A Sign of Affection is the Winter 2024 anime that warmed and tugged at every anime fan’s heartstrings. We just couldn’t get enough of Yuki and Itsuomi’s wholesome relationship.
It’s not a romance anime without some grand gestures. What made fans love Yuki and Itsuomi’s relationship were the little things. Itsuomi, who’s only known Yuki for a bit, immediately started learning sign language for her. He didn’t do it to win her over, but because he wanted to get to know her better.
As a long-time shōjo anime watcher, I’ve seen a lot of toxic tropes become popular throughout the years. But with A Sign of Affection, I can definitely say that Yuki and Itsuomi’s relationship is so healthy that I wish it on everyone who’s looking for romance in their lives.
The only tragedy with A Sign of Affection is that no second season has been confirmed. This is often the case with romance and shōjo animes, even if their ratings have been stellar.
A thoughtful depiction of ableism & discrimination
Aside from the healthy romance between Itsuomi and Yuki, A Sign of Affection has been a hit because of Yuki’s story itself. She grew up deaf and went to a special school up until high school. Yuki decided to go to college and it was wonderful to watch her thrive.
But what makes this anime particularly interesting is how it portrays discrimination against deaf people in a way that is not normally done in the media. Oushi, the ‘childhood best friend’ of Yuki, “cares” for her. But throughout the series, he’s shown to actively sabotage Yuki’s friendships by taking advantage of her disability.
He tries to make Yuki believe that her friends are making plans without her because she’s deaf. In reality, he does this to discourage her from getting too close to others out of fear of what may happen to her. Oushi even tries to prevent Itsuomi from initially getting closer to Yuki. What Yuki feels about her friends and even Itsuomi doesn’t seem to matter to Oushi.
He’s so “concerned” about Yuki’s safety that Oushi doesn’t realize she’s an adult who can make decisions for herself. The least he could do is listen to her, but he doesn’t until the very end of the first season.
If that didn’t turn you off about Oushi, he literally says, “Maybe deaf people should stay where they’re safe and not leave,” in reference to Yuki going to college. It may stem from care, but Oushi’s ableist mindset ultimately belittles and infantilizes Yuki.
Although a second season hasn’t been announced, A Sign of Affection definitely needs a sequel.
