A Sign of Affection is just TOO CUTE.
I really hope that there is a happy ending somewhere down the line for Yuki.
I really want Itsuomi to take Yuki travelling.
I wish there was more content in each volume. I understand that a lot of the pages had sign language on them that takes up more space but I'd be happy with a longer book to get more of the storyline across.

I heard this was recommended for fans of A Silent Voice, a manga and film I love, and so I was ready to dive into this and love this too. It’s a love story between a deaf girl and a multilingual, who try to communicate to each other with sign language, and they start to fall in love. It’s an interesting concept, and one I was intrigued in. But...

It’s boring.

The only link to A Silent Voice is the fact our main character is deaf. A Silent Voice had a complex story of bullying, redemption, and growing up. It was a unique story that had more layers to it as you read it, and not to bash it, but A Sign of Affection is just a shojo love story. It’s cute, and if you’re looking for that then this is perfect for you, but it feels a bit misleading to say it’s perfect for A Silent Voice fans when they are completely separate and different stories. Yes they deal with hearing disabilities and sign language, but that’s it.

The story falls flat, the characters are bland, and just didn’t feel any chemistry between our leads. While I appreciate the mangaka’s use and representation of sign language and their efforts into portraying it correctly (their interview at the end was interesting), it doesn’t hide the fact this story was incredibly basic. I’m not compelled to read more of this.

If you’re looking for my deaf representation then maybe I would recommend this, but if you’re going into this because you were expecting another A Silent Voice then I would warn you that it’s not what you’re going to get. It’s not a bad manga, just not what I was looking for.

This was such a cute and diverse manga to read! When selecting this manga, I honestly wondered how the artist and writer were going to depict the movements of sign language and lack of speaking, however it all turned out really well. I thought the relationship growing between the two main characters was a little confusing on the blokes end and I still am not sure whether his intensions are true, However the main girl in this manga is adorable and so sweet. She is the main reason I would continue to read this series.

I am in love! I had heard about A Sign Of Affection from a friend and HAD to read it! And let me tell you, I am so glad I did! It's not often we see a character with a physical disability. I am so happy to see the use of (Japanese) sign language- It brings a unique aspect to the story. It MAKES the story.

So what do you get when you bring two opposites together? The classic love story that people like myself fall over themselves for every time. I will definitely be keeping tabs on this author and this story.

Highly Recommended!

I absolutely love how manga is starting show more representation now days. Not only does it give more variety but it gives more relatability and awareness to a wider range of audiences. I personally thought the representation of disability and the use of sign language was done beautifully in this Manga (but keep in mind I am not OwnVoices)

This book is so cute off the bat. Yuki is a mix of Komi and Sawako; trying her hardest to make connections with people. I love how after every few chapters the author gives an explanation or example of Japanese sign language that she uses in the manga and she explains her background with it. Its very beautiful and considerate.

However, I am disappointed in the lack of information of Itsuomi. The mystery surrounding him makes me weary of liking him. Also, I feel annoyed that Yuki never gave her child hood friend the same attention she is giving Itsuomi considering that he learned sign language to be able to communicate with her AND tends to inform others of how they shouldn’t just jump out at her or randomly grab her because she can’t hear them coming.

I expect this to be a very cute manga and I will continue reading the series. This is the perfect manga that explores Japanese sign language culture and can start conversations on ableism in Japan. If you are a fan of Komi Can’t Communicate and From Me to You, you will for sure love this new shoujo manga!
I received an ARC of this manga from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(Review will go live on my blog on 22 Feb.)

I've only recently got back into reading manga and graphic novels after a break of many (many) years. Imagine my delight when I found a title that meaningfully and sensitively explores disability. I have a lot more hope for the future.

A Sign of Affection is a delightfully sweet manga about a deaf girl called Yuki, and her blossoming relationship with handsome polyglot Itsuomi.
I really enjoyed how their relationship slowly develops, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops in future volumes. I was so happy that Yuki has a love interest who is kind and respectful, because I know how dysfunctional some manga relationships are.
I was also super impressed by how thoughtful and sensitive the portrayal of deafness was. Yuki isn't a damsel to be saved, but rather a fully functional human being with thoughts and feelings of her own.
Yes, there is an acknowledgement that Yuki has been somewhat isolated in the past, but that's also a result of going to a very small school with only 4 classmates. (I believe it was a rural school, not a school specifically for deaf children.)
Reading this manga also made me very aware of how fortunate Yuki is to live in an era with so much technology. She communicates with most of her friends by typing/texting on her phone, and with her family and a childhood friend by signing. While she has hearing aids (I have one too, so I was really happy this was included), and can hear some sounds, she cannot discern them individually. So she lip reads and relied on tech for most of her communication.
I was really interested to find out that there are two types of signing in Japan. One is called "signed Japanese" in which each gesture correlates directly with a word or phrase, in order, in a Japanese sentence. The other is Japanese Sign Language, which has it's own rules of grammar and involves not only gestures, but other facial and body expressions to convey meaning.

