A Sign of Affection Omnibus 1

ゆびさきと恋々 [Yubisaki to Renren] #1-3

by Suu Morishita

The best-selling shojo romance manga from the creator of Shortcake Cake gets a new, large-sized omnibus edition! Yuki is a typical college student--it's just that she can't hear. A chance encounter on a train leads to a serious crush...but will he give her a chance?

Catch up on the manga before watching the anime! Includes Vol. 1-3.

Yuki, who's always been deaf, is used to communicating with sign language and her phone. But she's not used to English, so when a tourist from overseas asks for directions, she nearly panics...until a handsome stranger steps in to help. His name is Itsuomi, and it turns out he's a friend of a friend. A charismatic globetrotter, Itsuomi speaks three languages, but he's never had a deaf friend. The two feel drawn to each other and plan a date on a romantic winter's night, but Yuki's friend is afraid that she might be setting herself up to get hurt. Could this be something real? Or will these feelings melt away with the snow?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Slice Of Life, Young Adult, Fiction, Shojo, Comics

496 pages, Paperback

Published May 14, 2024

About the author

MORISHITA Suu
Name (in native language): 森下ｓｕｕ

Blood type: A
Zodiac: Taurus

Mangaka duo: Story: Makiro (マキロ）, Illustration: Nachiyan (なちやん）

Favourite food: chicken nanban

Assistant: Aizawa Yuki-mei

Reviews

[ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

itsuomi is not a green flag, hes actually the whole forest

[sofia ᝰ.ᐟ✮⋆˙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Just like that, without warning… something new appeared in my world.”

It’s very rare to see a shoujo set in a college setting instead of the usual high school one, and it’s even rarer to see a protagonist who is deaf, so this manga was definitely a breath of fresh air for me!

the art in this story was so stunning and the characters were all so lively and filled with personality, the main couple is so sweet it quite literally gives me a toothache, AND they get together in the first 3 volumes.. what more can I say??

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh it’s so cute!! And we really get to see every single super adorable moment between this couple. THE YEARNING ON BOTH SIDES TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER IS SO LOVELY.

This series makes my heart warm.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this manga a long time ago and it’s sat on my shelf. I sadly can’t remember if I picked it up on recommendation or because the cover caught my attention. I love the art style and the premise is heartwarming. The omnibus contains the first 3 volumes and I think, for me, this just was a sweet story with not enough actual plot to keep me interested in continuing.

Yuki has been deaf her whole life and is now a college student making her way in the world. Itsuomi is a free spirited world traveler who saves her from a foreigner on a train. They both fall into each other’s orbit and slowly make room in their very different lives for one another.

The idea of the authors depicting Japanese sign language in the manga and their challenges with that was very interesting to me. I also liked the idea that the author’s mentioned in the interview section about their inspiration about writing the love story of a deaf girl: that manga expresses more than just words, that it encompasses the whole panel including emotions and surroundings and how that plays into the world of a deaf person well as they have to focus on more than just the words someone speaks. Overall I think this is a really innovative story. It’s sweet, innocent and cute. I enjoyed the 3 volumes I read, but for me, I enjoy my manga with a little more adventure, drama or magic to it. I think that’s just on me for picking something sweet and fluffy, but I would definitely recommend this to people looking for something sweet and romantic.

“It’s like everybody starts off as a see-through container. But then the container gets scratched, and dirty, and polished, because of the influence of other people. I want to have an influence on Yuki.”

[Sammy Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may or may not have immediately started googling where to buy the next volume. I understand Yuki. I too would be a mess around this man.

[carolina ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

your honor i love them 🥹
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

[Kat Attack. · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the sweetest, most wholesome manga I’ve read in awhile. I refuse to accept anyone can read this without kicking their feet, giggling and just having the warm fuzzy feelings.

Yuki and Itsuomi are both college kids, she’s deaf and he’s a multi-lingual world traveller. They meet by chance when they’re on the metro, a tourist asks Yuki for directions and she can’t communicate with the tourist. Itsuomi to the rescue to translate and get the tourist the directions he needs. Itsuomi is keen to learn new languages and about other ways of life, so naturally he is drawn to Yuki and wants to learn Japanese sign language and more importantly learn about her.

Not only does Itsuomi want to learn sign language to be able to communicate with Yuki, he also doesn’t infantilize her for being deaf and needing him to swoop in control her life.

This manga is over the top sweet and does have some slow moments (hey, it’s real life material some days are dull) but overall a very cute opening set and I can’t wait to read the next in the series. A lovely slice of life read when you just want everyone to be happy and in love.

