Warning: Spoilers for A Condition Called Love episode 7It’s rare when, in a romance anime, the two main characters actually confess to each other before the end of a season or, in the more extreme cases, the series finale, but two new romance anime airing on Crunchyroll, A Condition Called Love and A Sign of Affection have both broken down this common trope, albeit in different ways.
A Condition Called Love and A Sign of Affection‘s confessions couldn’t be any more different than they already are despite their one commonality. A Sign of Affection‘s confession is so unique because the series completely relies on its rare use of sign language to amplify the moment and transform it into something truly special.
Meanwhile, the confession in A Condition Called Love is based on the couple’s own unprecedented dynamic. Hotaru Hinase has never experienced love and doesn’t know if she ever will. Moreover, both she and Saki Hananoi are incredibly open with each other, leading to A Condition Called Love being an incredibly honest series, as the leads whereby they are aware of their feelings for each other and are actively trying to get to a place where Hotaru can feel the same.
A Condition Called Love’s Confession Is Surprisingly the Most Unexpected
While the Two Leads Are Always Aware of Each Other’s Feelings, the Confession Is Still a Surprise
In the case of A Condition Called Love, the viewer’s hope that Hotaru can love Saki in return might seem quite similar to the usual romance trope where a boy’s feelings for the girl are quite clear, but there’s no indication if she reciprocates them. The difference lies in how much access viewers have to Hotaru’s mind in A Condition Called Love. Hotaru’s own doubts and fears are out in the open from the very first episode, so the overall experience is quite different and even more unexpected when Hotaru finally confesses in episode 7.
The fact alone that Hotaru is so sure of how she feels introduces a whole other dynamic as well, just because she had been so unsure for weeks. Viewers are so happy with the development that simple acts such as hugs, kisses on foreheads instead of lips, and the intertwining of fingers are enough to satisfy them for the entire season without a need for the ever-elusive first kiss. This understanding is underscored by how well the overall episode was delivered, since Saki actually distanced himself from Hotaru, causing her quite a bit of turmoil, which helped the audience accept and trust Hotaru’s answer.
A Sign of Affection’s Confession Is An Incredible Exploration of Sign Language
The Series Used Its Unique Premise to Deliver an Unforgettable Moment
The big confession in A Sign of Affection is so effective because of how much it involves sign language, uses an aspect of deafness to symbolize a universally understood experience, and explores the extra hurdles that deaf and non-deaf persons must overcome to be together. The fact that the multilingual Itsuomi Nagi transitions to sign language when confessing to the deaf Yuki Itose is powerful because it shows his willingness to put in the extra effort during a pivotal moment of communication to enter and embrace her world rather than forcing her into his.
When Yuki later can’t see what Itsuomi is saying because of her tears, A Sign of Affection effectively emulates how anyone can become so blissfully happy that they suddenly lose awareness of their surroundings. The anime also incorporates a dynamic that revolves around Itsuomi’s multilingualism and hinges on the fact that sign language, as the name implies, is just like any other language. Any person who hears a love confession from someone who is not using their native language might wonder if they know what they’re actually saying, and this is exactly what Yuki goes through in that moment.
Both Series Also Built Up To These Confessions Similarly
Interestingly, both confessions are ironically preceded and therefore amplified by ones that fail, which is a commonality in romance anime. A Condition Called Love‘s failed confessions in episode 6 are portrayed more conventionally in the sense that Hotaru can’t summon up the courage to tell her true feelings to Saki. Of course, the episode later adds some nuance to the situation when Hotaru realizes it’s because she’s afraid of how love can change someone, separating it from the usual reason in anime, which is the simple fear of rejection.
Similarly, the failures in A Sign of Confession are the direct result of the obvious disconnect between those who are deaf and aren’t, which is a common theme in the anime. It’s in these ways that A Sign of Affection and A Condition Called Love explore the rare early confession in romance anime. Even though they are connected by something so uncommon, the way they represent it couldn’t have been showcased more differently, making these two of the most original recent romance anime.
