Oh my god it’s so cute

Ahhh this series is so cute! I think this was absolutely my favorite volume thus far. I am really enjoying the growing relationship between Yuki and Itsuomi. The writer of this series does such a wonderful job of making both Yuki and Itsuomi the kind of couple you want to cheer for and adore.

Yuki’s naivety and innocence make sense when you contemplate the life she’s lived and the fact that Itsuomi is so careful and kind with her. Often in manga, the struggle for any relationship comes from one partner overwhelming the other, but in Sign of Affection, Itsuomi is always patient with Yuki not only because she is deaf, but also because he is learning. He knows a lot about the world but he’s never been with anyone like Yuki, so he also has to learn where her boundaries are regarding situations and push himself to learn sign language so their relationship doesn’t feel one-sided. Itsuomi is one of the best love interests I’ve read in contemporary manga because his honesty and openness is incredibly attractive and you know at this point any issues in their relationship will likely come from outside sources since the two of them have been so communicative with each other up to this point.

In this volume, Yuki and Itsuomi go on a camping day out with Rin and Kyoya (who have their own adorable romance) and decide to spend the night together afterward. There is no sexual content here, the furthest they’ve gone sexually is a mere kiss so far, but the fact that Yuki is sleeping in his apartment stresses her out even though she wants to be there. Itsuomi can read her emotions despite not being able to verbalize it and is respectful of giving her space and showing her a signal they can use so she knows when he is interested in kissing her. It’s all just cute as hell and I want them to be happy forever.

Title: Sign of Affection (Vol. 4)
Author: Suu Morishita
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
ISBN: 9781646512744

Three Descriptors: Cute, Representative, Heartwarming