A Sign of Affection: When Silence Speaks Louder Than Words

A Sign of Affection

Have you ever found yourself in a moment when words weren’t enough? You want to convey so much to someone or some people, but you just can’t find the right words to express it properly and thoroughly. In such situations, our body language and tone have a more significant impact than our words, and mastering these expressions is challenging for many. We live in a society where we must constantly deal with others, but it’s odd how such pivotal skills are still relatively rare. Even so, expressing everything is essential and far better than having regrets later on…

“A Sign of Affection,” also known as “Yubisaki to Renren, is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from the 6th of January up until the 23rd of March in Winter 2024. It was produced by Mainichi Broadcasting System, Kodansha, NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan, Tokyo MX, Crunchyroll, TO Books, Myrica Music, and NetEase and brought to life by Studio Ajia-do. Its central staff includes Cao Cong, Aoi Hiroyuki, Kurosu Nobuhiko, and Yaoita Katsuyuki as producers. Featuring the genre of Romance alongside the theme of an Adult Cast, this series of 23-minute episodes catered to the Shoujo demographic and earned a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older. It was released on Blu-ray in four volumes from the 26th of April till the 26th of July in 2024.

The anime is based on the manga of the same name, which began publication on the 24th of July 2019 and is still ongoing. It is the work of author and artist Morishita Suu and was serialized in Dessert. It managed to rank at the 9th and 17th spots in the 2021 and 2022 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! for the Female Readers division, respectively, and it even got nominated for the Kodansha Manga Award under the Shoujo category for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024. Furthermore, the series was published digitally in English via Kodansha Comics USA on the 31st of March 2020 and has been in print since the 23rd of February 2021. Kodansha Comics USA even published the manga as 3-in-1 omnibus volumes. An ONA series titled “A Sign of Affection Mini Anime” aired 12 episodes from the 7th of January till the 24th of March, 2024. Based on the same manga, Studio AQUA ARIS created this comedy series. Each episode only has a runtime of 1 minute and earned a rating similar to the main series.

The story centers around protagonist Yuki Itose, a hard-of-hearing university student who lives life hand-in-hand with complete silence. Things have been this way since her birth, and she has long since accepted it as a natural part of life, but this doesn’t change the fact that her world is tiny and isolated compared to that of others. Her life primarily consists of commuting to campus, interacting with her best friend, Rin Fujishiro, and communicating effectively through writing and text messages. Her lifestyle is anything but dynamic, but everything changes after she has a fated encounter with a fellow student named Itsuomi Nagi. Meeting him during her monotonous commute, this multilingual travel enthusiast and friend of Rin reacts to her condition unexpectedly: he takes it in stride! This simple gesture stirs Yuki's heart and initiates the beginning of significant changes in her mundane life. Together, the duo’s lives start changing with each passing day, and their feelings grow more profoundly as they let the other into their now colorful worlds.

The story department isn’t revolutionary or original in any way. However, it is a simple yet heartfelt story, demonstrating that a compelling narrative doesn't require a thrilling journey to be effective. The synopsis unambiguously conveys the story of Yuki and Itsuomi's blossoming love. I am not proficient in sign language, so I do not know exactly how accurate their representation of a deaf person is here, but what I do know is that they put a lot of heart and effort into it. Even as a shoujo, a genre I do not typically enjoy, it was nice seeing the world from Yuki’s point of view, and it was interesting to see her interact with others. The main couple open up their worlds to each other because they both possess very different perspectives and as they interact more and more each day, they understand the other’s life better. This tale encourages exploring new perspectives with various people because the heaven you’re looking for might just be there.

I also loved that they don’t have too many misunderstandings or communication problems (despite one being deaf!), which lead to unnecessary teen drama. Of course, communication issues are very real in romantic relationships, so they’ve sprinkled in a few where necessary, and even this was thanks to the two trying their utmost to be better for each other. Thus, the story is well-written, relaxing, and calm, masterfully avoiding repetition, as seen in most anime. If I had any reservations, it would be that Yuki's family, who do not speak sign language, appeared strange and chose to focus on a single supporting character more than necessary.