[Kay Doss · Rating 5 out of 5]

First ever manga I’ve read. It took a minute to get used to the whole reading right to left but once I started I couldn’t stop. After seeing tidbits of the anime on TikTok, I was really interested in this romance because it looks super cute and sweet and I’ve never been interested in this kind of thing before but I like that the story is a little bit different in the sense that she is deaf Because I feel like it’s a little bit more realistic and real world friendly versus some other manga/anime things that I have seen that kinda gets a little otherworldly which there’s nothing wrong with that but it’s just not my taste.

[Gin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is very cute. The characters are well rounded. I find very interesting the representation of Japanese sign language and how the characters communicate with Yuki. However, the love story felt a bit hot and cold, at times. I may continue reading this manga in the future.

The managakas did a great job researching and portraying sign language. I could tell they cared a lot.

[Silvy Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it 😀 yay Yuki is such a cute girl but she's deaf and she falls in love ❤️ a sign of affection is such a good manga and I'm happy to read the volume 1 . I'm ready for volume 2 . I totally recommend this manga it's a brilliant cute story 😍.

[Nyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the anime version of this first and was a little put off by the fact that it seemed like insta love to me. But I decided to read the manga and it felt a bit more like a slow burn compared to the series which I liked. Overall I thought it was a cool story and Yuki and Itsuomi are cute together.

[Katie]

I adore this! I can't recommend it enough; it's so refreshing seeing disability representation, as well as healthy romantic relationships.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5 but it's sweet and a little fluffy and I like it

[Mage M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was adorable

[India (IndiaReadsALot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ughhhh I love love!!!!!! I also love great disability representation.

[Ariel Pattee · Rating 5 out of 5]

giggling and kicking my feet

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nah these guys are so cute I love them so much.

I'm back on my manga reading time and thank god my bf had this omnibus at home so I could binge.

[Ariana Gannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So FREAKING CUTE! Gotta watch the anime now

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You used sign language the first time I met you. It felt like my entire world was suddenly turned on its head. I used to live overseas. So I naturally got interested in languages and cultures. I guess they became my driving force. But I was always so busy staring off into the distance, I didn't realize they could be so close, too."

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute; they are so cute! I giggled the entire time, basically. Can't wait to read the next!

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

She’s so cute and he’s so perfect - this is the sweetest romance rver

[xmazcarroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

sometimes the sign language can be hard to follow, especially since the pictures are JSL and this is an english translation. i think it kind of adds to the experience though - every time i wonder about a sign i feel connected to a character who’s surrounded by communication she doesn’t always understand. great start to a series. i’m definitely looking forward to the next

[Ashley Kwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sparkling romance, new to someone’s world. This world is Yuki’s world, one that has been silent ever since she had been born. This manga series is called Yubisaki to Renren (A Sign of Affection) written and illustrated by Suu Morishita. Its genres include romance, shoujo, drama, and slice-of-life. In case you may not know, the shoujo genre typically targets the young female audience from ages 10-18 and the slice-of-life genre focuses on realistic, day-to-day lives of the characters. A Sign of Affection is a delightful manga to read because it gives insight into the type of life that people with hearing loss must endure and showcases the beautiful human relationships, especially the romantic one between Yuki and Itsuomi.

In A Sign of Affection, we follow Yuki Itose, a nineteen year old Japanese woman with congenital hearing loss through her life without sound. She meets Itsuomo Nagi, a 22 year old Japanese man, for the first time on a train who helped give a foreigner directions. Almost as if it was love at first sight, Yuki develops A Sign of Affection for him. She often frequents a bar with her female Japanese friend, Rin Fujishiro, to see Itsuomi. Rin, on the other hand, goes there to see Itsuomi’s cousin, Kyouya Nagi, who she has a crush on. Through more interactions with Itsuomi, Yuki is able to converse with him and sees her efforts come to fruition.


The manga did amazing in illustrating the emotions of all of the characters. I felt butterflies and the thrill of the swing in emotions that you feel while reading an entertaining romance book. I also enjoyed the intriguing detail of the usage of sign language in the book. It’s not a common occurrence amongst books in general which is why it caught my attention. The book could have been improved upon the portrayal of Yuki’s 20 year old male Japanese childhood friend, Oushi Ashioki. In A Sign of Affection Omnibus 1 (Vol. 1-3), containing the combined volumes 1-3 of A Sign of Affection in one huge manga, Oushi is one of the many characters that is introduced to the readers. He is portrayed as a somewhat childish and straightforward person yet also was jealous of Yuki spending time with Itsuomi. This personality shocked me since most of the other characters seemed to be more nuanced than him. It felt a little odd to make him less nuanced than other characters since his actions are a bit hard to understand at first.

