Greetings, fabulous people of the Internet! Hanime on Anime here, and welcome to the last review of this month’s ro-May-tic event. I need a better name for this event.
Anyway, this last review is on a new anime I knew had an interesting concept. One that I hadn’t seen since A Silent Voice. However, this anime goes a little further by taking out the aspects of mental health and focusing more on the elements of life as a deaf person and how relationships work, especially when the potential love interest is hearing.
I’m excited to talk about this show, so let’s discuss more of Signs of Affection.
College freshman Yuki is as average as a girl can be. The one thing that sets her apart is that she’s completely deaf. While she wears hearing aids, she can only make a few sounds. However, she does well at reading lips and using sign language. One day, while on the train, a tourist comes up and tries to communicate with her, but she’s overwhelmed by the sudden encounter. That’s when a young man named Itsuomi steps in and helps. From that day on, Yuki falls for Itsuomi. Several encounters with him, and the two hit it off. Along the way, Itsuomi learns sign language, and Yuki discovers more about love, having never been in a relationship before. This sweet romance really embodies the true meaning of love and acceptance.
This was another super sweet, diabetes-causing, anime romance. But what’s interesting is not only the concept of having a deaf woman find love but its different elements and how they’re constructed. This is a show that takes some unique steps that make logical sense and still keeps viewers invested. So, on that note, let’s take a deeper look at these.
One aspect of this show that I thought was fascinating is that Itsuomi is multilingual; he’s fluent in two languages and learning several others, which is known and displayed literally from the moment we meet him. It’s ironic considering that Itsuomi can speak multiple languages while Yuki can’t speak at all, in a traditional sense. Communication is a theme here, and this anime shows that despite the apparent language barrier, people can overcome that to understand each other, even in a romantic relationship.
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The idea of communication being a core factor of this show is unique and something that, oddly enough, isn’t looked at in romantic relationships in, well, anything, at least from shows and movies I’ve seen anyway. Communication is an essential part of making any relationship work. As someone with Asperger’s syndrome, it’s something I try to work on constantly despite the deficits I’ll always have with it. So it’s refreshing to see a show, particularly a romance, tackle the importance of it in a pretty unique way.
Something else that was also unique about it was the pacing of the relationship. They become a couple by about the midway point, but they don’t date until the last episode. The relationship is a slow burn, but it works here. It’s similar to My Love Story!! where the relationship commences early on, knowing it can’t avoid the inevitable. Here, it’s the opposite; the relationship waits until the end to blossom. Fortunately, we still get to see the bud.
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Usually, I’d be impatient with something like this, but again, it works beautifully here, considering that Yuki and Itsuomi work on a way to communicate. It all comes together in a touching and sweet way.
Granted, there was one problem I couldn’t quite shake from this. It was not a huge one, but it never really made sense to me. And it involved Itsuomi.
One thing that seems to come up a few times is this concern that Itsuomi will break Yuki’s heart by pursuing his interests and passions. That being travel. It makes sense, considering he knows quite a few languages. But what gets me is that nothing seems to indicate this struggle with him continuing to seek that and maintain a romantic relationship with Yuki. At least none that I noticed. If anything, he’s pretty devoted, going so far as to learn sign language just to be with her. And if anything, I think the communication barriers the two have to break down are enough drama to move the show.
Still, this wasn’t a huge issue that lessened the show. It was just a strange part of the show that didn’t necessarily need to be there. Otherwise, as the title implies, this show gave me nothing but good signs.
If I had to sum up Signs of Affection in one word, that would be unique. Truly unique. This is a show that tackles aspects of living with a disability and how to overcome issues in communication. Some odd dramatic elements didn’t need to be, but that in no way gets in the way of the experience of watching this touching romance.
Like I said in the synopsis, this show gives a new meaning to love and acceptance.
And so that ends today’s review. Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned next week for Character of the Month. And I’ll admit, they’re a couple I’ve fallen head over heels for. Also, I’ll have some details on this year’s gold experience of this year’s Jojune.
Until then, enjoy the rest of your day!
-Hanime on Anime
Hanime on Anime 