This may just be me not having seen enough romance anime, but I feel as though disabilities are rarely truly touched on in the genre. Which is a shame, because that idea has a lot of untapped potential. If done well, it can give people with those disabilities a character they can relate to, and it could make for a truly compelling and interesting narrative.
Oh, look. What’s ‘A Sign of Affection’ doing here?
Of all the shows this season, this one is my pick for a sleeper hit. It’s a genuinely cute and fun show! More than that, it presents a compelling narrative on the lives and hardships of those who are death or hard of hearing.
*It is worth noting that I am not deaf myself and, being an American, I know very little about what that’s like. So I am not an authority on whether this show’s representation of deaf people is good or inaccurate. However, from my limited understanding, I’m more inclined to believe it’s the former.
Yuki is a deaf girl in Japan going to university. On the train, she meets Itsuomi, a man who spends most of his time traveling the world. Coming from entirely different worlds, the two quickly grow enamored with one another. Romance shenanigans ensue.
Right away, I want to talk about the most impressive aspect of the anime: the animation. If you’ve ever tried to draw a hand, then you know how god damn hard it is to do that. Now imagine trying to animate a pair of hands moving in high-speed sign language. That’s some seriously impressive work!
The show in general is very good looking. It’s got great facial work that gives the characters a ton of charm and personality, on top of some fantastic character designs. The environments look great, too. This show is a delight on the eyes.
Getting back to the actual narrative: this is one of those precious few romance anime with great pacing! You won’t need to wait a thousand years for the leading lady to hold the leading man’s hand. You barely need to wait for them to hook up! This lends so much more time for the story to explore their actual relationship instead of the classic drawn out will-they-won’t-they nonsense.
And it’s a great romance! Yuki and Itsuomi have some genuinely adorable chemistry! She teaches him sign, and he teaches her about the world. With her unable to hear and him being very willing to enter someone’s personal space, the two share a lot of intimacy. You never realize just how romantic a gesture holding hands is until your hands are your primary means of communication.
Also, Yuki’s little laugh is the cutest thing in the world. It’s no wonder Itsuomi fell for her as hard as he did.
The side characters are hit or miss. Oushi is a prime example of how to write an annoying tsundere. Rin and her parallel romance with Kyouya is super cute. Emma is fairly likable and interesting, but she feels underused. I absolutely love Madoka; a high-energy lady with late onset hearing loss, she speaks a mile a minute while signing because she doesn’t want to give up speaking. They all flesh out the cast well, although Yuki and Itsuomi are definitely the spotlight.
Of course, I’d be remise to neglect mentioning the voice talent. Sumire Morohoshi is fantastic as Yuki; she’s just so damn cute! Yuu Miyazaki brings Itsuomi to life brilliantly, perfectly capturing his dry wit and energetic moments alike. Hana Hishikawa does a great job as Madoka, perfectly capturing the offset accent you’d hear from deaf people who can speak. Say what you will about Oushi, but Takeo Ootsuka delivers a spectacular performance as the character!
‘A Sign of Affection’ is a rock solid show. A fantastic premise, great characters, impressive animation, it’s the whole package. Check it out if you haven’t yet. If you’re in the need for some good romance, this is a great pick!
I really ought to learn sign language… Damn you, American education system! You’ve made an idiot of me!
Well… a bigger idiot. But all my idiocy is the fun kind!
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