I would recommend this to fans of romance and slice of life manga, and people who are looking for disability or deaf representation. It is a beautiful manga. The art is lovely. And the story is sweet and wholesome.

This story stands out from the others because of its different theme. The main character is deaf by birth and her world is dotted with other types of words that are hidden in more gestures than other people are used to watching.
Beautiful art, beautiful characters and a story that radiates a lot of warmth and tenderness. The world of the main character makes all the techniques familiar to the reader, different, stand out, almost like in a dream. Yuki herself is more tender, innocent and desperately sweet than many of the other characters of this type, without at all any kind of discrimination or ostentation that, you see, is "different" from the others. Itsuomi is her boy for millions. They are wonderful!

The original review is in Bulgarian, I apologize for possible translation errors. The link is below.

The art style of this manga was really pretty, but I didn’t quite love the story or the characters. The heroine also had a bad case of instalove which seemed completely unrealistic.

It took a little while to get used to reading this manga but when it clicked in my mind i got sucked into it right away. I loved it so much, i can't wait to read more about it!

*4 stars*

Aww, this was precious 🥺
The male MC was s0-so, he was cute but I didn't feel any particular attachment to him. But I loved the heroine so much! She reminds me a lot of Nishimiya from Koe no Katachi (A Silent Voice, also a deaf female MC), one of my favorite animes of all time. I actually also liked female MC's meddling-childhood-friend and kinda wanted to see a bit of her friend's side romance, too, which was too cute.

Loved the representation of the disability and the use of sign language here (though keep in mind I am not OwnVoices).

I loved this manga and I can't wait to read all the volumes! It's so rare to see disability representation in manga so this is great and I think they did a pretty good job with representing a person with hearing loss. I like how they add to not sneak up on deaf people because they can't hear you sneaking up to them. The one part of the story I thought was a tad bit disrespectful(?) was how he smacked Yuki's face to get her attention. Aside from that, they are so cute and I love how the creator actually drew in the characters using sign language. I also appreciate that the creator did their research in order to make this manga as true to life as possible. One thing that I think would be cool would be if they included a little sign language glossary of signs used throughout the book. Overall a great manga and Yuki is just so precious and cute! Can't wait to read more!

Oh. How I loved this first instalment. It was so pure, sweet and cute.
And thanks for the representation! Yuki, our heroine, is deaf and we definitely need more shojos with disabled characters - I’m thinking about the kids that might want to see themselves in mangas and also because it is just so enriching.
As for the drawings and the features of the main characters, they are so delicate (look at this gorgeous cover). Honestly, the characters, the way they communicate, how they are when they’re together, it was so good. I guess it’s going to be a slow-burn romance and I’m here for it.
I don’t read a lot of shojos anymore - in which the main characters are often cheesy (sorry for the generality) - but this manga really won me over.
I need the sequel right now!

A Sign of Affection is now my new favorite of 2021. The art is the prettiest thing ever, and it fits so well with the sweet and light romance of the story! suu Morishita (two authors working together) has a brief interview in the end of the volume, where they talk about the effort put into developing the manga, the care they put into researching sign language and into each page, and it was just really nice to read about how they came up with this whole wonderful thing.

The protagonist, Yuki, is deaf, and meets the love interest Itsuomi when he helps her out in a train, when a foreigner tries asking for directions. Since her friend Rin knows Itsuomi, they end up meeting more times and Yuki falls in love, accepting these feelings and slowly getting closer to him. This love is very sweet and new, and the art matched the soft, dreamy plot really well.

I can’t wait to read more of this story and see how their relationship is going to develop, and how the characters themselves will grow out of their comfort zones! Definitely worth checking out as a shoujo/romance fan. It’s pure cuteness and a very light, nice read to come back to any time something positive is needed. <3

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this early and give a review on it.

