A Sign of Affection is a shoujo anime that makes a powerful impression. Based on the manga by Morishita Suu, it features a hearing-impaired protagonist in her first romance, and the uplifting nature of its story centers around how she navigates life without positioning her as a tragic figure or an example of “overcoming the odds.”

Itose Yuki is a new university student who’s deaf. Not long after she starts school, Yuki meets Nagi Itsuomi, an older student who loves traveling and studying languages. She’s drawn to Itsuomi’s kindness and forwardness, but also his constant desire to broaden his horizons. Itsuomi begins learning sign language, sparking a connection that both of them want to foster. There’s drama, romantic rivals, hopes, and all the things that make for a good love story—but in a way that feels much more realistic.

Historically, characters in fiction with disabilities are utilized as pitiable or admirable “freaks” differentiated from the fully abled. Depicting disability in fiction in a sensitive manner means acknowledging the unique challenges created by a disability without exoticizing it. But there is no universal approach to achieving this, and it is itself a subject of debate. I am not deaf, and so I’m speaking as an outsider, but I think A Sign of Affection manages to be a work that is conscientious of its circumstances without being condescending. Yuki’s situation factors into the complexities of love, but aren’t the sole driving factor. 

One of the unique aspects of the A Sign of Affection anime is its emphasis on lips. Anime is typically known for using generic mouth flaps to animate speech as a cost-saving measure. But when the show is about a girl who has to read lips to communicate with most people, this won’t fly. While A Sign of Affection doesn’t do it for every scene, there are a lot of moments where it animates mouth movements in very fine detail to emphasize how Yuki approaches her interactions.

It’s worth noting that this work is still made mainly for those who can hear. We don’t seem to be at the point where an anime is specifically made with hearing disabilities in mind, but maybe it’ll happen someday.