The character department features a standard shoujo cast, which isn't necessarily bad. Yuki herself is an adorable and kind girl who had me rooting for her before long, and that’s saying something because most Shoujo female protags tend to irritate me. She is initially pretty naive, which is acceptable due to her condition and how most people act around her. This is also why Itsuomi’s influence hits her so hard, because: she finally starts to explore the world and develop her own goals in life. We have seen many anime girls like her, but it was refreshing to see how positive she is in life despite her unfair circumstances; she will not allow her condition to stop her from meeting new people and having new experiences. I wasn’t too fond of Itsuomi at first, but the man grows on you once you realize the environment he comes from and his exposure. He isn’t a revolutionary Shoujo male either, but he loves to travel and learn other languages, which were nice additions suiting the narrative. Together, they’re very different yet similar, and they have this warm way of complementing each other, which I found very endearing.

The following central character is Ashioki Oushi, Yuki’s childhood friend. He may have spawned the shipping wars (if any) in this fandom, but this tsundere does some very questionable things. First, he is pretty immature and comes off as overprotective and overbearing regarding Yuki. While we understand the reasons behind his behavior; it just isn’t right to gatekeep Yuki from seeing the world; this man takes it upon himself to do so, and the far more mature Itsuomi shines in comparison. The show tries its best to make us like Oushi, but as I said earlier, I would have preferred if they gave that screen time to the main couple or the supporting character. There is ample opportunity for his growth and development, so we're looking forward to Season 2! The supporting characters are also likable because almost all of them have interesting backgrounds and interactions. We can hope for a future romance between Fujishiro Rin and Nagi Kyouya, as she is an excellent example of a friend who supports her bestie and their relationship. Iryuu Shin and Nakazono Emma are Itsuomi’s childhood friends, the latter of whom I wasn’t very fond of (yes, THAT female), but thankfully she got some development.

The Art and Animation department is genuinely refreshing and beautiful. Yes, it has that shoujo visual tone, but I liked how they remained loyal to the source material and created a visually relaxing show. The backgrounds and general atmosphere are downright cozy, and the animation is smooth and flowing at the right pace. The character designs are simple and fit their respective personalities, all adorned by a very warm and light color palette, which is soothing to the eyes. Attention to detail, pastel shades, muted brightness, and warm lighting serve to make the environment convey a sublime sense of calm, and I am all for it. One aspect that stood out to me was the characters’ lips, which are highly exaggerated but blend in well as part of the characters’ designs. This is made even more significant because Yuki can lip-read, so this detail is a nice touch!

The Sounds and Music department has also been handled expertly. They masterfully employ a plethora of feel-good OSTs and sound direction to set the mood for maximum cozy effect. For example, the subway scene was delicately and carefully directed to depict the type of world listeners and non-listeners live in, a moment that genuinely moved me. The opening theme is "Yuki no Ne" by Novelbright, and the ending theme is "snowspring" by ChoQMay, both fine but outshined by the sound design. It is mandatory in a series where small gestures are everything because viewers must pay attention to the sound Yuki does not hear while the creators weave her tale. I also loved how they made Yuki’s tiny voice barely audible when surrounded by talking people, almost like a muted melody. Even the silences take prominence, and they have captured it all perfectly. The juxtaposition of the actual sounds and what Yuki “hears” are all beautiful details that highlight Itsuomi's actions in Yuki’s eyes.

Overall, “A Sign of Affection” is a show nobody expected much of but did way better than anyone thought possible. I’m not a massive fan of shoujo or slice-of-life anime, but I was pleasantly surprised by how cozy and beautiful this show was; it has so much heart! There’s something to warm you up or enjoy in each episode, and the leading duo's journey is just adorable. It achieves exactly what it's out to do in both visual and audio departments: deliver a relaxing show about a deaf girl and her sweetheart. This may be a tale you’ve already experienced in different forms, and the characters are common archetypes. Despite this, I think the show's execution was flawless, and its simplicity is its greatest strength. I highly recommend this show to shoujo fans and slice-of-life and casual anime watchers looking for a chill, feel-good show.