A Sign of Affection by Suu Morishita is especially important today because it shows some of the experiences that people with hearing loss may face. Although it may be rare to encounter younger people with hearing loss, it shows a respectful example of what one should do to respect them. This book’s intended audience are people that are interested in the potential life of someone who lives with congenital hearing loss and want to see a beautiful romance story unfold. The author definitely achieved their purpose of making the readers enjoy the manga and embark on the emotional rollercoaster that Yuki faces during her relationships between the hearing and silent world. I give the book a rating of 5 stars and recommend the book to people that want to feel the thrilling feelings that romance can bring, along with the eventful observance of Yuki’s new relationships with other people.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because many people report this to be the pinnacle of modern shoujo, so I gave it a shot. I’ve attempted to read it before and haven’t followed through, and now I remember why 😬😬😬😬

The art is beautiful, but I feel like I don’t really understand the romance or even their characters beyond the fact that he’s big and tall and worldly and she’s small and tiny and innocent (and deaf). (How does his school let him leave and travel so much and he doesn’t get in trouble???)

I found it odd that her parents never learned sign language but sent her to an all deaf school? Even her childhood friend that she barely seems to have a relationship with (he doesn’t even know her phone number) knows pretty fluent sign language.

I don’t understand the purpose of introducing the “rivals”, since there’s almost no conflict. What is the purpose of introducing Emma if the ML has no interest in her at all, and it doesn’t even cause drama with the FL? Same with her childhood friend rival. She obviously has no interest in him at all and he hasn’t even confessed yet, and she’s already dating ML. What’s the purpose if we already know nothing is going to happen? The ML has already met the CF and is not intimidated in the slightest.

The part I really liked the least was that the ML told a friend that he was interested in the FL because he thought she had never heard foul language and was so innocent and pure and he wanted to have an impact on her life. I feel like this is kind of dismissive of the deaf experience……. And weirdly selfish. I’m not sure if this is a flaw of his that will be expanded on, but the friend just took it as a sign that the ML was super in love with the FL. 😬😬😬

They didn’t really introduce any other deaf characters yet so I’m not sure if this will change, but I feel like it’s saying less than this deaf character is innocent and pure and more that all deaf people are innocent and pure because they are having a “lesser” experience by not being able to hear the “evils” of the world.

I didn’t completely hate it so I will probably continue reading it, but I don’t think it’s something I’d recommend.

[Christine]

This book is rated for 16+ and I wanted to find out why since reviewers have said it's an okay fit for middle school because the content is tame.

This is a quintessential shojo manga with over-the-top feelings and emotions. I went back and forth on whether Yuki's feelings for Itsuomi are red flags or just normal stuff 18-year-olds feel.

For example: "These hands that are holding me. Those eyes gazing into mine. They're going to discover yet another world. I don't want him to think I can only see him up close. So I would never admit this, but I'm even in love with the angle I have to tilt my head at to look up at him. Every expression that he points my way rains down on me like a shower of light." (p. 409-410)

Ooooookayyyyy....

So while Yuki is caught up with her feelings over Itsuomi (who is 22 years old) meanwhile her old friend from her childhood is clearly into her and she doesn't know it. The set up for a love triangle is definitely there.

So, is this okay for middle schoolers?

I'm torn. We have very little profanity/swearing here: 2 uses of hell, 1 use of bullshit, and 1 use of taking the Lord's name in vain. On the other hand, we have someone who is drunk and alcohol is consumed frequently. On the other other hand, they are all of age so it's not like they are breaking the law here.

There is one scene where a girl from Itsuomi's past has a key to his apartment and spends the night there but they aren't involved "like that". But were they? We aren't sure.

I can see why this is labeled 16+ because everyone is in university and the interest level would skew towards high school. But I also have 6th graders reading Colleen Hoover and Sarah J Maas so...

[Sofia Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sweetest, most wholesome thing I've ever read (maybe it's hyperbolic but damn, it was good). I've always been a fan of the fluff romance more than anything, with some drama but where the love and pinning and care for one another is the main point and A Sign of Affection fullfils my romantic soul so much that my heart will explode.

Even when the main characters are the focus (of course), I liked the side characters. They are charming and have enough space to make me intrigued about them too. And of course, we can't not mention the deaf representation in this manga. I'm not a deaf person, so take it with a grain of salt (I've learned the basic of my country's sign language and during my classes, my deaf professors told us about their experience of being deaf in a hearing world), but I loved how Yuki's life was depicted and how speaking in sign language is seen by Itsuomi as her own language, while also honoring the disability and how it can make Yuki's life challenging.

