REVIEW: ‘A Sign Of Affection’ Episode 7 — “Let Me Introduce You To My Girlfriend”

A Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren) Episode 7 demonstrates the series’ best and most divisive qualities. The patient, luminescent storytelling perfectly embodies the romance at its center. However, it leans heavily on dialogue-driven moments that lose steam. “Let me introduce you to my girlfriend” lacks dynamic direction in the first half of the episode, making the slow pacing of the conversations more evident. That said, the rest of the episode rallies with its sweetness and wholesome nature.

Yuki Itose (Sumire Morohoshi) and Itsuomi Nagi (Yu Miyazaki) are officially dating, and Yuki is still grappling with what that means for her. This is more pronounced due to Itsuomi having immediately taken off for a month of traveling. As his travels take him to Cambodia, Thailand, and India, Yuki is left at home and still figuring out if she can call him her boyfriend. It’s charming, a clear sign of her naivety regarding dating. One of the strongest parts of the episode is showing how the world continues to move on, even in his absence. A Sign of Affection Episode 7 may struggle with its pacing at the start, but it shines with the details.

It’s apparent in several sequences. The episode adopts a vignette-style approach to show the passing of time. First, there’s the relatability of the struggles of job hunting. While Yuki faces a more significant disadvantage due to trying to find work at places that aren’t always disability friendly, the montage of rejection letters hits a universal mark. Similarly, the peak we get at Rin at her realtor job hilariously captures the mania of office work, especially as a newcomer. She’s believable and frenzied as she tries to overcome her inexperience.

We also meet Oushi’s (Takeo Ōtsuka) sister, Mio, who divulges greater character insight. Mio and Yuki are the ones catching up, but it’s Oushi who we learn more about. The sibling dynamic is clear and present as Mio playfully ribs her younger brother. She teases him, telling Yuki to order him around at school if she needs to. But she compliments Oushi, too, commenting on how he’s kept up with his sign language studies. It’s something that Yuki picks up on, too, praising him for his work and flustering Oushi.

Oushi poses no real threat to Itsuomi and Yuki, which makes his crush on her sting. The sequence is lovely, but its best moment comes as the two face one another, and the image of their childhood selves reflects in one another’s eyes. As childhood friends, it indicates how they appear to each other. In Oushi’s case, Yuki’s on a pedestal. She’s someone to protect. Meanwhile, Yuki simply sees him as the boy who’d tease her.

The details even pop up in the animation. The episode closes with Itsuomi coming home in a sweeping, romantic sequence. Due to miscommunication, the two kiss. It’s sweetly awkward and fitting for Yuki’s first kiss. Despite this instance of romance, though, it’s those details that shine through. Silly, seemingly insignificant things such as the roots of Itsuomi’s hair growning out, the black peeking out from the silver dye job. He signs with greater confidence as the two communicate more fluidly. These bits and pieces help bring A Sign of Affection to a greater, solid life. The characters are tangible, which roots them in reality even as the show loses itself to flights of fancy due to the sweeping love story at the center.

As the world develops, so too do some of the finer elements. The animation, even when dealing with a lot of dialogue, finds ways to enliven otherwise stagnant moments. It’s prominent in a back-and-forth between Oushi and Yuki. Their character designs are simplified, almost chibi style, as the direction captures them in bold, boxy frames. The score, too, continues to expand, moving from the standard twinkling to something more jazz-inspired.

A Sign of Affection Episode 7 struggles with some text-heavy sequences in the first half but culminates into something worthwhile. There’s such an innate charm to the series, bolstered by delicate animation, that it’s easy to be swept away along with Yuki. The world continues to expand as all of the characters receive greater attention, and the show promises to show more about Itsuomi and his friendship with the mysterious Shin. It perfectly captures Yuki’s mentality as she mentions wanting to see the world that Itsuomi inhabits. Endlessly enchanting, the series continues to find new ways to endear us to its characters.

A Sign of Affection Episode 7 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.