A Sign of Affection

 A Sign of Affection (ゆびさきと恋々) is a 13 episode slice of life romance based on the manga of the same name by the writing/art duo suu Morishita.  The anime aired during the Winter of 2024

    Itose Yuki is a college student who has previously only attended school designed for deaf students.  After graduating high school she wanted to break out of her insular world, built around those with hearing impairments, to experience the greater world around her.  She decided to attend a traditional university for just such an experience, even if it meant having to overcome numerous obstacles in a world that has little consideration for people in her position.  She navigates the world not catering to her needs as best she can, relying on her ability to read lips, text messaging and a note pad to communicate with those around her.  She has become friends with a classmate, Fujishiro Rin, who helps her by transcribing lectures.  While commuting one day he is approached by a foreign man, who is unaware of her inability to hear him, let alone understand the language he is speaking.  As she struggles to let him know she is unable to help him a tall man steps in to assist the lost traveler.  As the new stranger helps the foreigner, Yuki realizes she has seen him before, as one of the members of the club Rin is a part of.  The man and her exchange brief pleasantries and she continues on her way to school, lost in thought.

    In class she brings up meeting the mystery man to Rin who instantly identifies him as Nagi Itsuomi.  She tells Yuki that he travels all over the world back packing and meeting new people and is quite personable.  She also suggest that Yuki accompany her to a local bar that Itsuomi's cousin runs, on the change that he will be there as well.  Rin is infatuated with his cousin and sees this as an opportunity to  help both of them out.  Later that evening they step into the quaint corner pub and Yuki is greeted by the same man from the train.  They exchange more pleasantries, but she is unsure of how to proceed, shy and awkward, uncomfortable with how to approach him.  Another group enters the bar soon afterward, a group of unidentifiable foreigners and she observes how natural and easy it is for him to interact with other people.  She marvels at the world he's seen and the vastness of it compared to her closed one.  As the bar closes, Rin suggest that Itsuomi accompany Yuki on her way home, hoping that something with spark between them.  Before they part ways, they exchange contact information.  Seizing the moment she sparks a conversation with him that enables him to express his interest in getting to know her more.

    Yuki has taken the first step in getting closer to the mysterious and well traveled man, but is hesitant and uncertain if she is reading into the situation accurately.  As she spends more time with him she wants to learn more about the world he sees through his eyes.  At the same time, Itusomi is striving to learn signing, in order to meet her in her world instead of relying on her to negotiate his.  Through assistance from Rin and both of them attending the same college, the two continue to interact with each other more and more, both in school and out.  But not everyone is enthusiastic about the development.  Both Yuki and Itsuomi have people in their lives that have harbored feelings that they have trouble expressing.

    We are in a golden era of slice of life romance anime.  A Sign of Affection does not disappoint in the least.  The story and characters are realistic and approachable.  The situations are believable and the characters actions don't detract from the warmth of the story.  The artwork moves between serious and cute depending on the situation and mood, done with a fine eye by the directing team.  The progression of the plot flows along in a well kept pace, not circling around the drain endlessly.  While not exactly spoiling things, we don't have to wait until the final episode for any sort of progression in the main characters relationship.  Anime has always been full of characters with unnatural hair colors and at first glance this would fall into that category.  Except, refreshingly, it isn't.  Itsuomi's best friend is a hair stylist and uses his friend to test new ideas, thus his hair is dyed silver.  Yuki as well decided to change her hair upon entering college for a fresh look as she embarks on a new world in her life.

    The original authors are not hearing impaired themselves but put in a lot of effort to help them understand what someone living in that world may be like.  Ensuring they could correctly represent the way they navigate a world not built for them and to represent the signing in a realistic manner.  Difficulties in interacting with others in society who are not actively aware of the way the communicate is expressed through out the story.  In many moments, sometimes pivotal, Yuki is not aware of the flow of the conversation around her due to not being able to read everyone's lips or through the speed of the conversation.  Again though...I struggle with why Yuki's mom never bothered to interact with her daughter in a more meaningful way.  On top of that shes super strict on the young woman's ability to care for her self.  Same with the boy who love/hates her from her childhood.  It seems like everyone from her earlier life does what they can to prevent her from growing into her self, instead trying to shelter her.  Itsuomi presents a pathway to a wider world, both through his frequent travels and as someone who does not know anything about her.

The anime simulcast on Crunchyroll and is available in both dub and sub formats.  This is one of those I should start the manga for!