While the cover is super cute, it didn't really sell me right away. In fact, I wasn't sold until I started reading the volume, but once I was a few pages in, I was hooked. I've never read a manga featuring a main character with a disability so I was really intrigued once I learned Yuki was deaf.

I think it was well written; at no point does it seem like Yuki cannot take care of herself nor does it seem to be making fun of/looking down upon her disability as some media does unknowingly. Drawing sign language can be difficult but I think this manga did a good job of doing so. Yuki herself is a strong character and her growth is going to be awesome to see. The other characters I really enjoyed as well. Their interactions were all well written and the art for them is very cute.

I'm looking forward to reading more of this series as it comes out and I'll be buying a physical copy of this when it officially comes out.

the story was really cute. i feel like the sign language was a bit hard to portrait in drawing, but still, good for the rep. the romance was sweet and the art style is so pretty even if a bit more simplistic than some others.

Neither the cover or title really sold me on this, and I was worried that this manga was going to be following down some pretty bad trope reads I’ve experienced in the past but no - A Sign of Affection is really good. Yes, it does have the familiar shojo formulars, the kind innocent protagonist, the protective childhood friend (who will obviously become a love rival), the handsome kind stranger, etc. but they compliment the story. It’s more of a reassurance then a predictable patten. Also while I really didn’t like the cover of the book the artwork inside is lovely and I actually think the cover does it a disserve.

The best thing about this manga though is that Yuki isn’t written as helpless, yes, the meeting with Itsuomi is because she is flustered and he helps her but Yuki is independent.

As the end of the first volume there is an interview with the authors and on the team is also Yuki Miyazaki. She supervises the use of sign language within the manga and shares her experiences with the authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved loved loved it!!

This story is so beautiful and I'm so happy that I discovered it. It's about Yuki, a college student who met on a train this strange guy with silver hair Itsuomi who can speak three languages. Yuki is confused about her feelings about Itsuomi who can't speak Yuki's sign language.
Yuki is so cute and pure and I understand her interest in Itsuomi. Also,I love learning languages and I've always wanted to learn the sign language.

I love mangas that have characters with a disability like "Perfect World" that I already started, these stories are more interesting to read and make you feel things and learn so much about people who have to live with this disability.
I think that I'm gonna love "A sign of Affection" more than " A Silent Voice" by YOSHITOKI ŌIMA that made me ugly cry.

Suu Morishita are two friends who write under this name and at the end of this book you will also find an interview with them and Kodansha Comics. It was amazing, thank you.

5/5 stars

I received an ARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Yuki is a young girl in her first year at college. She's been deaf since she was born, but she communicates through her phone and reading lips. But a foreigner tries to ask her for directions and she doesn't know what to do! Itsuomi steps in and helps the guy out. Recognizing Itsuomi from college, she thanks him for his help. The two are drawn to each other: he's trilingual and travels the world, but has never met a deaf person, and she isn't used to someone like him who seems so eager to learn more about her. Yuki wants to be friends with him (and maybe more) but she's afraid of getting hurt.

This was so ridiculously cute! I think it's so cool that this manga shows lots of sign language as well as what she writes on her phone or on paper! The two main characters are both super sweet! This volume focused a lot on the romance, but I didn't have a problem with that. The art style is also gorgeous! The story so far is really adorable, and I can't wait to read more!

Shojo fans, romance fans, this one's for you! Fans of A Silent Voice will probably enjoy this story as well! I would definitely recommend this!

Have you ever had that moment where you just found yourself a new fav? Well this is it.

This first volume introduces us to Yuki-chan, a 19 y/o woman who bumps into a stranger in the train but when he asks for something, she doesn’t understand him because she has a hearing disability. Fortunately, a silver-haired guy helps them and later on we see him again in the same college she’s studying.

Itsuomi-san is a good looking man who has travelled around the world and so, he happens to know all sorts of different people, food and traditions. He’s trilingual already but what if he could learn the Japanese sign language too?

They meet several times after the incident in the train and it’s obvious they like each other but this might be a first time for Yuki-chan, who seems so oblivious of the world out there –I just want to protect her at all costs!

Now, I really liked this story! The art style is gorgeous and there are some scenes that depict the hand gestures and expressions people do when communicating with sign language, which I’m always eager to learn. Also, Yuki’s friend is such a good support to her that I’m rooting for her own romance with Itsuomi-san’s boss (both men work together in a café).

So, in a few words: this volume was sweet, wholesome and had me smiling like an idiot. I just love stories like this! Healthy romances for the win!