Summary
- A Sign of Affection, based on the manga by suu Morishita, is set to be Crunchyroll's first big series of 2024, showcasing a sweet romance between a deaf college student and a language-loving upperclassman.
- The anime has the potential to offer a fresh perspective on deaf representation, as Yuki's world is shared through her eyes, creating a unique storytelling experience.
- With its well-executed voicework and animation, A Sign of Affection could become one of anime's cutest couples ever, captivating fans of romantic anime. Don't miss out on this exciting start to the new year!
Tomo-Chan is a Girl was a sleeper hit for the streamer as it developed a cult following. Now, a new romance anime is coming this January, and it looks to be the first big series of the new year.
According to A Sign of Affection follows a deaf college student named Yuki as she meets a language-loving upperclassman named Itsuomi. Showing fascination with sign language, the two begin to communicate with each other as Yuki teaches him how to sign.
Accompanying this update before the anime's premiere is a new trailer for the series, including a first glimpse at the show's main theme, "Yuki no Oto" by Novelbright.
A Sign of Affection's Premise Has Major Romantic Potential
What's exciting about this manga's leap to anime is how much potential it has. The concept of a deaf woman interacting with a man whose whole world is language sets up a fantastic pairing as the two connect over communication. The manga highlights how close the two get as Itsuomi continues to learn sign language, so adapting this to animation could introduce this sweet story to a whole new audience. On top of that, Yuki and Itsuomi have impeccable chemistry with each other, so depending on how well-executed the translation is, they could become one of anime's cutes couples ever.
A Sign of Affection Flips the Script on Another Fantastic Anime
Something else that sticks out about this new anime is how it compares with another series featuring a similar premise. Naoko Yamada's 2016 film A Silent Voice also focused on a deaf girl as she develops a friendship with a boy trying to make amends for bullying her years before. It received major acclaim from fans and critics for its sweet story and down-to-earth messaging about the harmful effects of bullying. However, it focused primarily on the former bully for its storytelling.
In A Sign of Affection, Yuki is the primary protagonist as readers glimpse the world through her eyes. This opens up a new layer of potential. It will be interesting to see how sign language is portrayed in the anime while also seeing a budding romance from a hearing-impaired perspective. It is nothing fans haven't seen before, but the way it is executed could be a great piece of representation for the deaf community.
A Sign of Affection is currently expected to simulcast on Crunchyroll in early January as the series officially premieres in Japan on January 6, 2024. Fans of romantic anime will not want to miss out on this exciting start to the new year as Yuki's world is shared on the screen for the first time. This series has the potential to be Crunchyroll's next big romance hit, making it the first must-see anime of 2024.
Check out A Sign of Affection, streaming on Crunchyroll starting January 2024
Sources: Crunchyroll, MBSアニメ&ドラマ
