It’s been a long time since I dipped my toes in shoujo mangas. But here I am with the two cutest, warmth-filled mangas. Yubisaki to Renren (A Sign of Affection) by Suu Morishita and Honey Lemon Soda by Mayu Morita. These two mangas are on the list of nominees under the Best Shoujo manga for the 45th Annual Manga Awards held by Kodansha. They totally grabbed my attention. This review is for Yubisaki to Renren.
The manga is ongoing with chapter 17 being the latest. It’s a heartwarming manga that will make you feel all warm fuzzies.
Story
Yuki is a college student who is deaf by birth and can’t distinguish voices even with the help of hearing aids. She comes off as a soft happy girl who is close with her friends and is excited about things like fashion. A chance encounter in train leads to her meeting Itsuomi-Kun who is a friend of her friend. This meeting sparks her interest in him. We see how she makes an effort into getting to know him which opens her up to a whole new world.
Characters
Yuki is soft but brave enough to take the first step. I liked this about her a lot. She is enchanted by Itsuomi-Kun. And showcases a positive approach in making sure her feelings are getting across to him. I like that she doesn’t hold back and puts her thoughts across to get a proper answer. Because she is so direct, it’s fun to read the story.
Itsuomi-Kun is a unique character. At first, you don’t see him being expressive but when he smiles or chuckles thanks to Yuki you feel the flutters. And it makes you smile in return. He loves traveling and we see him going all around the world. I like how he is so natural with Yuki and also very direct about his feelings when it comes to her.
Relationship
These two are the cutest. From the get-go itself, you will be feeling all kinds of happy emotions seeing Yuki and Itsuomi-Kun interact. This is surprisingly not a slow burn romance. So you will be really happy with how their relationship dynamics work out as the story goes on.
What do I like about Yubisaki to Renren?
There’s a calming feeling when you read this manga. The way how Itsuomi-Kun makes an effort into learning sign language and seeing Yuki feeling so happy and confident about things makes you feel good while reading this manga. The supporting characters also have a cute story brewing. The relationship between Yuki and Itsuomi-Kun is so adorable that you can’t help but love them. The pacing of the story is also good and doesn’t make you lose interest in the story.
Conclusion
If you love shoujo mangas then this is one story you shouldn’t be missing out on. It’s going to warm your heart and make you adore the characters.
You can read Yubisaki To Renren on Crunchyroll
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