I see how things can be lost in translation, which is why I always appreciate the inclusion of translation notes by the end, but I'll say that I LOVE the idea of moving letters around to show how Yuki struggles even with her hearing aids. It was very creative and it helped with the immersion.

Finally, the art. THE. ART. My shoujo heart is screaming because I love this style so much. 10/10, no notes. I'll be waiting for the second onmibus to be released later, so I can continue with this lovely story.

[Bookishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous, gorgeous art. The way sign language is depicted is charming and easy to understand and the use of twisted letters when our MC can't properly lip read is a smart way of illustrating the way she experiences the world.

Itsuomi is a classicaly dreamy love interest, attentive, considerate and very communicative (hooray!). Although in a book where communication is such a key aspect maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

However whilst very cute as a romance, there's an issue with almost every other character.

In an effort to frame Itsuomi's actions as romantic, him taking the time to learn sign language in order to communicate with Yuki, they make everyone else in her life appear, at the very least, deeply uncaring.
Why does this girl, with friends and family, seen signing only with one guy?? A guy she's not even close with, who learned the language not to accomodate her because they were friends but just because.

And then there's the issue of Itsuomi naming the reasons he likes Yuki. He makes this weird connection between her her deafness and her personality. Yes she is hard of hearing, yes she is a bit naive. One does not cause the other! The comparison to "containers that get scratched and marred throughout life" is also pretty clumsy and him saying she's retained her inoccence because she couldn't hear the "cruelty of the world" feels infantalizing. His other reasons do redeem him, I just found the inclusion of this unnessecary. He could have just said he enjoys the different perspective, the way she experiences life is interesting after all.

[Jonas H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been on a bit of a manga binge this year, and since I know (Norwegian) sign language, I felt compelled to pick this up.

A very cute (love) story of Yuki, who's deaf, and Itsuomi who's a bit of a globetrotter and language enthusiast. I really enjoyed how (Japanese) sign language was included in the art, and how eager Itsuomi was to learn it from Yuki.

I'm not used to reading Shojo romance, which is possibly why I have the complaints that I have. For one thing, Itsuomi came across as a bit creepy with how physically affectionate he could be towards Yuki, while having a deadpan facial expression. I also found the developing relationship between the two main characters as a bit unnatural, with how little time they'd spent together and how few interactions they'd had. Another thing I wish there was more of is Yuki's story, growing up, going to a deaf school, etc. And I wonder why she seemed to always needed to read lips, since she had hearing aids (which help, especially in non-crowded one-on-one conversations).

Finally, I wish I could've read this one volume at a time, rather than a 3-volume omnibus, but that's only a minor complaint.

I might check out the anime, as I'd love to see more (Japanese) sign language.

[Elly Sloman · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really love seeing some representation here! Very cool! I have to bring it from 5 to 4.5 because of some major irks. The MMC is kinda weird to the FMC... it was sometimes giving adorable, sometimes giving creep. I didn't like how handsy he was with her, how he talked about her behind her back (taking advantage of her deafness by having secret conversations.. UGH.) and the way he talked about her being "innocent" and wanting to "influence" her ( the way it was phrased made influence feel like it had an undertone of "corrupt" to me.)

BUT i think it's nice that he shows a legitimate interest in understanding her and communicating with her in a way that makes her comfortable!

but because of those dealbreakers, i find myself rooting for the childhood friend.


THE ART STYLE IS VERY CUTE!!! I love how expressive these characters are and the peaks of the art in this manga are really really good, but I will say there were some sections that felt VERY same-y and repetitive in terms of art, staging, expression, etc. How many times are we getting a panel of this girl staring into camera, blushing? come AWN.


Overall, i like it enough to keep reading and maybe watch the anime on crunchyroll.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first omnibus of A Sign of Affection by suu Morishita is the start of something genuinely beautiful. Yuki's innocent curiosity is well-matched to Itsuki's wanderlust and appetite for knowledge. Together, they open one another's worlds to new possibilities.

In a refreshing change from so many shoujo manga tropes, their meeting and subsequent climb into romance is hopeful, wholesome, and sweet. The toxic tropes are left well clear of this first omnibus, and the couple are allowed to gently fall into one another's affections like the drifting snow of the winter scenery around them.

The art provided by this manga duo's illustrator is particularly noteworthy, with incredible care taken in precisely depicting the hands of all sign language users. The moods and personalities between Oushi (a childhood friend) and Itsuki especially are distinguished from one another. Also noteworthy are the translation notes provided at the end of the volume, which speak to the care and sensitivity of the localisation team behind the series.

Looking forward to reading the next two omnibuses, which are on my shelf!