A Sign of Affection: Complete Guide to the Anime and Manga

There’s a reason anime fans are still talking about a quiet romance that centers on a deaf college student. A Sign of Affection isn’t just another shojo love story — it’s a rare series that uses Japanese Sign Language, sound design, and visual cues to let viewers experience the world as its protagonist does.

Original manga launch: July 2019 ·
Anime adaptation release: January 2024 ·
Manga volumes published: 11 (as of January 2025) ·
Anime episodes: 12 ·
Creator: Suu Morishita

Six key facts, one pattern: the series has built a steady cross-media presence with consistent release cadence and broad streaming availability, but the biggest question — season 2 — remains unanswered.

The implication: with 11 volumes and an ongoing manga, the franchise has room to grow — but the production gap between manga launch and anime adaptation (about 4.5 years) suggests any season 2 announcement may take time.

What is A Sign of Affection about?

The series follows Yuki Itose, a deaf university student who navigates daily life using Japanese Sign Language, lip-reading, and written notes. Her world changes when she meets Itsuomi Nagi, a multilingual traveler who shows genuine curiosity about her communication methods. The story explores their developing romance against the backdrop of Tokyo’s university scene, balancing sweet moments with honest depictions of communication barriers. Created by Suu Morishita, the manga launched in Kodansha’s Dessert magazine in July 2019 (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source)).

What sets this series apart is its approach to deafness. Unlike some stories that frame disability as a tragic obstacle, A Sign of Affection treats Yuki’s deafness as a natural part of her identity. CBR (anime news outlet) notes that the series “emphasizes social connection and communication rather than turning deafness into the central conflict.”

The anime adaptation, produced by Ajia-do Animation Works, aired from January to March 2024 with 12 episodes. Crunchyroll simulcast the series, and Netflix later acquired streaming rights for select regions (Crunchyroll (official platform)).

Main characters

• Yuki Itose – A deaf university student who uses sign language, lip-reading, and text to communicate. She is independent but often isolated by communication barriers.
• Itsuomi Nagi – A multilingual student who has traveled abroad. He learns sign language to connect with Yuki and respects her autonomy.
• Rin Fujishiro – Yuki’s childhood friend who interprets for her in group settings.
• Oushi Asada – A protective friend from Yuki’s high school days who struggles with her growing independence.
• Emma – A friend Itsuomi met during his travels, bringing an outside perspective.

Do Yuki and Itsuomi end up together?

Yes — Yuki and Itsuomi officially become a couple during season 1 of the anime. Itsuomi learns sign language specifically to communicate with Yuki, and their relationship develops through shared experiences rather than overcoming deafness as a hurdle. The anime covers approximately the first 4-5 volumes of the manga, showing their initial meeting, developing friendship, and eventual romantic commitment (CBR (anime news outlet)).

The manga continues their story well beyond the anime’s endpoint, exploring their relationship in greater depth. Readers who want to see what happens after season 1 can start from volume 5 or chapter 24 of the manga.

What type of relationship do Yuki and Itsuomi have?

Their relationship is built on mutual respect and active accommodation. Itsuomi doesn’t romanticize Yuki’s deafness — he learns sign language because he wants to communicate directly with her, not because he sees her as fragile. Anime Feminist (feminist media criticism site) describes the series as “rare in anime because it features a deaf protagonist and animated sign language,” noting that the show uses visual and audio language to present Yuki’s point of view.

The couple faces realistic challenges: misunderstandings from hearing people, moments where communication breaks down, and the emotional labor of navigating a world designed for hearing people. But the series treats these as relationship dynamics, not tragic obstacles.

The pattern: their romance works because both characters actively adapt to each other — Yuki speaks when she can and uses sign when she prefers, while Itsuomi learns her language instead of expecting her to do all the work.

Is there a season 2 for A Sign of Affection?

As of January 2025, no official season 2 announcement has been made by Ajia-do Animation Works, Kodansha, or any streaming platform. Season 1 aired from January to March 2024 and concluded after 12 episodes, covering roughly the first 4-5 manga volumes (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source)).

The manga, which continues serialization, has enough unadapted material for at least one more 12-episode season. With 11 published volumes and ongoing chapters, the source material gap isn’t the bottleneck — production scheduling and commercial viability likely are.

Has season 2 been announced by the studios?

No. Neither the production studio Ajia-do Animation Works nor the publisher Kodansha has confirmed a second season. The anime adaptation took about 4.5 years after the manga launched, so a similar production timeline would mean any season 2 announcement could come in late 2025 or later.

Is A Sign of Affection finished?

No — the manga is ongoing as of January 2025. Eleven volumes have been published in Japan, and the English translation is handled by Kodansha USA (official publisher). The series shows no signs of concluding, with new chapters continuing to release in Dessert magazine.

Has the manga concluded?

No. The manga is still actively serialized with no confirmed end date. Fans following the Japanese release can read new chapters as they drop, while English readers are catching up through translated volumes.

What is the current status of the series?

Active and ongoing across both manga and streaming platforms. The anime adaptation is complete for now, but the source material continues to grow. If a season 2 is produced, it would likely cover volumes 5 through 9 or 10, depending on pacing decisions.

Is A Sign of Affection a happy ending?

The anime ends on a positive note. Yuki and Itsuomi are together, having navigated the early stages of their relationship and established clear communication. Season 1 closes with a sense of warmth and possibility rather than cliffhanger tension (CBR (anime news outlet)).

The manga continues this trajectory, developing their relationship further without introducing artificial breakup drama. The series is categorized as a feel-good romance, and fan response consistently describes it as “wholesome” and “comforting.”

Deaf representation: how the anime expands on the manga

The most distinctive aspect of A Sign of Affection is how it handles deaf representation across two different media. The manga used text-based techniques — colored lettering indicated when Yuki could catch speech (gray text) versus when she couldn’t (black text), creating a visual shorthand for her auditory experience (Anime Feminist (feminist media criticism site)).

The anime had to translate those silent-page techniques into audiovisual language. It does so by cutting sound when Yuki cannot understand speech, replacing voices with a gentle hum of white noise that signals her perspective. Voices return only when she successfully lip-reads — a clever use of the medium’s natural tools (Anime Feminist (feminist media criticism site)).

The production team consulted deeply with the Deaf community. According to Sakugabooru (anime production analysis site), the anime collaborated with the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, the Tokyo Federation of the Deaf, and Sign Language Island, employing a sign-language supervisor and coordinators to ensure signing matched individual character characteristics.

The manga had already worked closely with a Deaf consultant, identified as Miyazaki Yuki, to ensure Deaf voices were present throughout the writing process (Anime Feminist (feminist media criticism site)). The anime thus built on an already-sound foundation, adding a deaf-school flashback not present in the original manga (Sakugabooru (anime production analysis site)).

Why this matters: most anime feature hearing protagonists, and even well-intentioned depictions of deafness often rely on hearing perspectives. A Sign of Affection centers a deaf character’s experience without turning her into a symbol. For viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, seeing animated sign language treated with this level of accuracy and respect is still rare.

Timeline

• July 2019 – Manga serialization begins in Dessert magazine (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
• January 2024 – Anime adaptation premieres on Japanese TV; Crunchyroll begins simulcast (Crunchyroll (official platform))
• March 2024 – Season 1 concludes with 12 episodes
• 2024 – Netflix acquires streaming rights in select regions
• 2025 – Manga continues serialization; no end date announced

For a deeper look at the series, check out our detailed guide which covers the plot, characters, and season 2 status.

Frequently asked questions