I liked that they included Yuki getting a passport and focused on their future plans of traveling together. With how the anime ended, there wouldn’t be a need for another season. I actually like it as it is.
CONCLUSION
A Sign of Affection instantly became one of my favorites. These days, I rarely binge-watch and usually just watch one to two episodes of a show. So, finishing it in one night means it’s really interesting. Though not as striking or elaborate as other top-rated animes, its appeal comes from its simple but unique and heart-warming story. If you’re looking for a feel-good anime to chill and relax, this is it.
RATING: 10/10
What do you think about this anime? Let me know in the comments!
